Hamnet Audiobook By Maggie O'Farrell cover art

Hamnet

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Hamnet

By: Maggie O'Farrell
Narrated by: Daisy Donovan
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About this listen

WINNER OF THE 2020 WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION - THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 2021
'Richly sensuous... something special' The Sunday Times
'A thing of shimmering wonder' David Mitchell

TWO EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE. A LOVE THAT DRAWS THEM TOGETHER. A LOSS THAT THREATENS TO TEAR THEM APART.

On a summer's day in 1596, a young girl in Stratford-upon-Avon takes to her bed with a fever. Her twin brother, Hamnet, searches everywhere for help. Why is nobody at home?

Their mother, Agnes, is over a mile away, in the garden where she grows medicinal herbs. Their father is working in London. Neither parent knows that one of the children will not survive the week.

Hamnet is a novel inspired by the son of a famous playwright. It is a story of the bond between twins, and of a marriage pushed to the brink by grief. It is also the story of a kestrel and its mistress; flea that boards a ship in Alexandria; and a glovemaker's son who flouts convention in pursuit of the woman he loves. Above all, it is a tender and unforgettable reimagining of a boy whose life has been all but forgotten, but whose name was given to one of the most celebrated plays ever written.

©2020 Maggie O'Farrell (P)2020 Headline Publishing Group Ltd Biographical Fiction Family Life Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Renaissance Small Town & Rural
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I can’t tell you how much I loved this book. I ended up buying the paperback as well

Brilliant in every way

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Though I usually don't like to read fictional stories based on real people, I enjoyed Hamnet, for two reasons: its authenticity and for being faithful to the 1850's. As not much is known of Shakespeare, the author may have had some freedom for creativity, but she doesn't spoil it. The story is not modern, nor medival. That was a huge relief for me.

Recommended for fans of historical fictions.

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The raves about this book made me expect more. The comparisons to Hilary Mantel’s trilogy made me expect more. But then, much is known about Cromwell’s history and exploits, the politics of Henry VIII’s court, his wives, etc. Not much is known about the characters in Hamnet. They existed. One of them wrote a lot of plays, which are considered among the greatest literature. Hamnet died (this shouldn’t be a spoiler, given all the reviews and what is known from history). But little is known about Shakespeare’s wife, and really not so much is known about him, as a person, who is never named in this book - was this an idea derived from Mantel’s frequent “he” when referring to Cromwell? Here, if you came from a place where they never heard of Hamlet or Shakespeare, you wouldn’t know who the playwright is in this story. O’Farrell writes beautifully, but something is lacking in the characters. The book is really a fictitious imagining of Agnes (Anne Hathaway). And there is a lot of imagining. - because we really know so little about her. I was absorbed and enjoyed the narration.

Good book, but not as great as expected

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A beautiful tragedy worthy of the Bard himself. 😢 I loved it. Highly recommend.
The narrator has a beautiful tone.

Bard worthy.

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Lovely novel, superb writing and superb performance. It’s difficult to classify it. Historical fiction, romance, high art literature, an attempt for a biography?

Lovely novel

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You have to read this book. It was awesome bought paperback for several people as well as myself as well as listening to audio book.

Just brilliant

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In this story the author speculates how the life of Shakespeare would have been. You find yourself falling in love with the characters easily, almost wishing for it to be real. The reason being, it makes perfect sense!

Haunting and beautiful.

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loved it. great narration. read with clarity and great understanding of the plot. bring alive the characters. a great job done. thanks.

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A wonderfully written book. An interesting perspective on an old story. Gripping from start to finish.

Moving

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A sensitive, affecting performance of a brilliantly crafted novel. This was as close to perfect as an audiobook experience can get.

Breathtaking

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