Hamnet

A well-intentioned birthday gift from Jonathan, Hamnet is a fictitious account of Shakespeare's deceased son and the influence he had on “Hamlet” (the two names were used interchangeably), arguably his greatest play. O'Farrell has done her research well and the reader is cast back to 17th century Stratford/London. Much of this work is reliant on speculation on the part of the author (in the absence of historic records) and hence coincidence in the story. I could not fault the narrative arc, but it is simply that this style of fiction does not appeal to me. I have never wondered about Shakespeare's backstory/this specific set of circumstances, although it will have inevitable appeal for reading groups, etc.

By Maggie O'Farrell