Book Talk
This week we discuss Maggie O’Farrell’s ‘Hamnet’, both in terms of the novel itself and the more recent film adaptation. We look at our different takes on the novel in terms of Different perspectives of Hamnet – one of us has read it and seen the movie and one has read but not seen the movie. How does that affect our experience of the book? Do we like the film adaptation and the casting? Does it enhance it or does it influence us too much in terms of its own ideas/vision/casting which might stain our view?
We wonder why Agnes is painted in the particular way that Maggie O’Farrell writes her.
We talk about who we each believe is the main character of the novel and what it’s really about and how those themes have modern day relevance.
How is it for Hannah as a mother. Is it traumatic?
Even if you know something is good and celebrated, when do you and why might you shy away from that good read.
Nikki talks about the novel’s authenticity in terms of how it is rooted in time and Shakespeare’ world/plays
Discuss how much we don’t know about Shakespeare and how we fill those gaps, and how they’ve been filled with different narratives – according to different people’s takes – over time.
Current reads
Nikki Reads
House of Beckham – Tom Bower
Nikki talks House of Beckham by Tom Bower. About how the recent family feud sparked her interest. She discusses her morbid fascination in families who live their lives so publicly and air their dirty laundry so readily.
She decides the book is not very well written and feels that the writer is judgemental and sexist for a number of reasons.
Hannah Reads
Room 706 – Ellie Levenson
Talks about the premise of the book – a woman having an affair with a man in a hotel who then discover the hotel is under siege from terrorists. We discuss the possibility of an open ending, and the merits of reading the last line of the book the moment before you begin.
Episode Takeaways
- We explore a work of historical fiction and how that sits in historical fact
- How a movie affects our experience of a novel and vice versa
- What do we get from reading biographies
- Our fascination with celebrity gossip
- Families who live their lives in the public eye and how their values differ from Joe Bloggs
- Open endings to novels and the need for happy endings
Next Joint Read
(to be discussed in episode 3)
A Walk in the Park – Jill Mansell
Join us – we’d love to hear your thoughts on the book!