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

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

4.0

An arresting retelling of the tragic story of a young woman in the 1500s. It struck me as a little too "not like other girls" at times, and a little too fanfic-y at others, but the descriptions of how Lucrezia's life slowly falls apart around her and of Alfonso's brutality are breathtaking.
Poor Emilia. I wish the narrative had weighed on that tragedy a little more, another casualty of Alfonso's abuse.
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