A powerful new audiobook recording of Maggie O'Farrell's celebrated novel Hamnet offers listeners a profoundly moving experience, narrated by the actor who brings its central character to life on screen. Jessie Buckley, who portrays Agnes Hathaway in the forthcoming film adaptation by director Chloé Zhao, lends her voice to this rich and sensitive audio edition.
A Lyrical Novel Brought to Life
Maggie O'Farrell's Women's Prize-winning novel from 2020 is a work of lyrical and immersive historical fiction. It imagines the life of Agnes Hathaway, the wife of William Shakespeare, and the devastating impact of the death of their 11-year-old son, Hamnet, from the plague in 1596. The narrative shifts skilfully between Agnes's unconventional childhood, her marriage to the playwright—who is never directly named—and the overwhelming grief that follows their loss.
The book opens with young Hamnet searching for help for his ailing twin sister, Judith, tragically unaware that he himself is fatally ill. O'Farrell's focus remains firmly on Agnes, a woman deeply connected to the natural world, portrayed not as a footnote to history but as a complex, free-spirited individual constrained by domesticity and her husband's ambition.
Buckley's Dreamlike Narration
Jessie Buckley's performance as narrator is described as sensitive and, in places, almost dreamlike. Her reading demonstrates a deep understanding of Agnes's hardships and resilience. She captures the emotional landscape of the novel, excelling particularly in the harrowing portrayal of parental grief and loss.
It is in these moments of profound sorrow that both O'Farrell's writing and Buckley's narration are said to truly excel. The audiobook becomes a deeply humane account of a family undone by tragedy, while also exploring the creative aftermath: the period following Hamnet's death during which Shakespeare wrote one of his greatest plays, Hamlet—a name that was interchangeable with Hamnet in historical records.
Context and Further Listening
The release of this audiobook precedes the cinematic arrival of Chloé Zhao's film adaptation next month. While the film's reception remains to be seen, the quality of O'Farrell's source material is widely acknowledged. This new audio recording, available via Tinder Press with a runtime of 12 hours and 54 minutes, provides a compelling way to experience the story.
The review also highlights other notable audiobooks for further listening:
- Flashlight by Susan Choi: A sprawling Booker-shortlisted novel read by Eunice Wong, exploring a father's disappearance across decades and countries (17hr 52min).
- Nobody's Girl by Virginia Roberts Giuffre: The powerful posthumously published memoir by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's most outspoken victim, read by Gabra Zackman and Therese Plummer (13hr 40min).
