Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell

57 reviews

mscalls's review against another edition

dark emotional informative tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Animal cruelty, Sexual violence, Murder, Vomit, Sexual assault, Rape, Emotional abuse, Death, Sexual content, and Misogyny

cstein's review

dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

A gripping examination of a tragic social order.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Gaslighting, Grief, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, and Death

Moderate: Animal death, Infertility, Violence, Domestic abuse, Animal cruelty, Blood, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Sexual content

Minor: Alcohol, Death of parent, Gore, Body shaming, Classism, and Miscarriage

meenakshisathish's review

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Confinement, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Vomit, Gaslighting, Infertility, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Death, Murder, Misogyny, and Torture

Literary fiction, historical fiction, gothic, feminist

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

have_a_doris_day's review

dark emotional reflective 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Confinement, and Misogyny

Moderate: Murder and Rape

eeamiller's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Murder, Animal death, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Death, Child abuse, and Infertility

atamano's review

dark emotional reflective 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: Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, and Murder

Moderate: Death, Infertility, Violence, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Sexual content, Child death, Bullying, and Confinement

Minor: Vomit

bellebeaumont95's review

dark tense slow-paced

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

0.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Sexism, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Murder

elizabethgreads's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

3.5

Dual-time lines lead to an interesting build up for a lack luster ending.

The pacing is a bit slow at the beginning and drags a bit but picks up quickly and is quite quick almost a bit rushed at the climax.  I liked and didn't like the ending for reason which I won't spoil.  That being said this was an interesting look at how a woman's main role in the medial ages was to produce heirs.  I felt that  Lucrezia  as a main character was lovely and intriguing to follow.  I loved seeing the interworking's of her personal thoughts and navigating through a situation she wasn't adequality trained.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Misogyny, and Murder