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rzh's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Sexual assault
ashylibrarian's review
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
This was a fine book, but I found it to be a bit boring and slow-paced.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Murder, and Rape
Moderate: Child death, Death, Violence, and Infertility
sarah_bettina's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual violence, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Moderate: Classism, Emotional abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Infertility, and Gaslighting
phrasecollector13___'s review against another edition
informative
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Renaissance's re-telling are simply not my type of reading. Maybe I can work around Renaissance story if they are short or is an article simple and straight to the point.
Taking that in consideration, I didn't like this book, but I did enjoyed the reading. It's a slowed pace book that I would pick up for when I would need a break from really rushing books and I want to slow down in the genre or a book I will pick to keep myself busy while in an appointment or when I'm bored. I didn't found anything special about it. It was simple and dull. Also, it was predictable for me. I really loved Lucrezia's rebel inner self, but she was too passive and... she was just a child in adult's matters. It was heartbreaking that she could not understand what was going on around her and how she was left alone with herself and her maid (who was another child) and they had to "navigate" the adult world. Since they were child who would not know how to handle/navigate the adult world, it challenging to read through the book. I honestly consider this book more historical with a tiny little touch of fiction. And I believe that's what manage me to read it to the end.
Which was one of the best part in the book. I really like the twist fiction allowed the writer to gave us another conclusion to Lucrezia's story. Since Lucrezia was showing feelings for Jacopo I just... loved their platonic relationship. And for her by the end to decide to run away from Alfonso was a huge plot twist. I thought that she was dying in that fortezza that night, but she escaped! I would have loved to see a short story/novel about Lucrezia's and Jacopo's friendship (and possibly relationship) develop. Now, that was a story I would have definitely enjoyed. It was the innocence and their tenderness that moved me and I wish that Lucrezia could live the "love" story that her parents had, but Jacopo and her were born at the wrong period of time and in the wrong positions.
I believe the main reason this reading wasn't entertaining to me was because of the period the book was settle and that made it predictable and dull for me.
Taking that in consideration, I didn't like this book, but I did enjoyed the reading. It's a slowed pace book that I would pick up for when I would need a break from really rushing books and I want to slow down in the genre or a book I will pick to keep myself busy while in an appointment or when I'm bored. I didn't found anything special about it. It was simple and dull. Also, it was predictable for me. I really loved Lucrezia's rebel inner self, but she was too passive and... she was just a child in adult's matters. It was heartbreaking that she could not understand what was going on around her and how she was left alone with herself and her maid (who was another child) and they had to "navigate" the adult world. Since they were child who would not know how to handle/navigate the adult world, it challenging to read through the book. I honestly consider this book more historical with a tiny little touch of fiction. And I believe that's what manage me to read it to the end.
I believe the main reason this reading wasn't entertaining to me was because of the period the book was settle and that made it predictable and dull for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Death, Murder, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Infertility
machenn's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Death, Animal death, Adult/minor relationship, and Murder
vickie0326's review
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Really sad when you consider this actually happened (minor details fictionalized). Couldn't put it down. I don't usually like audiobooks but blew through nearly 13 hours in 3 days.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Murder, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Vomit
risemini's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Death, Violence, Miscarriage, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Grief, and Rape
bezzlebob's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
What a way to kick off the year! This has everything I love about historical fiction - three dimensional characters, interesting pacing, riiiiiiiiiich descriptive writing, and layers. I guessed the main plot points in the latter third of the book, and for some people, that would spoil the experience. For me though, I loved feeling vindicated.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Violence, Murder, Death, and Physical abuse
Minor: Infertility
sannesbooks's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
I adored Hamnet and therefore I was sure that I would enjoy The Marriage Portrair as well. However, this book for some reason took me forever to read. Especially the middle part of the book was really slow-paced and quite boring to be honest.
Normally, I love beautiful writing and vivid discriptions, but here there was simply too many of them all. I found myself scanning a lot of the discriptions just to get to 'the interesting' parts. I also was quite dissapointed about the tiger portion. I loved reading the interraction between the tiger and Lucrezia and wished there would have been more of it. Especially since the tiger is on the cover, you would expect it to be a larger part of the story line.
I liked the ending of the book and I liked the dual time lines.
Normally, I love beautiful writing and vivid discriptions, but here there was simply too many of them all. I found myself scanning a lot of the discriptions just to get to 'the interesting' parts. I also was quite dissapointed about the tiger portion. I loved reading the interraction between the tiger and Lucrezia and wished there would have been more of it. Especially since the tiger is on the cover, you would expect it to be a larger part of the story line.
I liked the ending of the book and I liked the dual time lines.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, and Terminal illness
jhbandcats's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
An intriguing look at the court of one of the royal fiefdoms of Italy in the Renaissance, this novel of a teenage girl’s ill-fated marriage just didn’t grab me. The writing was beautiful and the details richly described, but the story felt flat and bloodless.
Despite the book being told from Lucrezia’s perspective, I never felt I got to know her. We learn of her lonely childhood with emotionally distant parents and siblings, her compulsion to paint the natural world around her, her increasing isolation and desperation, but she remained unknowable. The husband and his consiglieri are stock villains, the latter especially so. The loving and helpful maid was another stock character.
That said, the scholarship is so exemplary that I found the novel more than worthwhile. I enjoyed learning about Renaissance Italy - Lucrezia was born two years before the death of England’s Henry VIII but the world of Florence and Ferrara seemed quite different from London. I confess I prefer Hilary Mantel’s Thomas Cromwell trilogy to this.
Everyone says Hamnet is fabulous so I’ll have to try it, just not right now.
Despite the book being told from Lucrezia’s perspective, I never felt I got to know her. We learn of her lonely childhood with emotionally distant parents and siblings, her compulsion to paint the natural world around her, her increasing isolation and desperation, but she remained unknowable. The husband and his consiglieri are stock villains, the latter especially so. The loving and helpful maid was another stock character.
That said, the scholarship is so exemplary that I found the novel more than worthwhile. I enjoyed learning about Renaissance Italy - Lucrezia was born two years before the death of England’s Henry VIII but the world of Florence and Ferrara seemed quite different from London. I confess I prefer Hilary Mantel’s Thomas Cromwell trilogy to this.
Everyone says Hamnet is fabulous so I’ll have to try it, just not right now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Grief, Abandonment, Death, Eating disorder, Animal death, Murder, Confinement, Infertility, Misogyny, Violence, and Vomit