Reviews tagging 'War'

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell

5 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

cadybooks's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Confinement, Death, Medical content, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Infertility, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Eating disorder

Minor: War, Animal death, Alcohol, Fatphobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Blood

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 against another edition

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

stvalentine's review against another edition

challenging mysterious tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Pregnancy, Murder, Sexual content, Confinement, and Grief

Moderate: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Child death, and Blood

Minor: Religious bigotry, Incest, and War