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A review by mmarlborough
The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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? Yes
5.0
Oh my goodness, this novel had me from the first page. What a rich and captivating story - I can’t wait to read more by O’Farrell. Based on Robert Browning’s poem “My Last Duchess,” this is the story of the Duke and Duchess of Ferrara in 16th century Italy.
Lucrezia has always marched to her own drum, but she is suddenly thrust into marriage to her deceased sister’s fiancé at such a young age. She is struggling in a new environment to be seen as an adult and a wife, finding it so hard to navigate her husband Alfonso’s shifting moods. Switching between multiple timelines, we see Lucrezia’s childhood, her first year of marriage and her founded fears that Alfonso is plotting to murder her.
O’Farrell brought Renaissance Italy to the page with such beauty and detail, it truly astounded me. Her prose is stunning, the multiple timelines worked well for me, and the ending left me speechless (please DM me to talk about it!) I highly recommend this to character driven historical fiction fans.
✨Trigger Warnings: Murder, Rape, Domestic Abuse, Misogyny, Infertility, Animal Death
Lucrezia has always marched to her own drum, but she is suddenly thrust into marriage to her deceased sister’s fiancé at such a young age. She is struggling in a new environment to be seen as an adult and a wife, finding it so hard to navigate her husband Alfonso’s shifting moods. Switching between multiple timelines, we see Lucrezia’s childhood, her first year of marriage and her founded fears that Alfonso is plotting to murder her.
O’Farrell brought Renaissance Italy to the page with such beauty and detail, it truly astounded me. Her prose is stunning, the multiple timelines worked well for me, and the ending left me speechless (please DM me to talk about it!) I highly recommend this to character driven historical fiction fans.
✨Trigger Warnings: Murder, Rape, Domestic Abuse, Misogyny, Infertility, Animal Death