Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Books on My Fall 2022 To-read List. My list this time is a combination of upcoming new releases and books I already own but haven’t read yet.
My top 10 for fall are:
The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal
Well Traveled by Jen DeLuca
The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
Even Though I Knew the End by C. L. Polk
Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen
Ocean’s Echo by Everina Maxwell
Troy by Stephen Fry
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison
Heading Over the Hill by Judy Leigh
What books are on your TTT list this week? Please share your links!
My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.
Life.
This has been a super-slow reading week for me… or maybe it just feels that way because I’m reading a 600+ page book. Nope, it really has been slow — too many distractions!
One fun distraction — through a work giveaway, I got a table-top s’mores maker! So naturally, my son and I had to test it out and make sure all was in order. Yup… yummy!!
And in more fun news… don’t you love it when your favorite authors have special mailings for their subscribers/followers? My birthday is coming up this week, and this arrived in the mail a few days ago (from the amazing Mary Robinette Kowal):
A programming note:
I’m going to be away for a few days next week, and I’m planning to keep online commitments to a minimum… so I probably won’t be doing much blogging. I’ll be back in full swing the week of October 3rd!
What did I read during the last week?
I managed to finish two audiobooks this week, although I’m still slooooowly working my way through the same hardcover book that I started last Sunday.
I finished:
Birds of California by Katie Cotugno: A Hollywood romance with heart (and a very enjoyable audiobook experience). My review is here.
Mr. Perfect on Paper by Jean Meltzer: A Jewish rom-com, fun and light. My review is here.
Pop culture & TV:
The Handmaid’s Tale is back for a new season… and I’m not sure how I feel about it. I’m still watching, but this show is so bleak (and does such strange things with its character development) that I’m always on the fence about whether I want to continue.
Fresh Catch:
No new books this week.
What will I be reading during the coming week?
Currently in my hands:
Fairy Tale by Stephen King: This book is long, and it feels like it’s taking forever! I’m really liking it so far — I just wish I’d had more substantial reading time this past week.
Now playing via audiobook:
Travel by Bullet by John Scalzi: Book #3 in the Dispatcher series — I really liked the first two books, so weird and twisted! I’ll be starting this one on my Monday morning commute.
Ongoing reads:
My longer-term reading commitments:
Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’re doing a group read of BEES, reading and discussing two chapters per week. If anyone wants to join us, just ask me how! All are welcome.
Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci: I’m reading this story collection in little bits and pieces, but made absolutely no progress this week. (Blame Stephen King and his huge new novel!!)
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain: This is my new Classics Club Spin book! (If you want to know more about this fun challenge, check out my post here). I’m going to read this one via the Serial Reader app — there are 54 installments, but since the challenge due date is October 30th, I’ll need to double-up at least part of the time. I’m pretty happy about ending up with this book — wish me luck!
Earlier this week, I shared a post with my list of books for the newest Classics Club Spin challenge (see it here), and today, this spin’s number was announced. (For those keeping track, it’s CC Spin #31, and for me personally, #3!)
Hosted by The Classics Club blog, the Classics Club Spin is a reading adventure where participants come up with a list of classics they’d like to read, number them 1 to 20, and then read the book that corresponds to the “spin” number that comes up.
For CCSpin #31, the lucky number is:
And that means I’ll be reading:
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain (published 1889)
Synopsis:
One of the greatest satires in American literature, Mark Twain’s ‘A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court’ begins when Hank Morgan, a skilled mechanic in a nineteenth-century New England arms factory, is struck on the head during a quarrel and awakens to find himself among the knights and magicians of King Arthur’s Camelot. The ‘Yankee’ vows brashly to “boss the whole country inside of three weeks” and embarks on an ambitious plan to modernize Camelot with 19th c. industrial inventions like electricity and gunfire. It isn’t long before all hell breaks loose!
Written in 1889, Mark ‘A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court’ is one of literature’s first genre mash-ups and one of the first works to feature time travel. It is one of the best known Twain stories, and also one of his most unique. Twain uses the work to launch a social commentary on contemporary society, a thinly veiled critique of the contemporary times despite the Old World setting.
While the dark pessimism that would fully blossom in Twain’s later works can be discerned in ‘A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, ‘ the novel will nevertheless be remembered primarily for its wild leaps of imagination, brilliant wit, and entertaining storytelling.
It’s been a very long time since I’ve read anything by Mark Twain — probably going back to reading Tom Sawyer in middle school — but I’m excited for this one! I’m assuming this will be a lighter read relative to some of the other classics on my list, although it does sound like there are some heavier themes as well as the playful elements.
I’ve been trying to figure out how long this book is, but because it’s public domain and there are so many versions published, I’m seeing everything from 271 pages to 480 for an illustrated edition!
For my own reading adventure, I’ll be using the Serial Reader app, which has this book available in 54 installments. If I start now, reading one installment per day would push me past the October 30th deadline, but if I double up at least some of the time, I’ll make it!
Wish me luck!
Here’s my list of 20 titles for Classics Club Spin #31:
Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne DuMaurier
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain
An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Peony by Pearl Buck
O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
Howards End by E. M. Forster
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
Title: Mr. Perfect on Paper Author: Jean Meltzer Narrator: Dara Rosenberg Publisher: Mira Publication date: August 9, 2022 Print length: 387 pages Audio length: 10 hours 27 minutes Genre: Contemporary romance Source: Library Rating:
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
From the author of The Matzah Ball comes a pitch-perfect romcom following a third-generation Jewish matchmaker who unwittingly finds her own search for love thrust into the spotlight…
The perfect Jewish husband should be: * A doctor or lawyer (preferably a doctor) * Baggage-free (no previous marriages, no children) * And of course—he must be Jewish
As the creator and CEO of the popular Jewish dating app J-Mate, matchmaker Dara Rabinowitz knows the formula for lasting love—at least, for everyone else. When it comes to her own love life, she’s been idling indefinitely. Until her beloved bubbe shares Dara’s checklist for “The Perfect Jewish Husband” on national television and charming news anchor Chris Steadfast proposes they turn Dara’s search into must-see TV.
As a non-Jewish single dad, Chris doesn’t check any of Dara’s boxes. But her hunt for Mr. Perfect is the ratings boost his show desperately needs. If only Chris could ignore his own pesky attraction to Dara—a task much easier said than done when Dara starts questioning if “perfect on paper” can compete with how hard she’s falling for Chris…
Jean Meltzer, author of 2021’s The Matzah Ball, is back with another Jewish-themed romance, this one depicting a young Jewish matchmaker’s search for her own true love.
Dara Rabinowitz is the powerhouse CEO of J-Mate, the super successful Jewish dating app she created inspired by her mother and grandmother’s careers as matchmakers. Knowing what makes a good match, as well as being a hugely talented coder, is the secret to Dara’s rise to corporate stardom. Dara lives with generalized anxiety disorder, which she’s quite open about, and manages her high-pressure life through coping and calming strategies as well as medication.
Dara is devoted to her darling grandmother, bubbe Miriam, whom she considers her best friend — but Miriam wants to see Dara happily married and exploring life. When Miriam goes off-script on a TV appearance and shares a private list of Dara’s requirements for her perfect husband (written one night while drinking with her sister), Dara is utterly humiliated… until the video clip goes viral, the show’s rating skyrocket, and suddenly everyone wants more of Dara.
The show’s host, Chris (handsome, non-Jewish, and a widowed father of a tween girl) is enchanted by Dara, and sees her as a potential key to saving his floundering show. Reluctantly, Dara agrees to his proposal: He’ll use her app and algorithms to find her nice Jewish men who are “Mr. Perfect on Paper” — checking all the boxes on her list — and she’ll allow the show to follow her on her dates.
What could go wrong?
Obviously, plenty. Dara encounters one dating disaster after another… and meanwhile, even once she meets a man who might really be her perfect match, she can’t quite shake her attraction and feelings for Chris himself. Chris, too, feels drawn to Dara, but he knows he’s not what she wants. But what if????
Dara and Chris are both sensitively portrayed and well developed. I really felt like I got to know each of them, with attention paid to their family backgrounds and the tragedies and struggles they’ve each endured. Chris’s story is particularly sad, and his dedication to being the best dad he can be, while navigating the tricky world of dealing with a pre-teen girl, is quite moving.
Dara and Chris have good chemistry, and I appreciated how genuine their care and concern for one another is. While denying to themselves that they could ever be romantically involved, they do both consider themselves friends, and they’re truly there for one another in the way that real friends should be.
Some elements of the book just didn’t work as well for me, however. Based on this book as well as her previous one, it seems that this author’s approach to conveying humor is to create slapstick moments where everything goes wrong. Maybe some readers will find these moments funny (such as Dara ending up dunking her head into a barrel of water in the middle of a date in order to get away from a pesky bumblebee), but honestly, I tend to find them too silly and embarrassing and over the top.
I had to question some of the Jewish elements too. Dara is devoted to her religion and her people, which is nice to see, but some of her choices in regard to the TV show seem questionable — for example, allowing the camera crew to come to synagogue on Yom Kippur and follow the date that arranged for her at the break fast. I doubt any synagogue would actually allow a camera crew to set up and film on the holiday, and the idea of having a blind date at a break fast after a day of fasting seems like a set-up for disaster (which is exactly how it ends up).
The audiobook was mostly enjoyable, but the narrator seemed to struggle with some of the Jewish/Hebrew/Yiddish terms and names, and that was very distracting to me. Still, when the characters are in more natural or relaxed setting, the narration flows well, and I liked the scenes with Chris and his daughter very much.
Overall, Mr. Perfect on Paper is light entertainment with a sweet story to tell. The characters are bright spots, very engaging and sympathic, but on the downside, the predictable nature of the plot and the occasional cringe-worthy pratfalls and dating disasters keep this book from being totally successful. It’s fun, but I had to overlook a lot of my quibbles in order to appreciate the good stuff.
Title: Birds of California Author: Katie Cotugno Narrator: Julia Whelan Publisher: Harper Perennial Publication date: April 26, 2022 Print length: 288 pages Audio length: 7 hours 49 minutes Genre: Contemporary fiction Source: Library Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Former child actor Fiona St. James dropped out of the spotlight after a spectacularly public crash and burn. The tabloids called her crazy and self-destructive and said she’d lost her mind. Now in her late twenties, Fiona believes her humiliating past is firmly behind her. She’s finally regained a modicum of privacy, and she won’t let anything–or anyone–mess it up.
Unlike Fiona, Sam Fox, who played her older brother on the popular television show Birds of California, loves the perks that come with being a successful Hollywood actor: fame, women, parties, money. When his current show gets cancelled and his agent starts to avoid his calls, the desperate actor enthusiastically signs on for a Birds of California revival. But to make it happen, he needs Fiona St. James.
Against her better judgment, Fiona agrees to have lunch with Sam. What happens next takes them both by surprise. Sam is enthralled by Fiona’s take-no-prisoners attitude, and Fiona discovers a lovable goofball behind Sam’s close-up-ready face. Long drives to the beach, late nights at dive bars… theirs is the kind of kitschy romance Hollywood sells. But just like in the rom-coms Fiona despises, there’s a twist that threatens her new love. Sam doesn’t know the full story behind her breakdown. What happens when she reveals the truth?
Sparks fly and things get real in this sharply sexy and whip-smart romantic comedy set against the backdrop of a post #metoo Hollywood from New York Times bestselling author Katie Cotugno–page-turning escapist fun in the spirit of Beach Read, The Kiss Quotient, and Red, White and Royal Blue.
In Birds of California, former star and tabloid bad-girl Fiona has left her acting days firmly in the past, preferring a quiet life tending to her father and sister, working in the family print shop, and avoiding the spotlight. Of course, it’s hard to actually forget her past when not a day goes by without being recognized, but for the most part, Fiona lives a private, quiet, hidden life.
Until one day, her ex-agent calls out of the blue with big news: There’s going to be a reboot of Birds of California, the show that made Fiona a breakout teen star, and the production wants her in it. Fiona wants no part of it — but then Sam Fox, her former co-star shows up at the print shop on a mission to change her mind. Fiona still is adamantly opposed to doing the show… but she’s less opposed to spending time with Sam.
The two start to connect, and rediscover a chemistry that was cut short back in their teen days, but of course, misunderstandings and hidden secrets arise and threaten to tear them apart, just as they’re growing closer.
Birds of California is billed as a romantic comedy, and yes, there are some funny moments, but a lot of it really has to do with the damage done to Fiona as a rising Hollywood star hounded by tabloids and paparazzi. The romance between Fiona and Sam is dynamic and worth cheering for, but I did wish they’d each open up and be honest a lot sooner than they did.
Mild plot spoilers ahead…
Mostly, my lasting impression of Birds of California has to do with its brushing up against toxic Hollywood culture and the #metoo movement. It’s pretty clear early on that Fiona didn’t publicly self-destruct for no reason — she was a young girl who wasn’t adequately protected and who was victimized by the people and studios that should have kept her safe. Unfortunately, while the book eventually makes clear what actually happened to her, it focuses so much on the current-day romance between Fiona and Sam that the past isn’t explored sufficiently.
I would have liked a little more attention at the end of the story, after Fiona finally tells Sam about her experiences, on what happens next and why. I would REALLY have liked to see the fall-out and (hopefully) justice that must be coming for the people who so seriously mistreated Fiona — the story ends with wheels set in motion, but no concrete consequences.
Overall, I enjoyed the characters and the story, and the audiobook narration — by Julia Whelan, one of my very favorite narrators — makes it both fun and heartfelt. I wish there had been a bit more substance beneath the romance, including more development of the more serious aspects of the story, but still, Birds of California is an entertaining read with fresh, funny, authentic characters to root for.
It’s time for another Classics Club Spin, and I can’t wait!
Hosted by The Classics Club blog, the Classics Club Spin is a reading adventure where participants come up with a list of classics they’d like to read, number them 1 to 20, and then read the book that correponds to the “spin” number that comes up. This will be my 3rd time participating — although for The Classics Club, it’s spin #31!
Here are the dates and guidelines from the host blog:
On Sunday 18th, September, we’ll post a number from 1 through 20. The challenge is to read whatever book falls under that number on your Spin List by the 30th October, 2022.
We’ll check in here on Sunday the 30th October, 2022 to see who made it the whole way and finished their spin book!
What’s Next?
Go to your blog.
Pick twenty books that you’ve got left to read from your Classics Club List.
Post that list, numbered 1-20, on your blog before Sunday, 18th September.
We’ll announce a number from 1-20.
Read that book by 30th October, 2022.
I’ve had so much fun with my previous CCSpin experiences, so of course I’m going to do it again! I’m going back to my list from last time, and other than replacing the book I just read, I’m going to leave the rest of my list as is. I’d be happy to read any of these!
And now for the good stuff…
Here’s my list of 20 classics for my 3rd Classics Club Spin:
Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne DuMaurier
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain
An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Peony by Pearl Buck
O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
Howards End by E. M. Forster
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
Foundation by Isaac Asimov
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham
Passing by Nella Larsen
The Awakening by Kate Chopin
The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima
Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
Pale Horse, Pale Rider by Katherine Porter
Wish me luck! I’ll post again on Sunday once the spin results are announced!
My previous Classics Club spins:
Spring 2022 (CCSpin29): The Black Moth by Georgette Heyer Summer 2022 (CCSpin30): Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
Welcome to Shelf Control — an original feature created and hosted by Bookshelf Fantasies.
Shelf Control is a weekly celebration of the unread books on our shelves. Pick a book you own but haven’t read, write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up! For more info on what Shelf Control is all about, check out my introductory post, here.
Want to join in? Shelf Control posts go up every Wednesday. See the guidelines at the bottom of the post, and jump on board!
Title: The Book of Speculation Author: Erika Swyler Published: 2015 Length: 339 pages
What it’s about (synopsis via Goodreads):
Simon Watson, a young librarian, lives alone in a house that is slowly crumbling toward the Long Island Sound. His parents are long dead. His mother, a circus mermaid who made her living by holding her breath, drowned in the very water his house overlooks. His younger sister, Enola, ran off six years ago and now reads tarot cards for a traveling carnival.
One June day, an old book arrives on Simon’s doorstep, sent by an antiquarian bookseller who purchased it on speculation. Fragile and water damaged, the book is a log from the owner of a traveling carnival in the 1700s, who reports strange and magical things, including the drowning death of a circus mermaid. Since then, generations of “mermaids” in Simon’s family have drowned–always on July 24, which is only weeks away.
As his friend Alice looks on with alarm, Simon becomes increasingly worried about his sister. Could there be a curse on Simon’s family? What does it have to do with the book, and can he get to the heart of the mystery in time to save Enola?
In the tradition of Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants, Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus, and Elizabeth Kostova’s The Historian, The Book of Speculation–with two-color illustrations by the author–is Erika Swyler’s moving debut novel about the power of books, family, and magic.
How and when I got it:
I picked up a paperback in 2016, and it’s been on my shelf ever since.
Why I want to read it:
As I’m writing this post, it occurs to me that perhaps I never even read the synopsis before today! The plot sounds kind of bonkers, in a really good way, but doesn’t seem in the slightest bit familiar. So, I’m thinking I may have grabbed this book at a library sale based solely on the cover. I mean, can’t go wrong with a book with books on the cover, right?
Now that I’ve read what it’s about, I’m much more interested in finally giving the book a try. Generations of circus mermaids? A mystery curse? Count me in!
Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Books with Geographical Terms in the Title.
This was a fun one, and I had plenty to choose from!
Here’s my list:
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Silver Bay by Jojo Moyes
The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory
Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire
Jane of Lantern Hill by L. M. Montgomery
The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove by Christopher Moore
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay
The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black
My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
What books made your list this week?
If you wrote a TTT post this week, please share your link!
My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.
Life.
One of my hobbies/passions, going all the way back to my teens, has always been Israeli folk dancing. It’s something I let go of for about 10 years while raising kids, working, etc, but just this past spring, as in-person dancing starting up again after two years of not happening during the pandemic, my husband and I decided to try getting back into it, and it’s been amazing.
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to go to two different dancing events, and it was so much fun! It’s incredible how much comes back, despite being away from it all these years. My feet are very sore, but it was worth it!
What did I read during the last week?
Be the Serpent (October Daye, #16) by Seanan McGuire. This new release (in my favorite urban fantasy series) absolutely blew me away! My review is here.
Fangirl, volume 2 (manga) by Rainbow Rowell and Sam Maggs: This manga version of a favorite novel was fine, but didn’t make much of an impression — maybe because it’s only one-quarter of the story, and it didn’t feel like anything that happened in this volume was particularly memorable. *shrug* I’ll still read the rest, whenever the last two volumes are released…
The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi: So much fun! The story is amazing, and audiobook narration (by Wil Wheaton) had me laughing out loud in the car (probably causing other drivers to have doubts about my wellbeing). My review is here.
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell: I read this one for my book group (I’m actually a week early!), and once again, I’m very grateful. Without my book group, I might not have gotten around to this lovely book! My review is here.
Birds of California by Katie Cotugno: I just finished the audiobook late Sunday. Review to follow.
Pop culture & TV:
Fantasy prequels continue! The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and The House of the Dragon are both holding my interest much more than expected.
For lighter viewing, I started watching Uncoupled (starring Neil Patrick Harris) this week. Funny, sweet, and doesn’t require much brain power!
Fresh Catch:
Ooooh, new books!
After a botched delivery attempt with a damaged book, a replacement edition of Stephen King’s newest novel arrived over the weekend! Can’t wait to get started.
I also got myself a nice gift — I had some Amazon points stocked up, and used them to get this all-in-one edition of the Paper Girls graphic novels. I read the first 2 or 3 volumes a few years ago, but after watching the TV adaptation, I was feeking inspired to go back and read the whole thing from the beginning.
What will I be reading during the coming week?
Currently in my hands:
What to read, what to read? After finishing Hamnet, I was planning to start Fairy Tale right away… but it’s 600 pages and I do have some September ARCs to consider too.
Now playing via audiobook:
Mr. Perfect on Paper by Jean Meltzer: Just getting started! I enjoyed the author’s previous book (The Matzah Ball), and hope this will be a fun listen.
Ongoing reads:
My longer-term reading commitments:
Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’re doing a group read of BEES, reading and discussing two chapters per week. If anyone wants to join us, just ask me how! All are welcome.
Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci: I’m reading this story collection in little bits and pieces. I only read one more story this week — about a cheerleader who hires the school geek group to tutor her on geek culture so she can impress her boyfriend. I really liked it!
Drawing on Maggie O’Farrell’s long-term fascination with the little-known story behind Shakespeare’s most enigmatic play, Hamnet is a luminous portrait of a marriage, at its heart the loss of a beloved child.
Warwickshire in the 1580s. Agnes is a woman as feared as she is sought after for her unusual gifts. She settles with her husband in Henley street, Stratford, and has three children: a daughter, Susanna, and then twins, Hamnet and Judith. The boy, Hamnet, dies in 1596, aged eleven. Four years or so later, the husband writes a play called Hamlet.
Award-winning author Maggie O’Farrell’s new novel breathes full-blooded life into the story of a loss usually consigned to literary footnotes, and provides an unforgettable vindication of Agnes, a woman intriguingly absent from history.
A New York Times Notable Book (2020), Best Book of 2020: Guardian, Financial Times, Literary Hub, and NPR.
Hamnet is a powerful, emotional, beautifully written story about grief, mourning, and sorrow. Also, Shakespeare.
In Hamnet, the main point-of-view character is Agnes, although we do get passages from the perspectives of Agnes’s children and husband too. Agnes is gifted with sight and special powers. A talented healer, she can also see people’s futures simply by touching them. About herself, she has one clear vision: She will be the mother of two children.
When Agnes meets her husband, the son of a disreputable glovemaker and Latin tutor to her stepbrothers, they’re immediately drawn to one another, and eventually marry. Agnes can see her husband’s unhappiness casting a shadow over their lives. He lacks purpose, a means of fulfilling his own pursuits — so she sends him off to London, ostensibly to further his father’s business interests there. They plan for him to get settled, then send for Agnes and their children.
But all does not go as intended. Already the parents of a healthy girl, Agnes soon delivers not the 2nd child she expects, but a 2nd and 3rd. The twins are a girl and a boy, the girl born so weak and fragile that she was not expected to survive. She names the babies Hamnet and Judith, and they are inseparable. It soon becomes clear that moving to London will never be an option for Agnes and her children — Judith’s health is too delicate to allow her to live in a crowded, dirty city. And so Agnes and her husband live apart, with him returning for visits when he can, although he’s achieving success as a playwright and creating a separate life for himself in the world of theater.
But Agnes can never quite forget her own vision, of herself as the mother of two children.
She fears her foresight; she does. She remembers with ice-cold clarity the image she had of two figures at the foot of the bed where she will meet her end. She now knows that it’s possible, more than possible, that one of her children will die, because children do, all the time. But she will not have it. She will not. She will fill this child, these children, with life. She will place herself between them and the door leading out, and she will stand there, teeth bared, blocking the way. She will defend her three babes against all that lies beyond this world. She will not rest, not sleep, until she knows they are safe. She will push back, fight against, undo the foresight she has always had, about having two children. She will. She knows she can.
When “pestilence” — the Black Death — reaches the family’s home in Stratford, it’s Judith who is stricken. But Hamnet will not abide the idea of losing his twin, and eventually, he is lost while Judith survives. Agnes and the family are plunged into the horrors of loss, the devastating death of a child punching a hole through the fabric of their lives.
In Hamnet, Shakespeare himself is never named (he’s always the husband or the father or the son), but we know who we’re reading about. It feels appropriate for him to be presented in this way — if the story were about him, his life and career would overshadow all the rest. Here, though, it’s a story about a family, and especially about a mother, trying to find a way to live in the shadow of unbearable grief. The father’s way of dealing with the loss, through the power of his words, is just one aspect of what the family experiences.
The writing in Hamnet is absolutely gorgeous. I’m not usually a fan of “literary” fiction, but this novel is an exception for me. The carefully constructed characters, the lyrical descriptions of their world and their lives, and even the passages describing the transmission of the plague are all presented in a way that’s beautiful and haunting and powerful.
Hamnet is a special book, and I’m so glad my book group chose it for this month’s discussion. Once again, thanks to the group, I’ve read an excellent book I might otherwise have missed!
Bookshelf Fantasies 