Review: 'Hamnet,' By Maggie O'Farrell - NPR

Set in Stratford, England, in the late 16th century, Hamnet imagines the emotional, domestic, and artistic repercussions after the world's most ... Accessibilitylinks Skiptomaincontent Keyboardshortcutsforaudioplayer Review:'Hamnet,'ByMaggieO'FarrellMaggieO'Farrell'snewnovelconfrontsaparent'sworstnightmare:Thelossofachild.Inthiscase,it'sHamnet,thereal-lifesonofWilliamShakespeare,whosedeathmayhaveinspiredHamlet. Review BookReviews TheReal'Hamnet'DiedCenturiesAgo,ButThisNovelIsTimeless Facebook Twitter Flipboard Email July21,20207:00AMET HellerMcAlpin Enlargethisimage Knopf Knopf Inthe20yearssincethepublicationofherfirstnovel,AfterYou'dGone,Irish-bornMaggieO'Farrellhaswooedreaderswithintricatelyplotted,lushlyimaginedfictionfeaturingnonconformistwomenbuffetedbytheessentialunpredictabilityoflife,whichcanturnonadime.O'Farrell'slastbook,IAm,IAm,IAm(2018),wasanonfictionaccountofherownunpredictablelife,filteredthrough17dramatic,near-deathexperiences,fromherhair-raisingchildhoodthroughhermiddlechild'sharrowing,periodicanaphylacticattacksbroughtonbyalife-threateningimmunologicaldisorder.Withhereighthnovel,O'Farrellbrilliantlyturnstohistoricalfictiontoconfrontaparent'sworstnightmare:thedeathofachild.SetinStratford,England,inthelate16thcentury,Hamnetimaginestheemotional,domestic,andartisticrepercussionsaftertheworld'smostfamous(thoughnevernamed)playwrightandhiswifelosetheironlyson,11-year-oldHamnet,tothebubonicplaguein1596.Fouryearslater,theboy'sfathertransposeshisgriefintohismasterpiece—titledwithacommonvariantofhisson'sname—inwhichthefatherdiesandthesonlivestoavengehim.O'Farrell'snarrativesarerarelystraightforwardlychronological.InHamnet,shetogglesbetweentwotimelines,onebeginningonthedaytheplaguefirstafflictsHamnet'stwinsisterJudith,theothercirclingbacktothebeginningoftheirparents'passionaterelationshipsome15yearsearlier. MovieReviews 'AllIsTrue'FindsMelancholyAndMagicInShakespeare'sFinalYears AuthorInterviews Bloody-Scepter'd'Tyrant'ExploresShakespeare'sTakeOnPolitics Inthistelling,thewomanweknowasAnneHathawayiscalledAgnes,pronouncedAnn-yis,whichO'Farrellexplainsishowhernameappearedinherfather'swill.She'sawonderfulcharacter,afreespiritandhealerwho,likeherlatemother,ismostathomeinthewoods.Butshe'salsoaCinderellainhernastystepmother'shousehold,inwhichthefutureplaywright—stillinhisteenswithanuncertainfuture—isindenturedasaLatintutortohelpsettleadebtincurredbyhiserrantfather.Thetwoabusedmisfitsrecognizesomethingspecialineachother,andthechemistrybetweenthemispalpable.Afirstkiss,laterfollowedbysexthatliterallyrocksandupendstheapplesinthestorageshed,wouldbeheavy-handedinitsbiblicalovertoneswereitnotsobeautifullywritten.Hamnetis,amongotherthings,alovestoryaboutasorelytestedmarriage.Butbeforewemeethisparents,wemeetHamnet,asmartbuteasilydistractibleboy,ashedesperatelyseekshelpforhistwinsister,whohassuddenlytakenill.Withrisingpanic,hechecksupstairsanddowninhisfamily'ssmallapartmentandhisgrandparents'adjacenthouse,andisanguishedtodiscoverthathismother,grandmother,aunt,andoldersisterarenowheretobefound.HisfatherisoffinLondonstaginghisplays.Theonlyonehome,drinkingaleintheoff-boundsparlour,ishisirasciblegrandfather,fromwhomHamnethasbeenwarnedtokeephisdistance. Asinherearliernovels,O'Farrellseedshertalewithdarkforebodings.Agnes,offtendingherbeesduringHamnet'sfranticsearch,willcometorueherabsencethatday:Everylifehasitskernel,itshub,itsepicentre,fromwhicheverythingflowsout,towhicheverythingreturns.Thismomentistheabsentmother's:theboy,theemptyhouse,thedesertedyard,theunheardcry...Itwilllieatherverycore,fortherestofherlife.Hamnetvividlycapturesthelife-changingintensityofmaternityinitsmyriadstages—fromthepainofchildbirthtotheunassuagablegriefofloss.Fierceemotionsandlyricalprosearewhatwe'vecometoexpectofO'Farrell.Butwiththishistoricalnovelshehasexpandedherrepertoire,enrichinghernarrativewithatmosphericdetailsofthesights,smells,andrelentlessdailytoilinvolvedinrunningahouseholdinElizabethanEngland—adomesticarenainwhichafewmissingmenstrualragsonwashdayisenoughtoalarmamotherofgirls. 'Hamnet'vividlycapturesthelife-changingintensityofmaternityinitsmyriadstages—fromthepainofchildbirthtotheunassuagablegriefofloss. Abouthalfwaythroughthistourdeforce,there'saremarkable10-pagepassageinwhichO'FarrelltraceshowtheplaguereachedAgnes'children.It'sasequencethatwouldstandouteveninmoresalubrioustimes,butwhichholdsparticularresonanceinlightofthecurrentglobalCovid-19pandemic."ForthepestilencetoreachWarwicksire,England,inthesummerof1596,"O'Farrellwrites,"twoeventsneedtooccurinthelivesoftwoseparatepeople,andthenthesepeopleneedtomeet."TheunwittingconduitsareamasterglassmakerinMurano,whoinamomentofinattentionburnshishandswhileblowingglassbeads,andacabinboyonamerchantship,whobecomesenchantedwithanAfricanmonkeyinAlexandriaandpicksupastowawayinfectedfleainhisredneckerchief.Withthetenaciousnessofaforensicviralchaser,O'Farrellchartsthefleaanditsprogeny'sdeadlypath,throughcats,rats,midshipmen,officers,glassmaker,andintotheboxesofglassbeads,oneofwhichHamnet'ssisterJudithexcitedlyunpackswhenitisdeliveredtoaStratfordseamstresswhohasbeeneagerlyawaitingthemforaclient'sfancygown.Unawareofthesourceofherchildren'sillness,poorAgnesislefttosuffertheconsequences.O'Farrellwrites,"Thereisapartofherthatwouldliketowinduptime,togatheritinlikeyarn.Shewouldliketospinthewheelbackwards,unmaketheskeinofHamnet'sdeath."Butofcoursesherealizes,"Therewillbenogoingback.Noundoingwhatwaslaidoutforthem.Theboyhasgoneandthehusbandwillleaveandshewillstayandthepigswillneedtobefedeverydayandtimerunsonlyoneway."Althoughmorethan400yearshaveunspooledsinceHamnetShakespeare'sdeath,thestoryO'Farrellweavesinthismovingnovelistimelessandever-relevant. 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