The Marriage Portrait: A novel

Indulge in the life of a young headstrong creative girl born in Medieval Italy and groomed for one purpose; to provide an heir to solidify the royal claim to rule the countryHowever she is unable to be tamed and is determined to be her own person and pursue her artistic skills and fails despite all the Duke’s effort to conceiveThe story is engaging My only complaint was it was too detailed in descriptions of places, her thoughts and charactersSome readers will enjoy this I found it difficult to read through at timesAn enjoyable inside view of the period with surprise twist of fantasy

This novel should come with a warning: empty your calendar prior to opening. The Marriage Portrait begins in a rather harmless manner with interesting tidbits of real history. But, as you get involved in the characters' lives, and you will get involved in these lives, the plot not only thickens, it becomes addictive as well as horrifying. You have been warned.

I loved Maggie O'Farrell's novel Hamnet so when her latest book was published, I was anxious to read it. I found it not nearly as engrossing as Hamnet, which I could not put down. Conversely, this one felt like a slog...I read a few pages a day and that seemed to be enough. I can't figure out why that was...it was beautifully written, had a dramatic storyline, and plenty of palace intrigue. Then again, on further thought, I didn't feel any compatibility with any of the characters: the 15-year-old bride Lucrezia, her bold and controlling husband Alfonso, her jealous sister, conniving sisters-in-law, uncaring parents...none of them were the least bit sympathetic.While Lucrezia is a character to be worried about and to feel sorry for, she is also a character I could not relate to. And, without the "rooting" effect, I found myself at a loss as to why I continued to read about her journey. In addition, I loathed her parents and siblings. I know these are different times but, really, what kind of parents allow their 13-year-old daughter to be betrothed to a man in his 20s? What kind of parents silence a young child who has artistic talent and a curious mind, ignore her choices, and send her to a prison of sorts in a marriage that she doesn't understand or want?I have no problem understanding that people from different times behaved very differently from our current society and I am an avid reader of historical fiction because I love learning about different times and cultures.But this novel, its characters, and its subject matter didn't sit well with me.

I liked this book, especially the descriptions of life in Italy during this period. The beginning was slow, but the end was satisfying.

This was my second Maggie O’Farrell novel, the first being the acclaimed “Hamnet.” That book, like this one was masterfully written, and it is O’Farrell’s writing that I am most in awe of. “Hamnet” seemed to channel the Bard himself, and this one, “The Marriage Portrait” had hints of a fairy tale in its style. Being a former English teacher, I am always on the lookout for books that not only tell a good tale but are well written too. That said, it seems like O’Farrell in both books is on something of a crusade to combat paternalism. Men take a pretty good beating in both books, maybe deservedly so. And, yes, I am a man, so perhaps it is gender paranoia on my part. I did enjoy this book and for the first time in a long time, I anxiously awaited the end to see what would happen. Without giving any spoilers away, it is worth the wait and not necessarily predictable. It’s a well crafted and sufficiently clever finale for an admirable novel. Speaking of its genre, O’Farrell has a section after the conclusion explaining what parts of the story actually happened and what parts were changed and for what reasons.

For lovers of historical fiction this is a great read. Imagination filling in the gaps in the lives of historical Renaissance figures. Told in the first person a hoped for love story goes far too wrong.

I am a HUGE fan of Maggie O'Farrell. I've read and loved all of her present-day fiction and her recent memoir. And while I didn't share the adulation Hamnet seemed to bring out in so many, it was well-written and fascinating in its own right and a good enough read. So I hate to say that I found The Marriage Portrait a big disappointment, but it was a slog to read on many levels. While I didn't fully agree with the mean-spirited review the book got in The New York Times, I do agree the novel is over-written with a forced kind of lyricism that O'Farrell never demonstrated in the past. The descriptions do seem over-wrought at times and even Lucrezia's character comes off as inconsistent: tough and independent as a child, timid and almost insipid post-marriage. I suspect O'Farrell had to make some tough creative decisions to spin a tale out of such thin cloth in terms of actual history. Little is known of Lucrezia other than her birth, marriage and early death, so the split narrative -- before and after her marriage -- was likely the most compelling way to try to tell the story, but that made the book disorienting and somewhat repetitive. The ending did come as a surprise, even if it wasn't entirely realistic, but nice to imagine a kinder fate for that young woman. I did read the entire novel, mostly because of my affection for the author and her work, but it took me quite a while to finish the book, not because it was long, but because it was hard to sink into the prose and story. I hope O'Farrell returns to her modern-day roots where she's never hit a false note, at least for this reader.

Once you get past the first half of the book it flies by and sucks you in

"In 1560, fifteen-year-old Lucrezia di Cosimo de' Medici left Florence to begin her married life with Alfonso II d'este, Duke of Ferrara. Less than a year later, she would be dead. The official cause of her death was given as 'putrid fever', but it was rumoured that she had been murdered by her husband.." so begins Maggie O'Farrell's fictionalised account of the short life of Lucrezia, Duchess of Ferrara. The story, which moves backwards and forwards in time, begins in the winter of 1561 with the young Duchess being taken by her husband to a remote country residence, where the unhappy and highly imaginative Lucrezia becomes convinced that her husband is trying to poison her. Aware that her husband is a man with many faces and even more aware that she has failed to provide him with an heir, Lucrezia begins to fear for her life. But is the Duke really planning to kill his young wife, or has Lucrezia's imagination got the better of her?Ms O'Farrell's Lucrezia is a very vibrant and likeable heroine and the author's rich descriptions of Renaissance Italy and Lucrezia's life within that setting made this an immersive and entertaining read. The present tense used by Ms Farrell gives the story a sense of immediacy and even though I knew how the story was going to end, the present tense narrative made me feel as if somehow Lucrezia might escape her fate. (Just a note here, I knew a little about Lucrezia di Cosima de'Medici before starting this book, but the teenaged daughter of a friend who is now reading this book didn't and she commented that she wishes the author had put the historical note about Lucrezia's demise at the end of the book instead of at the beginning). I also enjoyed the little twist at the end of the story - which, although not entirely convincing, made poor Lucrezia's demise a little more palatable to take. All in all, a gripping and vividly imagined story and a novel I would definitely recommend.5 Stars.

A great book to take on holiday - easy to read - quite a page-turner and if you like historical fiction this will tick all the boxes. It is based on the true story of the 16th century last Duke of Ferrara who makes a marriage to a 13 year old Medici daughter of another Duke. It is not completely historically accurate although the essentials do match history. Well written with a lot of lovely descriptions of places, scenes, people etc. The actions takes place over a few years and in several places but jumps back and forth in time - although this could be confusing, the chapter heads make it clear where and when you are at.

I loved this book. It is highly evocative and atmospheric. A great historical novel that highlights misogynist brutality and injustice. But you get swept up in the story. Would highly recommend.

This wasn't always an easy book to read. There are some dark, dark themes here. But I found it gripping right from the start. I loved the insight it gave me into women's lives in the period. I loved the way the tension built. I was utterly convinced by the people. They were alive for me. I had mixed feelings about the ending, but overall found it hugely enjoyable.

Such rich, jewel-like language. Such depth & unctuousness of storytelling. Almost impossible to put down. A stunning ending. A triumph.