A review by gabriellejane
The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell

medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

Took me a while to finish the book because I've been reading slowly, but when I would pick it up I would read for large chunks of time. I think the concept/characters weren't as rounded as Hamnet. It was too fresh in my mind having read that this summer. I think that Lucrè's characterization didn't quite meet the expectations set forth in the conceiving scene. It felt more like middle child syndrome/no one understands me vs staring at a map and having a wanderer. I figured out half of the ending way before it happened, but still some semi-surprising elements. I think overall, I liked the writing (as per usual with O'Farrell) but the characters fell flat. 
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