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Hamnet
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Group Reads - Fiction > March 2021 - Fiction Group Read - Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

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Alannah Clarke (alannahclarke) | 14551 comments Mod
Please discuss our winner here..


Nidhi Kumari | 421 comments I am in. I nominated this book but didn’t expect it to win lol.


Alannah Clarke (alannahclarke) | 14551 comments Mod
It flew to the top of the poll last minute, I wasn’t expecting it to win either.


LauraT (laurata) | 14327 comments Mod
Got it! I hope to read it as soon as March comes


Jade | 246 comments I didn’t really take notice of this one during the nomination process. Looking forward to trying it.


Tamara Agha-Jaffar | 1376 comments I read this last month and thought it was great. I look forward to the discussion.


message 7: by Joy D (last edited Feb 11, 2021 10:23AM) (new) - rated it 5 stars

Joy D I read it late last year and loved it!


Laurel Bradshaw (llawryf) | 703 comments Read it last year. Great book!


Alannah Clarke (alannahclarke) | 14551 comments Mod
Just got the audiobook, I’m excited to start it now.


message 10: by Jade (new) - rated it 5 stars

Jade | 246 comments Alannah wrote: "Just got the audiobook, I’m excited to start it now."

That’s good to hear. I will probably get the audiobook too.


Maria | 91 comments I'm in line for it at the library, and expect to get it in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, let's see if I can get through American Dirt ...


Connie Paradowski | 50 comments @Maria I too am close to getting it from the library, hope it comes in time


message 13: by Bear (new) - rated it 5 stars

Bear Reads Books (bearreadsbooks) | 4 comments I'm in. This has been sitting on my shelf for a while, so taking advantage of the group read to finally get to it.


Connie Paradowski | 50 comments My book just arrived from the library!!!!
I am in.


Alannah Clarke (alannahclarke) | 14551 comments Mod
Remember, you're all welcome to start discussing the book when you're ready. You do not need to wait for me :)


Nidhi Kumari | 421 comments I read two chapters and I am already intrigued by the story, I suppose it will be a good read.


Patty | 33 comments I just started this yesterday. Somehow there is a theme of the 1600’s in my recent reading.: How to Stop Time by Matt Haig, I, Elizabeth by Rosalind Miles and now Hamnet!


LauraT (laurata) | 14327 comments Mod
I found it a bit slow at the beginning; it improved, in my opinion!


Nidhi Kumari | 421 comments I am reading a book set in that age after a long time, I noticed that myth of Agnes has many similarities with Indian culture, to fend of evil spirits offering of items and tying bits of clothes to the branches, etc. Agnes has a mysterious aura around her.


Alannah Clarke (alannahclarke) | 14551 comments Mod
Now that I have cleared the books waiting on my netgalley, I have this on my audible waiting to be listened to. I think I will start it tonight.


LauraT (laurata) | 14327 comments Mod
Good!


message 22: by Tamara (last edited Mar 04, 2021 02:19AM) (new) - rated it 5 stars

Tamara Agha-Jaffar | 1376 comments I read Hamnet in January and absolutely loved it--one of my favorite books of the year so far.


Connie Paradowski | 50 comments Am 20% in, and really liking pacing of this book. Do find it helpful that the ebook marks where timelines changed.


Leslie | 16369 comments My library hold came in today so I am just about to start.


Leslie | 16369 comments Boy, it is so nice to read a new book that actually draws me in instead of boring me. I have already finished about a third of the book!


Leslie | 16369 comments I'm about 2/3 of the way through this now and am wondering about Agnes. Are we supposed to believe that (view spoiler)


LauraT (laurata) | 14327 comments Mod
I think it is as you suggest Leslie: something like being more sensitive... You think what you want, you remember what you want, if you see what I mean


Leslie | 16369 comments I finished today - so glad this book was selected as our group read!! I would probably have not read it for years (if ever) otherwise and have missed out on a real treat.

I'm giving it 4.5* :)


LauraT (laurata) | 14327 comments Mod
Leslie wrote: "I finished today - so glad this book was selected as our group read!! I would probably have not read it for years (if ever) otherwise and have missed out on a real treat.

I'm giving it 4.5* :)"


Same here!


message 30: by Jess (new) - rated it 5 stars

Jess Penhallow | 129 comments I'm starting this today. I'm reading books by Irish authors this month so glad that this fits even if its about England. I'm going to listen to the audiobook.


Leslie | 16369 comments Hope you like it as much as I did Jess!


message 32: by Jess (new) - rated it 5 stars

Jess Penhallow | 129 comments I'm loving it so far. Currently on Chapter 7. I was worried a bit at first because of the present tense which I usually struggle with but the writing style is just so good that I don't even notice any more.


message 33: by Jade (new) - rated it 5 stars

Jade | 246 comments Just started this one. Looking good so far.


Alannah Clarke (alannahclarke) | 14551 comments Mod
I quite enjoyed this one, to be honest I didn't realised its links to Shakespeare's Hamlet (not sure if this is a spoiler because it's all the goodreads page for the book). Once I realised, everything in the novel made more sense for me, I liked that the author made no direct links to the play.


message 35: by Jess (new) - rated it 5 stars

Jess Penhallow | 129 comments Has anyone seen Upstart Crow?

I can't take any of these characters seriously because I keep picturing them like this!




Alannah Clarke (alannahclarke) | 14551 comments Mod
Jess wrote: "Has anyone seen Upstart Crow?

I can't take any of these characters seriously because I keep picturing them like this!

"


I was picturing the Horrible Histories version.


message 37: by Jess (new) - rated it 5 stars

Jess Penhallow | 129 comments I finished this today after taking a break before the last long chapter and I absolutely loved it.

I think it might be my favourite book of the year so far.


Leslie | 16369 comments Jess wrote: "I finished this today after taking a break before the last long chapter and I absolutely loved it.

I think it might be my favourite book of the year so far."


It was a wonderful book for me too!


Ava Catherine | 57 comments Of all the books I read last year, this was my absolute favorite. Such a lovely book.


message 40: by Jade (new) - rated it 5 stars

Jade | 246 comments I ended up really enjoying this one. I must admit it, it took me a while to realise that the author was talking about William Shakespeare until I came across something in my module book that mentioned William had a son called Hamnet. I liked that it was more focused on the children and Shakespeare’s wife, again I didn’t realise that Agnes would have been used as a nickname for Anne.


Leslie | 16369 comments Yeah, I didn't realize that "flexibility" about names either! It seems very odd to me that Hamlet and Hamnet would be the same name, or that Agnes and Anne would be interchangeable.


message 42: by Pat (new) - rated it 4 stars

Pat Spencer (pspencer) Just started reading but got sidelined by Midnight Libary--I needed something to make me chuckle.


message 43: by Nidhi (last edited May 07, 2021 12:14AM) (new) - rated it 5 stars

Nidhi Kumari | 421 comments I finished this yesterday. 5 stars. Actually one of the most wonderful book of the year for me. As Shelley says that "Our Saddest songs are the Sweetest"

Now, I would never have nominated it if i knew that the story is centered around a pestilence. I don't do research on books because they spoil things.

Regarding the end of the book ....it shook me to the core. Another book for which i felt the same is Last Orders by Graham Swift I think it got an award also.

Around the world there are many societies which discourage boys to show their feelings ..like don't cry like a 'girl' .
How would a father will express his grief for his lost child? Every man is not Shakespeare.


message 44: by Pat (new) - rated it 4 stars

Pat Spencer (pspencer) I am nearing the end. I've teared a couple of times, I hope there is something joyful coming, but I doubt it.


Connie Paradowski | 50 comments This was aso a five star read for me. An absolutely beautiful story on so many levels. Loved the look into this time period. She did such a great job of portraying a wide variety of relationships.
Having recently finished Ulysses couldn't help thinking about Stephen's theories about Shakespeare and Hamlet.


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