Very, very little is known about Shakespeare. It seems odd that someone so famous, whose writings have been so revered, would be such a mystery to us. This of course, has opened the door to a myriad of works of fiction about the man, to try to fill in the gaps. It’s the kind of thing that drives you to Wikipedia to find out where the lines between fact and fiction have been drawn or embroidered upon. O’Farrell doesn’t embroider though, she enhances. Hamnet and Judith feels like a book in slow motion. For that reason, it won’t be for everyone, but even though I usually prefer faster pacing, in this case I didn’t want it to speed up.
This book is really not about Shakespeare but about family and marriage. In the capable hands of Maggie O’Farrell (author of a compelling autobiography I Am, I Am, I Am and many fine novels), it is in one way a simple and ordinary story of domestic life, but at the same time emotionally stirring and textured. I’ve always wondered how people say they were moved to tears by a book because I never have been. But in this one I came close. The depth of her research is quite obvious and the writing is beautifully poetic. BTW, ‘Hamnet’ and ‘Hamnet and Judith’ (Canadian title) are the same book by different publishers. Hamnet is shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction Award 2020, the winner will be announced in September.
Here’s what we know: Shakespeare married Anne (Agnes) Hathaway and had three children. Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Tragically, Hamnet died at the age of 11. Four years or so later, Shakespeare wrote a play entitled Hamlet, widely considered to be his greatest work. In those days, the name Hamlet was a version of Hamnet, basically the same name.
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