Group Read: Hamnet

Cushla (cushlareads) and I are reading Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell and we welcome others to join us.

There aren't rules but the following would be appreciated:

Include information on the chapter/page you're posting about to help others avoid spoilers.

Hide or flag spoilers.

This is a CR BB for me so I'm looking forward to reading and discussing it.

Im in

This is sitting on my TBR pile (a holdover from last year). I'll have to pull it out and join you!

Oh! I've been wanting to read this one for such a long time. Going to go grab a copy from the library right now!

Hi Rhian! I've got the book from the library, and will start it today.

Me too!

I'm so pleased so many are joining in. I started yesterday but only managed the first chapter. Not because it's not engaging - it definitely is. We know something happens to Hamnet but not what or when so there's low level tension as you read.

I read it in Oct. 2020, and it got one of my very rare gold star ratings. I absolutely loved it! Looking forward to what you all think.

I hope you are all enjoying this beautiful novel. It was my top read the year it came out.

Finally started reading this morning. I'm already so impressed with the writing!

I'm not being a very good reading buddy - we had a beach holiday for a few days and I didn't read very much (normal for me on holiday).

I'm up to page 68 and am finding it very engaging and easy to read. I am so far resisting looking up William and Agnes to see which bits are true (or commonly held to be true).

Just don't be surprised if you find very little of anything. With as popular as a writer in his own time, the fact that we really know so little is astounding

I've been hopeless so far - Covid is really kicking my butt. Hoping it goes soon...it's been a week now.
I've read the first few pages and they were great but my concentration is non-existent still.

>13 cushlareads: oh dear, hope you feel better soon.

I read Hamnet when it was longlisted for the Booker. I really enjoyed it, bust all that has stayed with me is the maybe Mrs Shakespeare growing herbs!

>15 kjuliff: hi Kathleen, Did you mean to post that here? This is a group read for Hamnet ifyou are reading Hamnet iou are feel free to join us, otherwise you might move that post to the reading thread. Thx :)

Sorry wrong group. Didn’t know how to move so I just posted to Club Read and wrote a short comment on Hamnet here.

:)

I am reading this I promise! Just not every day - I have one "time critical" book left and then this one can have more attention.

I'm up to page 142 (just under 40%) and so far I am enjoying the interleaving of the present and the past and am still finding it easy to read.

I just remembered that I have Shakespeare by Bill Bryson which I may dig out and then have to decide whether to read/skim it while I'm reading Hamnet or wait until I'm finished.

I'm reading it too - but I vanished from here when school started back! I'm about halfway through and really enjoying it, especially the kind of dreamy descriptions of how Agnes sees the world. I like the two timelines structure a lot.

But now it is way overdue at the library and I might need to just buy it.