2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion

This thread is to discuss Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell.

Pages: 372 pages

Length: 1 month (October)

Participants: M, Beth, Dominique, Debi

Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!

Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.

Looking forward to reading this with you all!
I picked up The Marriage Portrait last year on a whim, went in blind and totally loved it.
I've wanted to read this every since.

Will this be anyone's first venture into Maggie O'Farrell's work?

M wrote: "Looking forward to reading this with you all!
I picked up The Marriage Portrait last year on a whim, went in blind and totally loved it.
I've wanted to read this every since.

Will ..."
Yes, I am not aware that I have read any of her books unless it was a long time ago and I forgot.

M wrote: "Looking forward to reading this with you all!
I picked up The Marriage Portrait last year on a whim, went in blind and totally loved it.
I've wanted to read this every since.

Will ..."

Yes, will be my first reading from this author.

l'm dnf'ing. even though it's well written, after 40% in it's not pulling me into the story.

Aww that's too bad Dominique but thanks for joining us and giving it a go! May I ask if you were reading this on audio?

M wrote: "Aww that's too bad Dominique but thanks for joining us and giving it a go! May I ask if you were reading this on audio?"

I started with my ebook and then switched to audio but it didn't push me to continue.

M wrote: "Looking forward to reading this with you all!
I picked up The Marriage Portrait last year on a whim, went in blind and totally loved it.
I've wanted to read this every since.

Will ..."

Dominique wrote: "M wrote: "Aww that's too bad Dominique but thanks for joining us and giving it a go! May I ask if you were reading this on audio?"

I started with my ebook and then switched to audio but it didn't ..."

M wrote: "Looking forward to reading this with you all!
I picked up The Marriage Portrait last year on a whim, went in blind and totally loved it.
I've wanted to read this every since.

Will ..."

This is my first venture with Maggie O'Farrell. I started listening on Audible after losing my physical copy. I enjoyed the writing but found it hard to follow the story. I've bought another copy and finding much easier to follow.

Pod wrote: "This is my first venture with Maggie O'Farrell. I started listening on Audible after losing my physical copy. I enjoyed the writing but found it hard to follow the story. I've bought another copy and finding much easier to follow."

Glad you could join us Pod :)
I just read about 50-ish pages and can see how this may be not be a easy read to listen to. I don't remember The Marriage Portrait being structured this way now that I think about it...
Nevertheless, even though I've just started, I trust O'Farrell and have a feeling these small mentions so far of how cruel (view spoiler)[Hamnet's grandparents are (I struggle at any mention of animal or child abuse) plus a little evil stepmother action is going to give me a good cry at some point, haha. (hide spoiler)]

Happy reading!

I just finished part 1 - and I'm a crying mess. Know that I cry easily while reading but still... I am completely captivated by this story and the way we've shifted through moments in time with this family.
It feels immediate and intimate to me.
Which is interesting because I've read so many reviews that mention how some readers feel distant and detached from our characters.
(view spoiler)[Knowing that Hamnet's death was coming did not make that any easier to read. That scene, was one of the most beautiful, heartbreaking scenes I've read in years.
The way we shift throughout the room, and then come to Hamnet, "in his place of snow and ice, is lowering himself down to the ground, allowing his knees to fold under him. He is placing first one palm, then the other, on the the crisp, crystalline skin of the snow, and how welcoming it feels, how right. It's not too cold, not too hard. He lies down; he presses his cheek to the softness of the snow. The whiteness of it is glaring, jarring to his eyes, so he closes them, just for a moment, just enough, so he may rest and gather his strength. He is not going to sleep, he is not. He will carry on. But he needs to rest, for a moment. He opens his eyes, to reassure himself the world is still there, and the let's them close. Just for now."
Uggghh - my heart! (hide spoiler)]
I'm nervous to read this final chapter.

Finished.
I absolutely loved this, I easily could have read this in a single sitting had I been brave enough. Incredibly emotional and heartbreaking.
This will stay in my collection permanently.

Dominique wrote: "l'm dnf'ing. even though it's well written, after 40% in it's not pulling me into the story."

I also found it a little tedious at times. Overall, I liked it, but there were two areas where I was going, "Can we move on, please?" I nearly gave up then as well. With many books on my TBR shelf, you sometimes can not justify wasting time.

M wrote: "Pod wrote: "This is my first venture with Maggie O'Farrell. I started listening on Audible after losing my physical copy. I enjoyed the writing but found it hard to follow the story. I've bought an..."

I think it is very important to know about the history of Shakespeare that the so-called historians have written. At first, I was having a hard time but with the available facts, her rendition could be just as valid.

Debi wrote: "Dominique wrote: "l'm dnf'ing. even though it's well written, after 40% in it's not pulling me into the story."

I also found it a little tedious at times. Overall, I liked it, but there were two a..."

Agree