Hamnet, Week 1

Welcome to Week 1 of the Online Book Club discussion of Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell. 

The Online Book Club, if you've never joined us before, is a book discussion group that takes place entirely online. Each week, I write a new blog post that talks about different aspects of the book, and you can interact directly with me and other readers by leaving your comments. Check back each week and see what new topics we're talking about.

Hamnet tells the story of Hamnet, William Shakespeare's son. Historical records tell us that Hamnet died when he was 11 years old, but the cause of his death was never listed. Author, Maggie O'Farrell, imagines that he was struck down by the Plague. The book explores grief and death and wonders how the loss of a child could have influenced Shakespeare's writing. It's a beautiful book, but make sure to keep a box of tissues nearby while reading!

If you want to follow along with us, but you aren't interested in reading the book, you can always watch the movie version starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley.  Check out the trailer above if you want to get a feel for the how the story plays out on screen. Feel free to still leave comments on the blog posts, even if you're only watching the series and not reading the book. 

We'll read through page 102 for next week, so make sure to read those before checking the next blog post. I can't wait to hear your thoughts about the book in the comments!