The Marriage Portrait
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- Create Date：2022-08-07 09:51:45
- Update Date：2025-09-13
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- Author：Maggie O'Farrell
- ISBN：1472223845
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Summary
'I thought I had made myself clear。 I want something that conveys her majesty， her bloodline。 Do you understand？ She is no ordinary mortal。 Treat her thus。'
Florence， the 1560s。 Lucrezia， third daughter of Cosimo de' Medici， is free to wander the palazzo at will， wondering at its treasures and observing its clandestine workings。 But when her older sister dies on the eve of marriage to Alfonso d'Este， heir to the Duke of Ferrara， Modena and Reggio， Lucrezia is thrust unwittingly into the limelight: Alfonso is quick to request her hand in marriage， and her father to accept on her behalf。
Having barely left girlhood， Lucrezia must now make her way in a troubled court whose customs are opaque and where her arrival is not universally welcomed。 Perhaps most mystifying of all is her husband himself， Alfonso。 Is he the playful sophisticate he appears before their wedding， the aesthete happiest in the company of artists and musicians， or the ruthless politician before whom even his formidable sisters seem to tremble？
As Lucrezia sits in uncomfortable finery for the painting which is to preserve her image for centuries to come， one thing becomes worryingly clear。 In the court's eyes， she has one duty: to provide the heir who will shore up the future of the Ferrarese dynasty。 Until then， for all of her rank and nobility， her future hangs entirely in the balance。
Florence， the 1560s。 Lucrezia， third daughter of Cosimo de' Medici， is free to wander the palazzo at will， wondering at its treasures and observing its clandestine workings。 But when her older sister dies on the eve of marriage to Alfonso d'Este， heir to the Duke of Ferrara， Modena and Reggio， Lucrezia is thrust unwittingly into the limelight: Alfonso is quick to request her hand in marriage， and her father to accept on her behalf。
Having barely left girlhood， Lucrezia must now make her way in a troubled court whose customs are opaque and where her arrival is not universally welcomed。 Perhaps most mystifying of all is her husband himself， Alfonso。 Is he the playful sophisticate he appears before their wedding， the aesthete happiest in the company of artists and musicians， or the ruthless politician before whom even his formidable sisters seem to tremble？
As Lucrezia sits in uncomfortable finery for the painting which is to preserve her image for centuries to come， one thing becomes worryingly clear。 In the court's eyes， she has one duty: to provide the heir who will shore up the future of the Ferrarese dynasty。 Until then， for all of her rank and nobility， her future hangs entirely in the balance。
Reviews
Bonny
，
I'm not a big fan of historical fiction or Maggie O'Farrell's early books， but I loved The Marriage Portrait。 Like others， I wondered how it would compare to Hamnet， one of my favorite books in 2020， and I think I can safely say that The Marriage Portrait will be one of my 2022 favorites。 O'Farrell takes a little-known （to me） historical figure and Robert Browning's poem "The Last Duchess" and writes a book with evocative descriptions and interesting characters。 Lucrezia de' Medici was married a I'm not a big fan of historical fiction or Maggie O'Farrell's early books， but I loved The Marriage Portrait。 Like others， I wondered how it would compare to Hamnet， one of my favorite books in 2020， and I think I can safely say that The Marriage Portrait will be one of my 2022 favorites。 O'Farrell takes a little-known （to me） historical figure and Robert Browning's poem "The Last Duchess" and writes a book with evocative descriptions and interesting characters。 Lucrezia de' Medici was married at 15 to the Duke of Ferrara; this seems awfully young by today's standards， but her marriage was delayed several years through the clever plottings of her nursemaid， Sofia。 Eventually， Lucrezia is married to Alfonso d’Este， ruler of Ferrara， Modena， and Reggio， and she is left to determine whether her husband is the caring person he has presented himself as or whether he wants to kill her。 "Lucrezia stands there， in her travelling dress， in her fifteen year-old skin。 She feels as though these people desire to see right through her; they are like anatomists who peel back the hides of animals to peer inside， who unclothe muscle from skin and vein from bone， assessing and concluding and noting。 They， all of them， pulse with the craving， the need， to see a child growing within her， to know that an heir is secured for them。 They see her as the portal， the means to their family’s survival。 Lucrezia wants to fasten her cloak about herself， to hide her hands up her sleeves， to tie her cap to her head， to pull a veil over her face。 You shall not look at me， she wants to say， you shall not see into me。 I will not be yours。 How dare you assess me and find me lacking？"Even the cover adds its own layer of intrigue to this book， and I highly recommend The Marriage Portrait。 Thank you to Knopf and Edelweiss for providing me with a copy of this book。 。。。more
Mary Robinson
，
Very well crafted novel about the life of Lucrecia， who becomes the Duchess of Ferrara by marriage， after her older sister dies before her own wedding to the Duke。 Lucrezia is barely a teen， but the pressures of conceiving an heir play heavily into her marriage。 While her own impending death is known from the earliest pages， the author handily keeps the reader engaged until the very end of her one year with flashbacks and descriptions of the bride's early life and her travels from Florence to Fe Very well crafted novel about the life of Lucrecia， who becomes the Duchess of Ferrara by marriage， after her older sister dies before her own wedding to the Duke。 Lucrezia is barely a teen， but the pressures of conceiving an heir play heavily into her marriage。 While her own impending death is known from the earliest pages， the author handily keeps the reader engaged until the very end of her one year with flashbacks and descriptions of the bride's early life and her travels from Florence to Ferrara。 Highly recommend for fans of historical fiction。 。。。more
Books By Your Bedside
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Thanks to NetGalley and Tinder Press for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review。I did find this a little harder to get into than say， Hamnet， but I think that’s probably because I had prior knowledge of Shakespeare his family and the inspiration for his play， Hamlet。 Whereas I had no prior knowledge for this one。 However， that doesn’t matter for long。 It quickly becomes more recognisable and it doesn’t really matter if you have any knowledge of these historical figures or Thanks to NetGalley and Tinder Press for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review。I did find this a little harder to get into than say， Hamnet， but I think that’s probably because I had prior knowledge of Shakespeare his family and the inspiration for his play， Hamlet。 Whereas I had no prior knowledge for this one。 However， that doesn’t matter for long。 It quickly becomes more recognisable and it doesn’t really matter if you have any knowledge of these historical figures or not。It is a bit convoluted at times， a bit busy and you begin to wonder whether it is all necessary。 You’ve got pages and pages describing things like a single carriage ride or an action that could have been explained in a couple of paragraphs instead goes on for a couple of pages。 There is a risk of the reader losing interest and feeling tempted to skip through。I did like the two time periods - one pre-marriage and one post - especially when Maggie drops things into the pre-marriage story that don’t seem particularly important and then you see what they mean post-marriage。I didn’t care much for the main character of Lucrezia。 I know she’s still a child and the way girls and women had to behave in this period was very different to not， but I found her to be quite irritating， a bit of a wet weekend。 It was like she couldn’t decide if she was going to be the meek mouse who obeys her husband or if she was going to be strong and stand up to him， she kept flitting between the two。 And considering we are meant to feel sympathetic for her and her situation， because she didn’t endear herself to me， it wasn’t easy to feel compassion for her and I wasn’t really bothered by what happened to her。I did get confused slightly at some point when something is give。 Quite a lot of page time， it is never really spoken about again。 Such as Lucrezia seeing a tiger for the first time。 This goes on for some time， but we never find out the point of it。 It is mentioned again near the end but again， to no conclusion。 I feel if something is going to have that much time dedicated to it， it needs to have some sort of affect on the storyline otherwise it seems a bit pointless。 And at over 440 pages， it stretches out a bit too long， resulting in a fair bit of padding。 I’m torn with this book。 I love Maggie O’Farrell’s stories and have got quite the collection going。 I think she is a master writer and storyteller and her love of history is clear to see， and she tells stories that I don’t think many authors would attempt。 But for all the positives about her as an author， and for all the hype this book has been getting， it fell short of what I’ve come to expect from her work sadly。 。。。more
Cat
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Once I got into this book I couldn’t put it down…but it took me over a week to really get sucked in to it。 I really enjoy Maggie O’Farrell’s writing style…even though I felt like overall nothing really happened， it was 400+ beautiful pages of it。
Taylor Walworth
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You shall be painted， and by a master， by the best of my court artists。 And if it turns out to be anything less than exquisite， I shall insist that it be done over and over again until it is perfect。So， the title， THE MARRIAGE PORTRAIT， is interesting。It's interesting in part because， to imagine a portrait—especially in the context of the Italian Renaissance—is to imagine opulence and grandeur on a scale worthy of a royal court， of a museum or a gallery。 Sheer and essentially untouchable beauty。 You shall be painted， and by a master， by the best of my court artists。 And if it turns out to be anything less than exquisite， I shall insist that it be done over and over again until it is perfect。So， the title， THE MARRIAGE PORTRAIT， is interesting。It's interesting in part because， to imagine a portrait—especially in the context of the Italian Renaissance—is to imagine opulence and grandeur on a scale worthy of a royal court， of a museum or a gallery。 Sheer and essentially untouchable beauty。 Perfection held at a remove。 Inaccessibility。 Few identifiable portraits of Lucrezia de' Medici， Duchess of Ferrara， have survived the ravages of time; one of them， allegedly the work of Bronzino， is featured on the cover of this book。 In it， a staid and dignified young woman， who appears older than the mere 16 years she was when she died， wears a decadent black dress and apprises you coldly across whole centuries。It's interesting because that portrait represents perfectly， as many inevitably do， how history has perceived Lucrezia， when it has deigned to perceive her at all: as an object。 A point of fixation。 The focus of our attention and admiration but nothing more。 A portrait is an object that exists solely to benefit and please others， and so is a woman。 A portrait is perfection， and so must a woman be。 So must Lucrezia be。It's interesting because， well， a portrait is rather limiting， isn't it？ It's a time capsule， a freeze frame。 A singular moment that we carve out of history， deem worthy of greater glory， and elevate。 But it's never the full story， and we know that women's stories are always the first to be forgotten。 It's interesting because what remains of Lucrezia's story is， primarily， also the story of her marriage: her betrothal to her dead sister's intended husband， and her eventual death， allegedly at his hands， for the simple 'crime' of not providing him with an heir。 How many women throughout human history have died as a result of a man's fixation on their child-bearing abilities？These are the historical parameters within which Maggie O'Farrell artlessly weaves her fiction。 As a writer， her attention to detail is unmatched; her ability to craft a potent sense of time and place， unparalleled。 But her character work is where she truly stuns。 A new Lucrezia practically leaps off of these pages: a vivacious and curious spirit， a dreamer， a tamer of tigers。 An artist and true visionary。 A significant portion of this novel is comprised of her musings and imaginings， adding substance and breadth not only to the plot but also to Lucrezia herself， reminding readers that this woman who we have previously only seen rendered two-dimensionally was probably， absolutely capable of creativity， wisdom， independent and well-reasoned thought。 Secondary characters are given their moments as well: the callous and desperate Alfonso， Duke of Ferrara; the cruel and conniving Il Baldassare; the devoted and loyal Emilia。 But Lucrezia is the beacon， the bright and brilliant light around which everything and everyone orbits。Don't misunderstand me: her story was desperately， inarguably， unfairly sad。 She spent much of her life a prisoner of sorts， first of her parents and then of her husband。 The final segments of this book， dealing with her last 'illness'， were rendered so beautifully， despite the tragedy of it all， that it's impossible not to feel some kind of grief for her and for what she might have been， had she been allowed to marry another （or not marry at all）。 Perhaps we could call her a victim of her time， if this particular form of violence against women， this silencing and erasure， didn't continue in some way to this very day。But in spite of all that， what O'Farrell has done here is painted a new portrait; she has finally given Lucrezia a voice of her own。 It is a true masterpiece。"Live a long life， and be happy，" the maid Sofia implores on the event of Lucrezia's marriage。Perhaps now， she finally can。Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more
Dain
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Maggie O'Farrell is an author that has completely captivated me with her writing。 Having been enchanted by Hamnet， I was so excited to receive an ARC of her latest novel and it did not disappoint！ Filled with luxurious details and the author's magical use of language， the Italian Renaissance life of young， doomed Lucrezia de'Medici。 As a reader， I was completely transported into this world and time in a way that not many novels can do， especially historical fiction。 Many authors can write storie Maggie O'Farrell is an author that has completely captivated me with her writing。 Having been enchanted by Hamnet， I was so excited to receive an ARC of her latest novel and it did not disappoint！ Filled with luxurious details and the author's magical use of language， the Italian Renaissance life of young， doomed Lucrezia de'Medici。 As a reader， I was completely transported into this world and time in a way that not many novels can do， especially historical fiction。 Many authors can write stories about true events in history but Ms。 O'Farrell had a very particular style to the way she lays out the details and thoughts of her characters that demand you become inhabitants of their world。 The mundane becomes magical and the tragic becomes unbearable， such is the power of this author's writing。If you are a person who enjoys well written， out-of-the-ordinary historical fiction， you like to be fully immersed in your story & characters， and you like novels to make you FEEL something， definitely put The Marriage Portrait at the top of your TBR list！ Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC！ 。。。more
Susan
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Maggie O'Farrell has a knack for taking tiny trivia and turning it into a fascinating historical fiction。Here we meet Lucrezia de' Medici， Duchess of Ferrara and member of the famous Medici family of Italy， who died of questionable circumstances shortly into her marriage。 From the beginning we know of her fate， but the pull of the novel is that you know how the story will end， its a matter of how the book will get you there。Both maddening and frightening， women didn't have many rights back in th Maggie O'Farrell has a knack for taking tiny trivia and turning it into a fascinating historical fiction。Here we meet Lucrezia de' Medici， Duchess of Ferrara and member of the famous Medici family of Italy， who died of questionable circumstances shortly into her marriage。 From the beginning we know of her fate， but the pull of the novel is that you know how the story will end， its a matter of how the book will get you there。Both maddening and frightening， women didn't have many rights back in the 16th century， a fact that persisted until modern times。 Women produced babies， were bartering chips in marriage， and essentially property to control。 O'Farrell paints Lucrezia as an average teenager with normal rebellion， questionings， and energy that get her into trouble。 I can't begin to imagine being a child bride and expected to be controlled like that in the most active years of being a teenager。The book begins well but does sad quite a bit。 Some days its was just hard for me to pick up as the action didnt propel the book very much in the early parts of the marriage。 However， if you give the book a chance， it is a quick read from just shy of mid-way。 Of course the authors note explains the choices O'Farrell made in the book， tying the book's facts and fiction together。 Enjoyable。 。。。more
Cassy
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Who recommended this book to me: Inprint season 2022/23， plus interest in this author since debut
Jenn
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Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Marriage Portrait。Hamnet was one of my absolute favorite reads from 2021， so I was ecstatic to see that Maggie O'Farrell had a new novel coming out this year。 1550s， Italy， the de' Medici family。 Imagine being 15 years old， married off to a man you do not know， and sent to live in a different land， far away from your family。 Every time I read stories like this， I am reminded how lucky I am， as a woman， to have been born when I was。 In this imagi Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Marriage Portrait。Hamnet was one of my absolute favorite reads from 2021， so I was ecstatic to see that Maggie O'Farrell had a new novel coming out this year。 1550s， Italy， the de' Medici family。 Imagine being 15 years old， married off to a man you do not know， and sent to live in a different land， far away from your family。 Every time I read stories like this， I am reminded how lucky I am， as a woman， to have been born when I was。 In this imagined tale of Lucrezia de' Medici， （who， in reality， died tragically after 1 year of marriage at the age of 16 from tuberculosis） we meet a young girl， scared and convinced her husband is going to kill her。 In alternating flashback chapters， we see her grow up， raised to become a duchess， a wife， a mother。 We experience her fear of leaving home， her first moments of "freedom" as a wife， and the downward spiral of her marriage as her husband's true nature is shown。 I enjoyed this book and getting to know Lucrezia， although we spend a LOT of time alone with her thoughts。 While this usually bothers me， I didn't mind it here because it does well to emphasize how alone and isolated she really was。 We feel her desperation and fear， her knowledge that she has no power， and glimpses of hope and optimism。 I truly enjoy O'Farrell's writing， her ability to create such vivid descriptions， and The Marriage Portrait is no exception- tragically heartbreaking and beautifully written。 。。。more
Maddie
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I've read two of O'Farrell's previous books: "I am， I am， I am，" and "Hamnet"， and loved both so when the arc for the Marriage Portrait became available on NetGalley I immediately requested it。 This book did not disappoint。 It was weird and beautiful and the historical details were spot on。 If you look back through my Goodreads you'll find that I'm a sucker for a story on an overlooked historical woman so this one definitely fits my tastes。Lucrezia Medici is the overlooked daughter of the Duke o I've read two of O'Farrell's previous books: "I am， I am， I am，" and "Hamnet"， and loved both so when the arc for the Marriage Portrait became available on NetGalley I immediately requested it。 This book did not disappoint。 It was weird and beautiful and the historical details were spot on。 If you look back through my Goodreads you'll find that I'm a sucker for a story on an overlooked historical woman so this one definitely fits my tastes。Lucrezia Medici is the overlooked daughter of the Duke of Florence， a difficult， precocious child she was allowed to roam free with very little adult supervision。 Or should I say parental supervision as Lucrezia found herself a second home in the kitchens。 Lucrezia is an imaginative child who from an early age shows a talent for art and is allowed to explore her talents since she is a third daughter and pretty insignificant。 However， that all changes when her older sister dies and Lucrezia is forced to marry her sister's fiance Alfonso， the Duke of Ferrara。 The marriage starts off seemingly okay but quickly takes a darker turn as Alfonso is prone to mood swings。 Lucrezia has only her maid for companionship as she's carted across Italy and forced to adjust to her new reality。 Obviously， things don't end well for the new duchess but there are some twists I didn't see coming。 Lucrezia is only sixteen but she comes across as much older probably since she has to deal with an unfortunate husband like Alfonso。I really like O'Farrell's distinctive writing style that combines lots of details and introspective character work。 If you've read Hamnet this book has a very similar writing style。 Again I like it but just a tidbit for future readers。 I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend for fans of historical fiction or fans of O'Farrell。I was provided a free copy of this book through NetGalley。 。。。more
Kelly Taylor
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If Maggie O'Farrell could just write speculative narrative biographies of all major historical figures， my world would be made。 I'd know a lot more history， that's for certain。 I tore through this book and enjoyed every moment。 Thanks to the publisher for the ARC they supplied through Goodreads Giveaways。 If Maggie O'Farrell could just write speculative narrative biographies of all major historical figures， my world would be made。 I'd know a lot more history， that's for certain。 I tore through this book and enjoyed every moment。 Thanks to the publisher for the ARC they supplied through Goodreads Giveaways。 。。。more
Scarlett
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If I had a talent for description like Maggie O'Farrell does， you wouldn't be able to shut me up。 This book has so many memorable scenes that I felt I was standing by and watching this play out in front of me。 Honestly， I don't have another word for the experience of reading this except "dreamy"。 It felt like Shakespeare was singing me a lullaby， that's how well-written this is。 The choice of words and the pace of the story is top-tier art， in my opinion。 And the portrait on the cover is a true If I had a talent for description like Maggie O'Farrell does， you wouldn't be able to shut me up。 This book has so many memorable scenes that I felt I was standing by and watching this play out in front of me。 Honestly， I don't have another word for the experience of reading this except "dreamy"。 It felt like Shakespeare was singing me a lullaby， that's how well-written this is。 The choice of words and the pace of the story is top-tier art， in my opinion。 And the portrait on the cover is a true painting which makes me want to visit Florence right this moment to stare at it！The book is based on real people， but the story is fiction。 It didn't bother me， because the point of the story was not what happened exactly， but how this girl felt， what was she thinking， how I sympathised with her。 Basically， this 14-year old had an arranged marriage with a 10-year her senior， Duke of Ferrara and she had to leave her Florence home for the first time and bear children to this man。 If you read this， please know that you will love episodes of:- Lucrezia being conceived in the map room- a tiger brought to Florence- Lucrezia's wedding night- the process of portrait being paintedI enjoyed "Hamnet"， but this was so much better。 Needless to say， I will be buying the hardback edition of this！ 。。。more
Moon&Moss Book Reviews
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"Death has come for her。 It is knocking at her door; it is sliding its fingers through the keyhole; it is searching for a way past the lock。"The Marriage Portrait is a historical reimagining of the brief life of Lucrezia de' Medici。 It takes inspiration from Robert Brownings poem titled My Last Duchess。 The writing was beautiful and entrancing though at times too wordy， in my opinion。 As much as I enjoyed its writing and was intrigued by the mystery around this young noblewoman's premature death "Death has come for her。 It is knocking at her door; it is sliding its fingers through the keyhole; it is searching for a way past the lock。"The Marriage Portrait is a historical reimagining of the brief life of Lucrezia de' Medici。 It takes inspiration from Robert Brownings poem titled My Last Duchess。 The writing was beautiful and entrancing though at times too wordy， in my opinion。 As much as I enjoyed its writing and was intrigued by the mystery around this young noblewoman's premature death ， I felt disappointed with the ending which I found it to be unrealistic and poorly plotted。 I would still recommend this book for fans of historical fiction who enjoy a lyrical character-driven story。 。。。more
LoneStarWords Deb Coco
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Lucrezia feels…the rise of what she thinks of as her spirit -- the unfettered part of herself to which no one， not even she， has access。The Marriage PortraitMaggie O'Farrell•A huge thank you to @aaknopf for this early copy of The Marriage Portrait， a book I've been anticipating since Hamnet wowed me in 2020。•Maggie O'Farrell is a multi-faceted author。 She's written some of the best literary fiction out there and she also wrote a very unique memoir。 With Hamnet we saw her give voice to an unknown Lucrezia feels…the rise of what she thinks of as her spirit -- the unfettered part of herself to which no one， not even she， has access。The Marriage PortraitMaggie O'Farrell•A huge thank you to @aaknopf for this early copy of The Marriage Portrait， a book I've been anticipating since Hamnet wowed me in 2020。•Maggie O'Farrell is a multi-faceted author。 She's written some of the best literary fiction out there and she also wrote a very unique memoir。 With Hamnet we saw her give voice to an unknown woman from the pages of history。 First— this is not Hamnet; it has a very different feel。 I described Hamnet as having a fairy tale quality and TMP reads more like traditional historical fiction。 What is similar is O'Farrell's flair for drawing us into a particular period in history; her attention to detail， setting and a slow character build that allow us to get lost in another time in a way I've never experienced with other authors。•Of course we will never really know what went on in the minds and interactions of these characters from history， and so there is a suspension of disbelief。 For some who are passionate about history it can feel far-fetched， but I enjoyed the time travel to Renaissance Florence then went down a rabbit hole of research into the life of Lucrezia di Cosimo di'Medici。•At its core， The Marriage Portrait is the story of a very young Florentine royal who， having no agency for herself， is married off to the Duke of Ferrara。 The majority of the story is her attempt to adapt to her new life with a husband she cannot trust and who she believes wants her dead。 The Marriage Portrait is a slow drama with an omniscient POV and although it did have more plot than Hamnet， it still leans towards character study and we as readers must decide who we can trust。•The ending blew my mind and I had to go back and read it again to make sure I'd read it right。 And then I began devouring online articles because I do have an inherent desire to separate fact from fiction。 I can't wait to talk with other readers about TMP and I do see it as one of THE fall books of 2022。 And this cover！•The Marriage Portrait debuts 9/6！ 。。。more
Janet
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Remember when a woman’s worth was defined by her ability to bear children…。so much so that even barely out of puberty she was expected to conceive？ The year was 2022…。no wait， the year was 1560。 I’m sorry I couldn’t resist。Lucrezia di Cosimo de’ Medici married her dead sister’s betrothed when she was 15 years old。 （It would have been 13 if not for her wily nurse）。 At sixteen she too was dead and rumored to have been killed by her husband， Alfonso II， Duke of Ferrara presumably for the high crime Remember when a woman’s worth was defined by her ability to bear children…。so much so that even barely out of puberty she was expected to conceive？ The year was 2022…。no wait， the year was 1560。 I’m sorry I couldn’t resist。Lucrezia di Cosimo de’ Medici married her dead sister’s betrothed when she was 15 years old。 （It would have been 13 if not for her wily nurse）。 At sixteen she too was dead and rumored to have been killed by her husband， Alfonso II， Duke of Ferrara presumably for the high crime of not giving him an heir。 A little factual and poetic justice…。he goes on to remarry twice and never fathers a child。 This is that story with liberties taken of course。 O’Farrell elevates it to art as she does in all her work with her powers of imagination and description。 Historical fiction may be my favorite genre and so I fell on this with relish。 Having devoured and loved Hamnet， I knew I was in for a treat and I thank Knopf for an early look at this book。 Is it as good as Hamnet？ Ahh to be in that rarified place of esteemed writers whose work is measured against their last book， a MASTERPIECE。 Maybe not， but I enjoyed it more than 99% of what I read。 So much is bad these days， that I seldom finish a book anymore。 Maggie O’Farrell is an auto buy for me and I’ll be highly recommending The Marriage Portrait to all my friends。 。。。more
Amy Jane
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I’ve read a lot of non-fiction about the Medici / Italian history around that time and I enjoyed Hamnet， so I was excited to read this fictional life of Lucrezia de’Medici。 The first part was good with interweaving timelines and the historical detail was richly described， but there was something lacking。 It was interesting to see life through the eyes of a young girl in the 16th century。
Kendra Huber
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Goddamnit Maggie！ How am I suppose to go on with my life when you completely dismantle my understanding of the physical world simply through METPAHORS？！？！？！ It might not be for everyone， but this book was certainty made for me。 I will hold on to her words， perpetually searching for a spirit as curious and rebellious as Lucrezia， the tiger whisperer。
Kim McGee
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During the 1550's the de Midici family in Florence was one of the leading power families of Renaissance Italy。 It seemed only natural to increase their power by joining forces with another powerful family and marry their youngest daughter Lucrezia to Alfonso d'Este。 It didn't matter that Lucrezia was very young and had led a sheltered life and that Alfonso was much older and a widower。 It also didn't matter that he was a tyrant。 Lucrezia was a pawn in a powerful chess game and there to produce m During the 1550's the de Midici family in Florence was one of the leading power families of Renaissance Italy。 It seemed only natural to increase their power by joining forces with another powerful family and marry their youngest daughter Lucrezia to Alfonso d'Este。 It didn't matter that Lucrezia was very young and had led a sheltered life and that Alfonso was much older and a widower。 It also didn't matter that he was a tyrant。 Lucrezia was a pawn in a powerful chess game and there to produce male heirs。 She was considered to be quite a beauty so Alfonso commissions a marriage portrait to be painted mainly so he could show her off as his latest possession。 The paint on the canvas would barely be dry before the marriage would end。 The author paints a stunning landscape of powerful men， their subservient women and all the family drama and violence in between。 This is historical fiction that is compelling， captivating and illuminating sure to appeal to art lovers， fans of the Italian Renaissance and deadly power struggles。 My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy。 。。。more
April
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Thank you to Maggie O'Farrell and Alfred A。 Knopf Publishing for an ARC of The Marriage Portrait。 I don't give away spoilers in my reviews。 I was so excited to win an ARC of this book！ I loved the title， cover and blurb and knew I'd love it。 I read alot of historical fiction and this has been one of my all time favorites。 Lucrezia （Luce） is forced to marry her dead sister's fiance and move to his home hours away。 She is a black sheep and isn't paid much mind， or missed much。 Although that sets h Thank you to Maggie O'Farrell and Alfred A。 Knopf Publishing for an ARC of The Marriage Portrait。 I don't give away spoilers in my reviews。 I was so excited to win an ARC of this book！ I loved the title， cover and blurb and knew I'd love it。 I read alot of historical fiction and this has been one of my all time favorites。 Lucrezia （Luce） is forced to marry her dead sister's fiance and move to his home hours away。 She is a black sheep and isn't paid much mind， or missed much。 Although that sets her up to have a sad life - and she does - she also drawa strength from it。 I loved the back and forth timeline so I could read about her as a child and towards the end of her life。 It's no secret she passes away in less than a year after her marriage。 But why does she pass away？？I hated her husband， his friends and his sisters。 There are not many characters to love beyond Luce - except her maid Emilia。 I would love to see a whole book on Emilia's life。 This was beautifully written and the ending was perfect for this reader。 。。。more
Avid
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Well-written and -imagined novel of the last year of the life of Lucrezia de ‘medici， who was found dead of unknown causes at the age of 16 in the castle of her husband， the second Duke of Ferrara in the mid-sixteenth century。 I’m not a huge fan of historical fiction， but i did enjoy the author’s previous novel， Hamnet， and decided to give this one a try。 I’m glad i did。 The author’s research and historical approach result in quality historical fiction that is not dumbed down or overly romantici Well-written and -imagined novel of the last year of the life of Lucrezia de ‘medici， who was found dead of unknown causes at the age of 16 in the castle of her husband， the second Duke of Ferrara in the mid-sixteenth century。 I’m not a huge fan of historical fiction， but i did enjoy the author’s previous novel， Hamnet， and decided to give this one a try。 I’m glad i did。 The author’s research and historical approach result in quality historical fiction that is not dumbed down or overly romanticized。 I was engaged throughout and especially appreciated the fictional resolution that the author conjured。 I can recommend this one with confidence。 。。。more
Charlene Mccaughey O'Neill
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This is my first book by Maggie O'Farrell， and I will be back for more！ I love history told in a story especially about Italy during the Renaissance。 Lucrezia de' Medici is married off to a duke at a young age， as many girls were during this time period。 It is not a happy marriage and ends in her death。 How did she die？ That is the question。 This is my first book by Maggie O'Farrell， and I will be back for more！ I love history told in a story especially about Italy during the Renaissance。 Lucrezia de' Medici is married off to a duke at a young age， as many girls were during this time period。 It is not a happy marriage and ends in her death。 How did she die？ That is the question。 。。。more
Susan
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Tertulia
Ben Dutton
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The Marriage Portrait is Maggie O'Farrell'a follow up to the award-winning， best-selling Hamnet。 To say there is a lot of expectation upon this books shoulders would be an understatement。 So how do you follow up Hamnet？ Once again O'Farrell is taking us into a distant past， proving she is as adept at writing history as Hilary Mantel。 The story， inspired by historical fact as Hamnet was and spinning off from the truths into a fiction which could so easily be real。 In the winter of 1561， Lucrezia， The Marriage Portrait is Maggie O'Farrell'a follow up to the award-winning， best-selling Hamnet。 To say there is a lot of expectation upon this books shoulders would be an understatement。 So how do you follow up Hamnet？ Once again O'Farrell is taking us into a distant past， proving she is as adept at writing history as Hilary Mantel。 The story， inspired by historical fact as Hamnet was and spinning off from the truths into a fiction which could so easily be real。 In the winter of 1561， Lucrezia， Duchess of Ferrara is taken by her husband to their remote villa Lucrezia fears he plans to kill her。 If this sounds like the beginning of a historical thriller， it is， but does so not by piling on the thrills and the chills， but by simply portraying the mind of her sixteen year old heroine and how she tries to cope as the darkness draws in。O'Farrell has always been a writer of great prose， and her abilities have been expanded greatly through Hamnet and this。 That I say this is a lesser novel than Hamnet is not a criticism， it is an extraordinary fine novel by itself。 Had she published this before Hamnet we might easily be calling this her masterpiece。 Unfortunately it sits in that novels shadow。 And it shouldn't， we should allow the Duchess to shine by herself， for this is a dazzling novel。Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC。 。。。more
Louise
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As always with an actual person from historical fiction， I didn't know anything about them。This worked in my favour， as once I'd read the opening pages and Lucrezia claiming her husband was out to kill her， well I had no idea if he was， or if he did。A great sense of setting for all the scenes I thought， with vivid characters send interesting side plots， that slowly reveal truth of what's going on。This book has restored my faith in O'Farrell， who is a much liked author for me。I hope it does well。 As always with an actual person from historical fiction， I didn't know anything about them。This worked in my favour， as once I'd read the opening pages and Lucrezia claiming her husband was out to kill her， well I had no idea if he was， or if he did。A great sense of setting for all the scenes I thought， with vivid characters send interesting side plots， that slowly reveal truth of what's going on。This book has restored my faith in O'Farrell， who is a much liked author for me。I hope it does well。 。。。more
Mallory Melton
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besties where has maggie ofarrell BEEN my whole life？？？ this was honestly incredible。 big fan of lucrezia and the setting and the way ofarrell tells this super intriguing story
Cassie
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SAL 10/11/22; ordered from Iconoclast
Quinnell Flanagan
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Thank you to Knopf for an ARC of this book！！I am so impressed with the way Maggie O’Farrell really brought this story to life。 Her writing is so poetic， but easy to follow， and it’s what I love most about her books。 I found the story of the Dutchess Lucrezia to be so intriguing from the first page。 A young dutchess， forced into a marriage that she doesn’t want， in a place she’s never been—what can go wrong？ But that’s what made this book so good。 You knew something was going to go wrong， but you Thank you to Knopf for an ARC of this book！！I am so impressed with the way Maggie O’Farrell really brought this story to life。 Her writing is so poetic， but easy to follow， and it’s what I love most about her books。 I found the story of the Dutchess Lucrezia to be so intriguing from the first page。 A young dutchess， forced into a marriage that she doesn’t want， in a place she’s never been—what can go wrong？ But that’s what made this book so good。 You knew something was going to go wrong， but you didn’t know the how’s or the why’s until it was happening。 Once again， O’Farrell has made me fall in love with a piece of history that I didn’t even know I wanted to learn about。 I will always love her books 。。。more
KC
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1550s Florence， Italy。 Lucrezia was to wed Duke Alfonso， some ten years her senior。 The wedding of the couple was delayed for nearly two years seeing that the the bride-to-be was a mere child。 After the pair were married， Lucrezia’s life was filled with pain， suffering， and control from the man with whom needed an heir。 Over time， Lucrezia sensed her life was in danger as each month passed without becoming pregnant。 Could her husband be cruel enough to kill his bride？ This lyrically written nove 1550s Florence， Italy。 Lucrezia was to wed Duke Alfonso， some ten years her senior。 The wedding of the couple was delayed for nearly two years seeing that the the bride-to-be was a mere child。 After the pair were married， Lucrezia’s life was filled with pain， suffering， and control from the man with whom needed an heir。 Over time， Lucrezia sensed her life was in danger as each month passed without becoming pregnant。 Could her husband be cruel enough to kill his bride？ This lyrically written novel is beautifully told; reminding us that women were & still often seen as vessels。 For fans of Phillippa Gregory and Alison Weir。 。。。more
Wafflepirates
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*Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review*I picked this book up because I love the Renaissance， and Lucrezia is such an interesting character to base a book around。 Sadly， this book was largely a disappointment for me。 I did like how the author fleshed out Lucrezia and gave her some personality， though it did seem weird at times and sort of out of character so to speak for how history remember her。 Since this is fiction， that's not a h *Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review*I picked this book up because I love the Renaissance， and Lucrezia is such an interesting character to base a book around。 Sadly， this book was largely a disappointment for me。 I did like how the author fleshed out Lucrezia and gave her some personality， though it did seem weird at times and sort of out of character so to speak for how history remember her。 Since this is fiction， that's not a huge deal， but I did find myself wondering why the author took this route many times。 Lucrezia reveals early on that she knows her husband is going to kill her， and I was expecting something more intriguing and dramatic than what we actually got。 My biggest issue was with the perspective， the author chose to write from a weird， third-person omniscient pov that I guess makes sense for how she's using characters besides Lucrezia， but makes for very strange prose that was a chore to read。 。。。more
Beverly
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I was seriously disappointed in this novel， having LOVED O'Farrell's Hamnet。 The subject/place/time would seem to be perfect: "palace DeMedici intrigue"， Florence/Ferrara， Renaissance BUT the story did not come together for me。 Too many instances of Lucrezia's reminiscences integrated with her reality。 Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC。 I was seriously disappointed in this novel， having LOVED O'Farrell's Hamnet。 The subject/place/time would seem to be perfect: "palace DeMedici intrigue"， Florence/Ferrara， Renaissance BUT the story did not come together for me。 Too many instances of Lucrezia's reminiscences integrated with her reality。 Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Marriage Portrait
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Marriage Portrait&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Marriage Portrait&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0