Keyword: FAMILY | “Hamnet”, by Maggie O’Farrell

“Hamnet” is the story of how the death of a child impacted a typical 16th century family living in England. The boy was living in Stratford-upon-Avon with his mother and his siblings. His father had moved to London to find better ways to provide for his family. The boy was called Hamnet, a variation of Hamlet, and his father was William Shakespeare. The boy’s death, and his father’s subsequent grief, gave rise to the renowned theatre play “Hamlet”.

“Maggie O’Farrell did extensive research to write this book”, said Ms Clara Smartest. “There are very few records about Shakespeare’s family and the death of his son, thus, she had to guess a lot. She deduced most of it from other information of the time. Although this is fiction, she wanted to be as accurate as possible.”

Most of the members of the Society had been completely unaware of Shakespeare’s personal and family life, let alone that he had a son who died aged 11.

“Sometimes people ask me what makes a masterpiece in literature”, said the Literature Professor Mr Matthew Barnepy. “Most of them think it is about the story. So, they go and write a very intriguing plot with a lot of action and many events happening in the background. Of course, the story is important, but it’s the way you tell the story that makes the difference. Maggie O’Farrell could have written the same story in a much simpler way, as a sequence of events, for example. Instead, she chose to take time to describe the details of everyday life as a way of casting a spell on us and making us captive to the narrative.”

“It must have been really hard to be away from his family, especially when a son dies. Life at that time was really hard”, said Ms Abigail Vooght. “I think the author wanted us to feel that. It was like we were part of the family, like we were there and it was happening to us as well.”

“It shows us the true meaning of ‘enjoying the little things’. The writer shows us how important they are, how much we should pay attention to them, for good and bad”, said Miss Amelia Matterfis. “We take a lot for granted. Like, we assume that children will grow up and prosper. Sometimes, they fall ill and die.”

“That is what happens in areas in conflict. People just don’t know if they will be alive the next day. In 16th century England, there was little hygiene and therefore many diseases. Death was just around the corner, but people would go on nevertheless. Nowadays, in the richest and most developed countries, people believe that medicine will cure everything. Sometimes we ask the impossible from doctors, who are just human beings, thus, not perfect”, said Ms Johanna Practicewell.

“Grief is grief regardless of the conditions or the time. Many deaths could have been avoided in the 16th century, it is true. However, children still die unexpectedly today and parents suffer the same. That’s what impressed me the most. Although she was describing a family from centuries ago, the same could be applied to a modern family”, said Miss Martha Lovefeelings.

“I think that the story is about love. Shakespeare married Agnes despite her being considered unconventional. She warned him many times until he was sure of what he was doing. Then, we can “see” the love between family members, including the father who is away for work”, said Mr Matthew Barnepy. “The focus is on Agnes, the mother, her relationship with her family, with society, and with her husband. How she coped with her loss, which was different from the way her husband coped. People react differently and sometimes that is not fully understood.”

“It’s interesting that no direct mention is made to Shakespeare. I believe the aim is to show that it’s just one family among many and the fact that it’s the family of the most famous playwright of all times makes no difference. They are just human beings, struggling to survive in an unforgivable world and trying to make the most of what they have. It could be our own family. It could happen to anyone”, said Mr Jeremy Toughready.

“Exactly, it makes us think how fragile life is and how fragile human relations are. It can all change in a moment. One minute the boy is alive and kicking and a few hours or a few days later he’s dead. Everyone is affected: the mother, the father, but also his sister, who was his partner of fun and accomplice of mischief”, said Miss Martha Lovefeelings.

After exchanging their first impressions, they discussed further some details of the story and how accurate they were to what is known. In the end, they concluded that it didn’t matter if the records showed a different perspective, for example about Shakespeare’s wife. Little was known anyway. Most of what was recorded were interpretations that could be wrong. Maggie O’Farrell had focused on facts.

“It is a great book, indeed”, said Mr John Booklish, ending the meeting. “Next month the book is ‘Three Daughters of Eve’, by Elif Shafak. Have a lovely week!”

** YOUR WORDS AND IDEAS **

By Isabella Muir | On 5 April 2025 at 15:11
Thank you for a wonderful review of what sounds like a wonderful book, which will now go to the top of my TBR book pile! Having read several of Maggie O’Farrell’s other books, I would agree that she is certainly an incredible author!

By Words in Ideas | On 5 April 2025 at 20:49
She is an amazing writer, indeed! I’m glad you liked the review and that it sparked your curiosity to read it. You won’t regret it!