I mean, do I really need to spell it out? Odds are, if you’ve read a Maggie O’Farrell novel, you’ll understand. After all, her characters are dimensional and well developed, the settings are realistic—whether contemporary or historical—and the conflicts evolve in a harrowing and genuine way.
The thing is, having read some of her novels (a couple are on my never-ending TBR pile), I know I have to be in a certain emotional and mindful place before I pick up another one. The stories may be beautifully written and the characters as rich as can be, but summery beach reads they’re not.
Oh, how I cried with Hamnet.
The situations depicted aren’t merry. From young widowhood to abusive relationships, the loss of a child to very complicated family dynamics, these aren’t fun topics. And while other authors (like Marian Keyes) add humor as part of the wonderful recipe, Maggie doesn’t really go for it. And this isn’t a comparison; the comment is only here because, for example, Marian deal with those same topics in a very different way.
The point is, different authors can tackle the same issue in different ways, and Maggie O’Farrell’s is as poignant as can be.
My first novel of hers was The Distance Between Us, and what an introduction it was. Then came After You’d Gone, and oof, how it had me wrapped around its finger. The twists, the heartache, the love, the grief, the all of it.
And then…Well, it shouldn’t be surprising that I read Hamnet given my general interest in Shakespeare. And oh, how it go to me. Was I ugly sobbing as the end? Very much so.
The setting was so consuming and enrapturing, the tension kept swelling, and even if I knew where the story was headed, I was still lost to it. It’s a haunting novel, in a good way. And that applies to all of Maggie’s novels, really.
The Marriage Portrait is on my TBR pile, and I know I’ll love it and become lost to it as well. I just need to be in a moment of my life when I’m not stressed out about exams, moving, work, or anything that might detract from the experience.
I mean, if I’m going to be emotionally attacked by a book, I want to give it as much of myself as possible so that it can really succeed.
You’re welcome, Maggie O’Farrell. And also, thank you.
