Hamnet – from page to screen
I had the opportunity to go to see Hamnet at the cinema recently – if you can I would certainly recommend it- but be prepared with hankies at the ready!
It is such an atmospheric and even hypnotic watch – channelling as it does the award winning novel by Maggie O’Farrell
The novel tells the fictionalised story of William Shakespeare’s meeting with Agnes, their subsequent marriage and family.
It focuses more on Agnes as Will himself stays in London a lot of the time to pursue his writing and theatre work. Agnes is left with the children one of whom tragically succumbs to the plague when Will is absent from the family home. The resulting trauma to the family leads to a dramatic conclusion which you will need to read for yourself to find out!
But the novel is so much more than just the story – Maggie O’Farrell’s writing is so evocative and so atmospheric that you really need to savour every page. The film tries hard to translate the depths of Agnes’s character and to reflect the intense relationship between her and Will - and it succeeds in part but the book is the real deal. Having watched the film now though, Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal will forever be the faces of Will and Agnes for me and many others I suspect. Their performances are spectacular with the portrayal of the Globe theatre and glimpses into the performance of Will’s play ‘Hamlet’ adding a spectacular setting for the finale.
Maggie O’Farrell’s writing has developed so much over the years and the depth of her recent historical novels are exceptional, although any of her books are worth reading in my opinion!
I am excited to hear that her next novel – Land- due to publish later this year -is also an historical novel inspired by the mapping of Ireland in the mid nineteenth century, a portrait of a family navigating a legacy of upheaval and loss with love and hope.
I can’t wait to read it!
Catalogue links:-
Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O'Farrell
