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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
No one does historical fiction like O’Farrell. A different world entirely.
another stunning O'Farrell book. gorgeous prose, wonderfully written characters.
Writing was pleasant enough to carry the story along nicely, but it was at times super flowery and rambly. I enjoyed most of the story, always love delving into the past and O'Farrell really made 1500s Italy come to life. The ending though....am I supposed to feel happy that the rich privileged lady got to live while the long suffering maid who only ever tried to make her life easier died in her place? Ick.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
My first m.o'f! Amazing writing, set the scene of the palatial 1500s in Italy so well. The power dynamics, yeeesh! Probably a little long but it was worth it for That Ending.
p.s the line "grey clouds hoarding rain" i just loved?!
p.s the line "grey clouds hoarding rain" i just loved?!
This really is more of a 3.5 book. I wanted to like it more than I did. And part of my issue with it is my usual frustration with historical fiction. The author writes in a painterly style as she creates an artistic heroine. But sometimes it was too many brushstrokes and too slow of a pace. And of course the historical inaccuracies were tough for me. It is pretty prose but very languid and laborious. I think I would have preferred a book about Isabella (Lucrezia’s sisters) or even Eleanora (her mother.
5 stars.
Despite Hamnet being on my radar for quite a while, this is the first Maggie O'Farrell book that I've read.
A brilliantly thought-out, rendered and descriptively told piece of historical fiction. The Marriage Portrait is the story of young Lucrezia de Medici, a daughter of the Duke of Tuscany. At 13, Lucrezia is betrothed to Alfonso, the son of the Duke of Ferrara. Only upon sitting for her marriage portrait does Lucrezia understand the weight of the expectations of her and the danger she is in.
I really enjoyed this book! Highly recommended!
Despite Hamnet being on my radar for quite a while, this is the first Maggie O'Farrell book that I've read.
A brilliantly thought-out, rendered and descriptively told piece of historical fiction. The Marriage Portrait is the story of young Lucrezia de Medici, a daughter of the Duke of Tuscany. At 13, Lucrezia is betrothed to Alfonso, the son of the Duke of Ferrara. Only upon sitting for her marriage portrait does Lucrezia understand the weight of the expectations of her and the danger she is in.
I really enjoyed this book! Highly recommended!
dark
emotional
sad
tense
this book made me physically sick. the prose is beautiful, and the story captivating, even if rotten to the core. still, it makes you want to keep reading on and on. definitely one of my favorite books of all time
Another really enjoyable Maggie O'Farrell novel, due to be published in September 2022. It starts with a historical note about fifteen-year-old Lucrezia di Cosimo de'Medici who married the Duke of Ferrara and died a year later. There was a rumour that she'd been murdered by her husband. Fascinating, yes? This is her fictionalised story, and she's such a great character - strong-willed and artistic despite being brought up to be married off to whomever it best suited her father. Even though from the historical note you 'know' her fate, there was great tension towards the end around what would actually happen to her. Plus, the sense of place of all the great Italian palaces (some of which I know but only from the outside) really put me there at that time.
Easy and enjoyable reading. The story is captivating and keeps suspense to get reader's curiosity to know more. I appreciated author's engaging writing style with good mastery of description. However, I have been quite disappointed overall. The storyline is very simple and easy to follow. As an Italian who knows about Italian history during Reinnasance and how importance both Medici and D'Este families, I think the author missed a good opportunity to fully picture the magnificence of courts in Florence and Ferrara where the story is set. During that times, the two families were engaging in intricated and bloody relationships...while there were some references they were not included in the story and it could have added a lot of value. Sadly, I must conclude is one of those historical fictions written by non-Italian to a non-Italian audience and setting just the scene of a very superficial "charming Rainnasance" with a romanticised look of how arts were developing . Probably I was just not the right target audience for this novel.