Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell | Book Review | February 2021

The feature that initially drew me to Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell was the fact that Hamnet himself was a twin. Despite telling the story of the life of Shakespeare's only son, I really wanted to dive in to a narrative that explored the role of twins, and their biological and psychological bond. As I'm a twin myself, I know the bond is alive and kicking (even in the womb). So, I was fascinated to know how the novel explored the role of twins and their psychological binding to each other. 

 The novel of Hamnet focus on the life of the Shakespeare family, in the 1500s. Firstly, the novel focuses on predominately the mother, Agnes and her son Hamnet.  Agnes' childhood was very dysfunctional, and when her father died leaving her a rather evil stepmother, Joan, she came across a way out; the Latin tutor. The Latin tutor (a.k.a. William Shakespeare) isn't actually named as the Bard of the English Language. To the reader that doesn't know the context of the novel, the father could be ANYONE. But, obviously contextually, with his life in London as a playwright its obvious. Agnes is a rumoured expert in home medicinal remedies, with a variety of herbs and spices that she gives over the counter; her very own pharmacy. 

The introductory narrative of the novel gives the reader an insight in to the chaotic atmosphere of a medieval town, and of the young lives of Hamnet and Judith. The narrative soon takes a turn for the worse, with the illness of Judith. She as a lump growing on her neck, the fear of the plague sets in to the family. Somehow, Hamnet's allegiance to his twin sister makes him yearn for Judith to live. He sneaks in to her assembled bed by the roaring fire, and the illness falls upon him. He dies soon after, and the weight of grief and weight sits heavy on Agnes especially. The father returns home, but soon leaves for London again like he can't handle being in the grief and the place where his only son died.  I would've liked more of a reflection on Judith's feeling towards the death of her twin brother. There are aspects of her sneaking out of the family home to view the ghostly image of her twin brother running around the streets of Henley Street: 'Judith, though, hears him in the swish of the swoosh against the floor. She sees him in the winged dip of a bird over the wall'(p.298). In contrast and frustration to Agnes, who can mind read and see the futures of many people she has come across, can't hear, see or feel her son: ' Hamnet, Hamnet, are you there? Nothing. No one.'(p.298). This is the one part of the novel that truly defines the connection between the twins. Other than that, the book has a heavy emphasis on maternal grief. Agnes is alone in her grief, but she is surrounded by the young women she has raised, and the woman that has helped raised them too; her mother-in-law. There is a strong sense of female power in the novel, from Agnes' strong female independence as a child, to her hard resilience as a mother. The male characters are certainly overshadowed by the female ones in the novel. 

The novel ends with the elegiac remembrance of Hamnet, with the unveiling of the play to the eyes of Agnes, Hamnet's grieving mother, who has been seeking the ghostly thoughts and body of her beloved son. Without any letters being received for months from her husband in London, she assumes that he is just busy with work. However, when news gets to her that there is a new play he has wrote, and it is called 'Hamlet', she is outraged that the word has got to her through her evil step-mother, rather than the man she calls her husband. Mortified by the news and creation of the play, evident in her anger towards her husband: 'she has the sense now that there is nothing in her husband's heart to understand' (p.363).  she travels to London with her brother Bartholomew. The depiction of London life is rash and rushed, compared to the small town life she is used to. They reach the stretch of London Bridge, filled with high rising buildings sprawled over the skyline: 'London Bridge is like a town in itself, and a noxious, oppressive one at that[...] it is completely dark, as if they have been plunged in to darkness' (p.356).  The dark depression and gloom that the Bridge pulls them in to highlights further how Agnes' mental feelings overwhelm her, whilst also bringing to light the city environment of medieval London. As soon as she reaches the theatre at the other side of London Bridge, she is swept in to the on-going display of Hamlet. At last Agnes sees Hamlet: 'Hamlet here, on this stage, is two people, the young man, alive, and the father, dead. He is both alive and dead. Her husband has brought him back to life, in the only way he can' (p.366). She can immortalise her son in the creation of the play, and she can eventually sympathise with her husband and the work his creates with his own mind. Together, they can grieve their son, and his memory can be carried on forever. As we know, Hamlet is one of the most successful Shakespeare tragedies, and has certainly lived on throughout the ages. 

Hamnet is novel of tragedy, relationships, motherhood and grief. But most of all, its about the memory of our loved ones that we've lost, and how we can immortalise them. It shows us the power of art and language. The memory and the spirit of them will always be there. 

Happy Reading!

Rose.