Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

March 1, 2021

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

William Shakespeare had a child named Hamnet who died from the Black Death at the age of 12. Shakespeare also had two other children, Susanna and Hamnet's twin sister Judith. Not much is known about Hamnet other than when he died, but Maggie O'Farrell took what is known about Hamnet, the Shakespeare family, and daily life in the 15th century, and wove it into a story. Shakespeare was inspired to write the play Hamlet by Hamnet's death.

Interestingly enough, Shakespeare is never mentioned by name - this is obviously his family's story, not his. He is referred to as the children's father, Agnes' husband, the Latin tutor, or John and Mary's son. The story is told through Agnes' eyes (Shakespeare's wife is usually referred to as Anne Hathaway, but her given name was Agnes). Agnes herself had an interest in nature and healing, and she met Will when he was the Latin tutor to her brothers at her family's farm, and follows her life through marriage, the move to Stratford, and the birth of her children.

The story is innovative, and the language is lyrical. You don't need to be a Shakespeare scholar or know much about Hamlet to enjoy this title.

Sarah Bernhardt in the title role of Hamlet

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC.

Shakespeare for Squirrels by Christopher Moore

May 16, 2020

Shakespeare for Squirrels by Christopher Moore

(Yes, I know, another Shakespeare book.  I read them in the order that they are going to be published and try to stay ahead of the pub date.  The next one will be historical fiction.)

This is the 3rd outing for Christopher Moore's Pocket the fool/jester in this parody of one of Shakespeare's plays..  This time, he finds himself shipwrecked just outside Athens, where he soon encounters Robin Goodfellow (the Puck) and the rest of the cast of "A Midsummer Night's Dream."  Mayhem ensues when Puck is killed by an arrow and Pocket is arrested for the crime (even though he doesn't have a crossbow).  To save himself and his apprentice Drool, Pocket agrees to carry out tasks for the king, the Amazon queen, the night king and the fairy queen (quite a lot of tasks) while trying to unravel who murdered Puck.

After parodying first "King Lear," and then "The Merchant of Venice," Christopher Moore takes on what is probably Shakespeare's best-loved play.  It is fun and witty with lots of references to Shakespeare's plays, good escapist fiction if you're tired of hearing about the pandemic, rising grocery prices, unemployment, etc.  Moore does use the f--- word at least once a paragraph, as well as many sexual references, so be aware in advance if you are offended by obscene language or vulgar references.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in return for a review.