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A review by obsessed_with_books
The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
I really liked the story and, for the most part, the writing. I like the historical inspiration, and I think it's clear the author did a lot of research so the story was interesting and intense, particularly at the end. It was interesting to see a snippet into court pressures or life from someone who should have been at the forefront but due to her seclusion, we only get a limited idea, actually, the overall courtly vibe comes from the words and actions of other individuals in the story.
The characters were interesting and for the most part, well written and I enjoyed following them along even if Lucrezia was somewhat annoyingly naive.
But there is really way too much description that was really not needed. Certain scenes really dragged on and on for no reason. For this, I found it sometimes got a little boring and hard to get through. Almost like the author was trying a little too hard, but I would say it was an attempt to establish the tone and vibe of the book but it was overdone and unnecessary.
The characters were interesting and for the most part, well written and I enjoyed following them along even if Lucrezia was somewhat annoyingly naive.
But there is really way too much description that was really not needed. Certain scenes really dragged on and on for no reason. For this, I found it sometimes got a little boring and hard to get through. Almost like the author was trying a little too hard, but I would say it was an attempt to establish the tone and vibe of the book but it was overdone and unnecessary.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Murder