Reviews

Beautifully written but gave it 4 stars because the plot was sometimes too slow. The premise of the book also isnt a topic that usually interests me, but the writing is so well done that I liked this and Hamnet (the only other book I've read by this author) more than I expected.

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cakt1991's review

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4.0

I previously DNFed Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet due to some of the narrative choices, but I was intrigued enough by The Marriage Portrait to buy the B&N Exclusive Edition during a prior hardcover sale, a decision which I’ve now benefited from due to an Amazing Readathon prompt requiring a special edition.

While I know a lot less about the Medicis at this time, compared to that of Lorenzo the Magnificent, O’Farrell easily drew me into the time period, where the Medicis now hold the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. And as for Lucrezia herself, while I also did not know a lot about O’Farrell’s inspiration, the Browning poem “My Last Duchess,” she brought her to life for me. I loved the way the book was set up with the historical record, stating outright that rumors claim her husband murdered her. O’Farrell then walks a delicate balancing act of depicting the rich imagery of Renaissance Italy, juxtaposed against Lucrezia’s tragic short life.

I rooted for and sympathized with Lucrezia, due to the dire situation she was in, and being aware of the fate that awaited her. After her fairly comfortable life in her family home, the marriage itself is a prison, as loveless marriages frequently were during the time period. She existed at the whims of her husband, whose moods seemed to change depending on the situation he was in, and the pressure to sire an heir putting her in a tenuous situation (Spoiler alert: Alfonso has no heir, with any of his three wives).

O’Farrell depicts the constant courtly intrigue, drama, and danger, and while I did wonder at first if the premise a little too simple and straightforward for a full novel, O’Farrell ultimately proved me wrong, keeping me on my toes as I followed Lucrezia through her lonely existence, and wondering what misery might befall her next. I wondered how her death would come to pass, turning pages with bated breath, and when I got to the end, I was ultimately both stunned and deeply moved.

This was a beautiful book, and I’m open to reading more from Maggie O’Farrell in the future. I’d recommend it to readers interested in Renaissance-era historical fiction.