Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell

9 reviews

veposve's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Death, Murder, Vomit, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Rape

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Grief, Sexual content, Miscarriage, Infidelity, and Blood

Minor: War

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Death, Murder, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Infertility

zara89's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Murder, Blood, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Infertility, Pregnancy, and Infidelity

Minor: Death of parent

nicoleisalwaysreading's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, and Infertility

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Infidelity

lorenag5's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Death, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Infidelity

lostinthelibrary's review

dark informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Wow! Hamnet was a tough act to follow but Maggie O'Farrel has done it again! I love the idea of taking a pre-gothic tale and giving it a gothic style. I was hooked throughout by the tense atmosphere and the beautiful prose. It put me in a constant pull between wanting to speed through to the end and wanting to take it slowly to reflect on the themes and savour the writing. I am rarely a re-reader but I feel this book may warrant it.  Time to read more of her back catalogue as this has cemented Maggie O'Farrel as one of my favourite authors.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Medical trauma, Murder, Domestic abuse, and Infertility

Moderate: Physical abuse

Minor: Infidelity

ramreadsagain's review against another edition

challenging medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book is truly a piece of art, masterfully painting a picture of the time and place. Lucrezia was a great main character, and O'Farrell does an amazing job of showing us exactly what each character is thinking or feeling without actually telling us. The writing is the definition of 'evocative', and the descriptions, 'enchanting'. Potentially a bit too overwritten, actually, as I had to look up the meaning of a word every couple of pages which slightly took me out of the story!

I suppose my main complaint is the general plot of the book. Another reviewer pointed out that this just feels like a biography with extra descriptions and I tend to agree. It ambles along to a conclusion (of which we know most of the details) without much in the way of tension. And this isn't a bad thing, I'm not saying all books need shocking plot twists but it has just made the book feel a bit flat for me.

It has some commentary on the misogyny of the era, I guess, eg.

Alfonso's obvious infertility being blamed on Lucrezia

but it's not exactly a new topic to write about.

A very enjoyable read but I was just expecting a bit more. It's made me excited to pick up more by O'Farrell - Hamnet has been on my bookshelf over a year but it has always intimidated me.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Murder, and Misogyny

Moderate: Violence, Sexual content, and Infertility

Minor: War, Infidelity, and Animal death

jackbifrost's review

reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Infertility, Rape, Sexism, Murder, Emotional abuse, and Misogyny

Moderate: Abandonment, Medical content, Animal death, Violence, Infidelity, Grief, and Gaslighting

Minor: War and Death of parent

sevensableyes's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Grief

Minor: Animal death, Infertility, and Infidelity