Historical

The Marriage Portrait

The Marriage Portrait

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  • Create Date：2022-09-05 04:51:42
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
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  • Author：Maggie O'Farrell
  • ISBN：1472223853
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Summary

In the winter of 1561， Lucrezia， Duchess of Ferrara， is taken on an unexpected visit to a country villa by her husband， Alfonso。 As they sit down to dinner in the icy hall it occurs to Lucrezia that Alfonso has a sinister purpose in bringing her here: he intends to kill her。

Lucrezia is sixteen years old and has led a sheltered life， locked away inside Florence's grandest palazzo， guarded by her father's soldiers and her mother's ladies-in-waiting。 Here in this remote villa， however， she is entirely at the mercy of her increasingly erratic husband。

What is Lucrezia to do with this sudden knowledge？ What chance does she have against Alfonso， the ruler of a province， and a trained soldier？ How can she ensure her survival？

The Marriage Portrait is a vivid evocation of the beauty and brutality of Renaissance Italy， and of a young woman whose proximity to power places her in mortal danger。

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Reviews

Lindsay ，

Yet another eagerly anticipated release that has fallen completely flat for me this year。 I absolutely adored Hamnet and I was hoping for another similarly unique spin on history。 Sadly what I got was a fairly standard， plodding tome， with the added 'bonus' of a fantastical ending that makes a mockery of the entire premise of the book。 Yet another eagerly anticipated release that has fallen completely flat for me this year。 I absolutely adored Hamnet and I was hoping for another similarly unique spin on history。 Sadly what I got was a fairly standard， plodding tome， with the added 'bonus' of a fantastical ending that makes a mockery of the entire premise of the book。 。。。more

Carole ，

Maggie O'Farrell is brilliant at taking obscure historical figures and writing fascinating stories about them and The Marriage Portrait is no exception。 Her ability to create a setting that feels vibrant and alive with detail is my favorite thing about her writing。 There were moments while reading this book that I felt the panic and confusion of young Lucrezia， I could see the paintings she made， and I swore I could taste the delicacies prepared for her to eat。 O'Farrell has taken very few histo Maggie O'Farrell is brilliant at taking obscure historical figures and writing fascinating stories about them and The Marriage Portrait is no exception。 Her ability to create a setting that feels vibrant and alive with detail is my favorite thing about her writing。 There were moments while reading this book that I felt the panic and confusion of young Lucrezia， I could see the paintings she made， and I swore I could taste the delicacies prepared for her to eat。 O'Farrell has taken very few historical facts and turned them into a full fledged story of passion， deceit， and the struggle for power and survival in 1500s Italy。 Highly recommended。 I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Emily ，

I think my enjoyment of this book was hampered by my expectations。 I've never read anything by Maggie O'Farrell， though I've been tempted by Hamnet。 I think she has a beautiful writing style that's evocative and poetic， and occasionally reminiscent of Angela Carter。 The brief moments of Eleanora di Toledo and Cosimo de'Medici are the most evocative in the book， and I wonder why she didn't just write about them。 In terms of the story， O'Farrell's writing peaks during Lucrezia's conception and the I think my enjoyment of this book was hampered by my expectations。 I've never read anything by Maggie O'Farrell， though I've been tempted by Hamnet。 I think she has a beautiful writing style that's evocative and poetic， and occasionally reminiscent of Angela Carter。 The brief moments of Eleanora di Toledo and Cosimo de'Medici are the most evocative in the book， and I wonder why she didn't just write about them。 In terms of the story， O'Farrell's writing peaks during Lucrezia's conception and then her encounter with the tiger—and then the entire book slowly slides downhill。 This book is based in such rich subject matter that I found what O'Farrell plucked from historical record ultimately disappointing and unmemorable。 There are a series of three Medici princesses rumoured to have been murdered by their husbands—and rather than use this fact within her plot， O'Farrell ignores it。 Alfonso II's three sisters and their mothers were all extraordinary personalities who were passionate about learning and love and religion and rebellion， and they're reduced to footnotes in a story that very much could have been theirs as well。 Rather than include Lucrezia de'Medici's story within this rich tapestry of women， O'Farrell plucks Lucrezia out and insists that she alone is worthy of saving from historical record。 She paints Lucrezia de Medici was an extraordinary girl surrounded by ordinary women， sad women， bitchy women， superficial women。。。 and it's just so done。 Isabella exists to be her foil， a vapid girl compared to her wild younger sister。 Maria is stern， sour， and then a ghost。 Leonora， the cousin， doesn't exist at all。 This book shared a LOT in common with every Anastasia Romanova historical fiction （ignoring or insulting the other Romanova girls + throwing in a personality-less male character to "rescue" the heroine）， and that isn't a compliment。And the book ends exactly at what would've been the emotional crux of it！ （view spoiler）[Lucrezia's milk sister， Emilia， is violently murdered in her place and we don't even get Lucrezia's reaction to it。 （hide spoiler）] There is no catharsis。 No emotional pay-off， nothing。 It's a deus ex machina to explain a half-baked ending that I guess is supposed to be "feminist" because （view spoiler）[the upper class woman survives while her servant is murdered and has her body desecrated in her place （hide spoiler）]？ In my opinion， this book would be best enjoyed if you go into it with a clean slate and don't research the actual people that the book is based on。 Otherwise， you'll find yourself disappointed by the stories and， in particular， every woman that O'Farrell missed。 。。。more

Chelé ，

As to be expected it’s a well written book with lots of evocative descriptions。 As with Hamnet， O'Farrell offers an expressive story about the life of an historically overlooked wife of a historically acclaimed man。 It’s a nice book but a bit drawn out with long periods of not much happening so my interest started to wane half way through the book and I realised that I was skimming some of the more descriptive paragraphs in search of action。 Whilst I love the idea of telling the untold stories o As to be expected it’s a well written book with lots of evocative descriptions。 As with Hamnet， O'Farrell offers an expressive story about the life of an historically overlooked wife of a historically acclaimed man。 It’s a nice book but a bit drawn out with long periods of not much happening so my interest started to wane half way through the book and I realised that I was skimming some of the more descriptive paragraphs in search of action。 Whilst I love the idea of telling the untold stories of women that have been airbrushed from history， I do feel that not enough attention was given the complexities and subtleties of the male characters in the book and that the male characters end up becoming 2D， without much acknowledgment that the men of that time were subject to what we now term toxic masculinity。 It would have been interesting to explore why Alfonso seems to have such a fluctuating personality and acts in the way he does。 I also felt that the characterisation of her sister as a contrasting personality to Lucrezia did Isabella a disservice as she had a very interesting life and was much more independent than most women of that time， in fact the artistic and free-spirited personality given to Lucrezia in the novel was more like the written accounts of Isabella （who I believe was in fact murdered by her husband）。 I recognise that this is artistic licence but portraying such contrasting personalities between the two sisters feels like a simplistic technique and I feel that it impacted on the intentions of the book。 。。。more

LAURa ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Present tense narration， expanding on th poem My last Duchess by Robert Browning， with a twist ending （ between you and me， dont tell the duke）。 My question reader companions， is who is strangled ？ Is it Emilia， sleeping in the duchess bed？ Are we meant to rejoice that sweet Emilia gets killed so the Lucrecia can escape？ Was it be chance or planned？Did Lucrecia set Emilia up？ And if it was not Emilia， who was it？ I don't belive it was just the plot spliting in two versions， as the body is unreco Present tense narration， expanding on th poem My last Duchess by Robert Browning， with a twist ending （ between you and me， dont tell the duke）。 My question reader companions， is who is strangled ？ Is it Emilia， sleeping in the duchess bed？ Are we meant to rejoice that sweet Emilia gets killed so the Lucrecia can escape？ Was it be chance or planned？Did Lucrecia set Emilia up？ And if it was not Emilia， who was it？ I don't belive it was just the plot spliting in two versions， as the body is unrecognizable etc So， who？ 。。。more

Hailey Brown ，

🇮🇹🐅🎨👩🏻‍🦰📜

Linda ，

What great descriptions of Italian terrain and castles in the mid 1500s and of the emotions of a young girl married and moved away from her home and family。 The author is especially skilled at depicting the ties between sisters。 Even though I suspected the ending early on， the suspense was skillfully written and kept me anxiously reading。Thanks to NetGalley and Alfred A Knopf Publishing for the ARC to read and review。

Lisa Bis ，

I won this book on Goodreads。 I had previously read Hamnet by this author and enjoyed this book。 I was excited to read The Marriage Portrait。 This a beautifully written book。 I enjoyed the wording used in the story。 This story was a fascinating glimpse into the royal families in the Renaissance period in Italy。 I also loved the connection of the royal families and the famous painters of this period。

ALi23 ，

https://www。cercop。fun/ https://www。cercop。fun/ 。。。more

Marlene ，

Lucrezia Medici was betrothed to to Alfonso， Duke of of Ferrara at the age of 13。 They were married when she turned 15 and she died at the age of 16。 O'Farrell has taken the historical facts mixed them with Browning's poem， "My Last Duchess" and the result is Marriage Portrait; using her talent and imagination to give the facts life。The tone of the book is set in the first chapter 。 Lucrezia has been married for almost a year but hasn't become pregnant。 Alfonso， she realizes， has brought her to Lucrezia Medici was betrothed to to Alfonso， Duke of of Ferrara at the age of 13。 They were married when she turned 15 and she died at the age of 16。 O'Farrell has taken the historical facts mixed them with Browning's poem， "My Last Duchess" and the result is Marriage Portrait; using her talent and imagination to give the facts life。The tone of the book is set in the first chapter 。 Lucrezia has been married for almost a year but hasn't become pregnant。 Alfonso， she realizes， has brought her to a lonely castle to kill her。 Chapters alternate between flashbacks to her pre-marriage life and the present。 As the 3rd daughter and 5th child of her family she was always different。 Her vivid imagination， artistic talent and depth of feeling set her apart from her siblings。 She resented the proscribed life expected of her and yearned for freedom。 Sadly， she was born to be a political pawn as was the role of noble daughters。 Life with Alfonso brings a different and threatening new life。 While there is more physical freedom she soon realizes that it comes at a price。 Alfonso is a mercurial and desperate man。 An heir to the dukedom is critical and when Lucrezia doesn't produce a child her future is sealed - just an artist's apprentice assisting in painting her portrait offers a glimpse of a different life。Marriage Portrait is part history， part love story with fairy tale elements。 but those qualities are offset by cruelty and the need to maintain power。 It's an intriguing story offering a glimpse into Renaissance life but somehow I remained uninvolved with the characters unlike O'Farrell's Hamnet that broke my heart。 Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for the opportunity to read this title。 。。。more

Niamh ，

I was very kindly given an e-ARC of this book via Netgalley and Tinder Press。 3。5/5Often， when I read literary/historical fiction like this， I feel enormously stupid。 Like I'm missing some subtext beneath the words that are actually being presented to me。 I felt mildly less stupid reading 'The Marriage Portrait'。 Examining the unnamed figure referred to in 'My Last Duchess'， this novel follows the literal child who gets married off to a Duke in 16th century Italy。The book is very atmospheric。 If I was very kindly given an e-ARC of this book via Netgalley and Tinder Press。 3。5/5Often， when I read literary/historical fiction like this， I feel enormously stupid。 Like I'm missing some subtext beneath the words that are actually being presented to me。 I felt mildly less stupid reading 'The Marriage Portrait'。 Examining the unnamed figure referred to in 'My Last Duchess'， this novel follows the literal child who gets married off to a Duke in 16th century Italy。The book is very atmospheric。 If you liked the weaving of the world in Hamnet， you're going to be absolutely fine here。 And I read this book very quickly - it's a very readable book。 O'Farrell clearly excels in these reimagining of historical contexts， draping it with more metaphors than you can shake a stick at。 And it's certainly an interesting read。I feel exhausted by the misogyny， man。 I know， it's a historical book， it's hardly going to be the most progressive thing in the world。 But the intense verbal abuse scenes， the murder of the wife， just the endless mind games - I felt like I was going to be sick。 Maybe it's a good thing because it shows how skilled O'Farrell is at crafting the realities of this world。 But also - I'm kind of sick of reading about this。 I'm so tired。'The Marriage Portrait' is available now。 。。。more

Andrea Bond-Roberts ，

⏳The Marriage Portrait⏳Rating: 5/5 ⭐️Thank you Penguin Random House and KNOPF Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book。 I don’t read historical fiction books that often。 But let me tell you this book has me second guessing how often I need to pick up this genre。 Maggie O’Farrell transports you back to 1550-1560 Italy。 I thought I would like the book but I ended up LOVING it。 This is the type of book that stays with you for awhile。 This book is fiction but based on real people。 Lucrez ⏳The Marriage Portrait⏳Rating: 5/5 ⭐️Thank you Penguin Random House and KNOPF Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book。 I don’t read historical fiction books that often。 But let me tell you this book has me second guessing how often I need to pick up this genre。 Maggie O’Farrell transports you back to 1550-1560 Italy。 I thought I would like the book but I ended up LOVING it。 This is the type of book that stays with you for awhile。 This book is fiction but based on real people。 Lucrezia is married to the Duke of Ferrara and within the year she is dead。 We meet Lucrezia who is 13 and engaged to， the Duke to be， Alfonso who is in his upper 20s。 This books really dives into the fact that women during this time had no say in any aspect of their life。 Hence the fact that she had to be married at 15 to a man basically twice her age。 We also learn that Lucrezia is headstrong （which was looked down upon） and artistic。 I just fell in love with Lucrezia because of her fierce soul and the fact that she is not going to let anything break her。 While the story is amazing， Maggie is able to write in such a way that you are able to just watch the scenes unfold。 It felt like I was watching a movie just play out in front of me with how well she describes the scenes。 The authors note talking about the mysteries deaths of so many women at this time just broke my heart。 This book will be released September 6th。 Go out and buy it then because this book is absolutely breathtaking。 。。。more

Jo ，

THE UNDERPAINTING 4。5 ⭐️ I listened to the audible prior to seeing the author as a couldn’t afford the ticket and the book。 Excellent narration， wonderful plot， good characterisations and beautiful language plus an amazing sense of place that transported me to renaissance Italy。 I’m a fan of Sarah Dunant who writes about the era but in a very different way。 It certainly didn’t disappoint after Hamnet and I hope it wins all the prizes。 I saw Maggie tonight and was impressed。 Nothing artificial or THE UNDERPAINTING 4。5 ⭐️ I listened to the audible prior to seeing the author as a couldn’t afford the ticket and the book。 Excellent narration， wonderful plot， good characterisations and beautiful language plus an amazing sense of place that transported me to renaissance Italy。 I’m a fan of Sarah Dunant who writes about the era but in a very different way。 It certainly didn’t disappoint after Hamnet and I hope it wins all the prizes。 I saw Maggie tonight and was impressed。 Nothing artificial or showy about her and she looks beautiful。 She talked about her inspiration behind the novel and her research made difficult by lockdown。 M also explained how she uses different tenses in the book and the dual/split narrative。 It’s historical fiction but with a contemporary feel - sexual abuse， coercive control and underage sex。 MOF was asked if it was a feminist tome and she implied that it could be in that it looked at women’s history that’s barely documented。 She said she read Highsmith and ‘my cousin Rachel’ to explore how the authors change the readers view of characters。 M likes to ‘wear her research lightly’。 I have awarded 4。5 because it’s not quite perfect。 A bit too much detail at times unlike most of her other novels where every word means something。 I don’t mind that the main protagonist isn’t as endearing as some of her previous characters - she’s so young but I’ll never forget Esme or Agnes 。。。more

Heather ，

I was excited to start this book。 I usually love Historical Fiction。 While I did enjoy most of this book， I also felt like too much of it dragged on。 Lucrezia was an interesting character that had a sad life。 I was sad for her through most of the book， while at the same time cheering for how strong she was。 I am glad I read this book。 I feel like it must have been a great depiction of what life was like for woman in the 1950s。 I wish we could have stayed out of Lucrezia’s head a little bit。 She I was excited to start this book。 I usually love Historical Fiction。 While I did enjoy most of this book， I also felt like too much of it dragged on。 Lucrezia was an interesting character that had a sad life。 I was sad for her through most of the book， while at the same time cheering for how strong she was。 I am glad I read this book。 I feel like it must have been a great depiction of what life was like for woman in the 1950s。 I wish we could have stayed out of Lucrezia’s head a little bit。 She had very long winded thoughts that really had no importance to the story。 That said， if you enjoy Historical Fiction， you should try this book。 It was an interesting story that really makes you want to know what happened to Lucrezia in real life。 。。。more

Cathy ，

Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres and although this is my first book by Maggie O'Farrell that I have read it will not be my last。The plight of Lucrezia de Medici， the 5th child of the great Cosimo， is brought to life in these pages。 It flits between her early life and then to when she becomes the wife of Alfonso of Ferrara。 She feels certain that she will be poisoned by her husband。 Her husband appears to be two completely different men。 She cannot believe that he is capable of dr Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres and although this is my first book by Maggie O'Farrell that I have read it will not be my last。The plight of Lucrezia de Medici， the 5th child of the great Cosimo， is brought to life in these pages。 It flits between her early life and then to when she becomes the wife of Alfonso of Ferrara。 She feels certain that she will be poisoned by her husband。 Her husband appears to be two completely different men。 She cannot believe that he is capable of dreadful things but perhaps he is。 。。。more

Ron Charles ，

“The Marriage Portrait” drops us into the panicked mind of a teenage girl who knows her husband is plotting to kill her。 In a few months， she’ll be dead。That certainty must have been alarming for the girl， but it’s an ongoing challenge for the author。 Where， after all， is the suspense in a doomed life？Fortunately， this author is Maggie O’Farrell， one of the most exciting novelists alive。 Two years ago， she published “Hamnet，” about William Shakespeare’s only son。 The novel， which won a National “The Marriage Portrait” drops us into the panicked mind of a teenage girl who knows her husband is plotting to kill her。 In a few months， she’ll be dead。That certainty must have been alarming for the girl， but it’s an ongoing challenge for the author。 Where， after all， is the suspense in a doomed life？Fortunately， this author is Maggie O’Farrell， one of the most exciting novelists alive。 Two years ago， she published “Hamnet，” about William Shakespeare’s only son。 The novel， which won a National Book Critics Circle Award and the Women’s Prize for Fiction， created a devastating charge of tension and sorrow， despite the fact that almost nothing is known about little Hamnet except his death in 1596。“The Marriage Portrait” exhumes a similarly fated youngster: Lucrezia， the daughter of Cosimo I de’ Medici， the Grand Duke of Tuscany。 Like Hamnet， Lucrezia has fallen into the footnotes of history。 But she survives — “looking as if she were alive” — in Robert Browning’s grimly ironic poem， “My Last Duchess。”The facts of this case are thin and sad。 Lucrezia was born into Italy’s legendary family in 1545。 One of her sisters was supposed to marry Alfonso II d’Este， the future Duke of Ferrara， but she died before the ceremony。 Like some Renaissance edition of “The Bachelor，” Lucrezia took her place。 At the age of 16， before celebrating her first wedding anniversary， she was buried in。 。 。 。To read the rest of this review， go to The Washington Post:https://www。washingtonpost。com/books/。。。 。。。more

Martha ，

Wonderful， engrossing story by the author of Hamlet。

Magpie ，

Reserved for Cheryl ✅

Muriel DeSimone ，

Fantastic story that I couldn’t put down about Lucrezia de Medici and her marriage to Alfonso II arranged by her family。 Even though the outcome is stated at the beginning， the story is not what you would think。 The delightful detailed description of her life is definitely worth the read。

Michelle ，

Maggie O'Farrell is such an engaging writer & really lets the reader into the heart of the characters she is writing。 The Marriage Portrait is a familiar & heartbreaking story about a woman in history who was talented & clever & completely stifled by the times she lived in & the men in her life。 However， even though the story is familiar， the writing and the character of Lucrezia， how she is drawn， what motivates her， and her thoughts & feelings make it a wonderful read。 Maggie O'Farrell is such an engaging writer & really lets the reader into the heart of the characters she is writing。 The Marriage Portrait is a familiar & heartbreaking story about a woman in history who was talented & clever & completely stifled by the times she lived in & the men in her life。 However， even though the story is familiar， the writing and the character of Lucrezia， how she is drawn， what motivates her， and her thoughts & feelings make it a wonderful read。 。。。more

Adam ，

From the writer of Hamnet， Maggie O’Farrell， this is a richly detailed historical novel about Lucrezia di Cosimo de’Medici。 It follows her childhood in Florence to her short， married life to the Duke of Ferrara， and her mysterious death less than a year after their marriage。 While at times the subject matter and time period （especially for young women） is rather bleak and claustrophobic， the novel does a superb job at transporting readers to Renaissance Italy。 O’Farrell is at her best when explo From the writer of Hamnet， Maggie O’Farrell， this is a richly detailed historical novel about Lucrezia di Cosimo de’Medici。 It follows her childhood in Florence to her short， married life to the Duke of Ferrara， and her mysterious death less than a year after their marriage。 While at times the subject matter and time period （especially for young women） is rather bleak and claustrophobic， the novel does a superb job at transporting readers to Renaissance Italy。 O’Farrell is at her best when exploring the psyche of the young and brilliant Lucrezia， perpetually stymied in her attempts to express herself artistically and emotionally。 I admired this book more than enjoyed it， but I will certainly be recommending it to historical fiction fans， especially those who enjoy richly-detailed settings and O’Farrell’s previous book。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC， given in exchange for a fair review。 。。。more

Verity Halliday ，

It’s the mid sixteenth century and the teenage Lucrezia de' Medici must marry her dead sister’s fiancé to cement the political relationship between Florence and Ferrara。 The history books don’t tell us much about Lucrezia and her short life and unhappy marriage， but fortunately Maggie O’Farrell has done the research， made a few changes for poetic licence （and because everyone has such similar names）， and given us a rich historical novel exploring the sumptuous violence of courtly life and the tr It’s the mid sixteenth century and the teenage Lucrezia de' Medici must marry her dead sister’s fiancé to cement the political relationship between Florence and Ferrara。 The history books don’t tell us much about Lucrezia and her short life and unhappy marriage， but fortunately Maggie O’Farrell has done the research， made a few changes for poetic licence （and because everyone has such similar names）， and given us a rich historical novel exploring the sumptuous violence of courtly life and the treatment of medieval women valued more for their wombs and blood lines than their own selves。 Lucrezia comes to life on the page and I never quite knew what was going to happen。A recommended read for Hamnet fans and lovers of historical fiction。 。。。more

Liz Hein ，

Hamnet is all time favorite book for me and a tough act to follow。 In The Marriage Portrait， O’Farrell again masterfully reimagines the life of a little known historical figure， this time， Lucrezia de Medici。 “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 rumored that she had been murdered by Hamnet is all time favorite book for me and a tough act to follow。 In The Marriage Portrait， O’Farrell again masterfully reimagines the life of a little known historical figure， this time， Lucrezia de Medici。 “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 rumored that she had been murdered by her husband。”That’s the historical note and the premise。 O’Farrell pulls from Robert Browning’s “The Last Duchess” to tell us the story of Lucrezia， a character you will know and root for fully。 A character worth so much more than her the sole purpose given to her by her husband- producing an heir。 It’s no surprise that the writing is simply stunning。 The plot unfolds slowly， giving you just enough to keep you leaning slightly more forward after each page。 The tension is quiet yet omnipresent。 The ending didn’t make me weep like Hamnet， but instead it demands to be discussed， so please， let’s talk about it！ This story of captivity in many forms was ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me and I very much hope O’Farrell continues in this style。 It works。 I am very very grateful for this advanced copy- The Marriage Portrait publishes September 6th。 。。。more

Loricha Honer ，

This was an easy read loosely inspired by the life of Lucrezia de' Medici。 Generally speaking， this is a strong historical fiction novel that I can foresee being as popular as the author's former bestseller， 'Hamnet'。 Nevertheless， despite wanting to love this one， something about this book simply failed to grip me。 I finished at least five other books after starting 'The Marriage Portrait' as I kept dipping in and out of the story。 This casualness is a testament to how easy the book was to read This was an easy read loosely inspired by the life of Lucrezia de' Medici。 Generally speaking， this is a strong historical fiction novel that I can foresee being as popular as the author's former bestseller， 'Hamnet'。 Nevertheless， despite wanting to love this one， something about this book simply failed to grip me。 I finished at least five other books after starting 'The Marriage Portrait' as I kept dipping in and out of the story。 This casualness is a testament to how easy the book was to read， but it also reflects my slight indifference towards it。 Were it not for the fact that I loved the renaissance setting， I likely would have taken even longer to finish it。  Ultimately， there is nothing wrong with the book！ I enjoyed it enough while reading and can fully appreciate why others might love it。 Indeed， to afford the book a rating lower than 4 stars seems unfair。 Perhaps I just wasn't in the right mood for this one at the time of reading。。。 （Thank-you very much to the publishers for having sent me an advance copy of the book！）3。5 stars 。。。more

Kate Galley ，

Another outstanding novel from Maggie O'Farrell！This book really spoke to me！ I love historic fiction， but sometimes it takes me a while to sink into the time and place。 Maggie O'Farrell， though， has a talent to drop you firmly into a scene， and to leave you feeling settled and also intrigued， immediately。 She presents such knowable characters， her prose is beautiful and the way she plots her books has you turning the pages。We follow the main character， Lucrezia di Cosimo de’ Medici from her bir Another outstanding novel from Maggie O'Farrell！This book really spoke to me！ I love historic fiction， but sometimes it takes me a while to sink into the time and place。 Maggie O'Farrell， though， has a talent to drop you firmly into a scene， and to leave you feeling settled and also intrigued， immediately。 She presents such knowable characters， her prose is beautiful and the way she plots her books has you turning the pages。We follow the main character， Lucrezia di Cosimo de’ Medici from her birth， through her childhood and into her marriage， aged just sixteen， to Alfonso d’Este。 She is convinced her husband is trying to kill her and she doesn't see seventeen years。 A brilliantly imagined novel of the short life of this woman。 There are so many scenes in this book that will stay with me， but one in particular I loved: Lucrezia is eight years old and her father， Cosimo de’ Medici， has bought a tigress to join his menagerie of other exotic， caged animals in the palace。 She and her brothers and sisters are allowed to go down to see them。 What follows is an evocative scene where Lucrezia manages to slip from the group and makes a brief connection with the animal。 Such a vivid moment and one of many to remember。Thank you to Maggie O'Farrell， NetGalley and Tinder Press for the opportunity to read this advanced copy。 。。。more

Ruth Brookes ，

The premise is simple: Lucrezia， fifth child to the Grand Duke of Tuscany; married at 15 to Alfonso， Duke of Ferrara， a soldier and grown man almost twice her age; dead at 16。 This is her story。O’Farrell’s astonishing attention to detail， her fascination with the minutiae of life， transports us to Renaissance Italy， where Lucrezia herself is vivid， real; a spirited， intelligent young girl who has lead a sheltered existence in the palazzo nursery。 Her marriage is a political contract; a duty to h The premise is simple: Lucrezia， fifth child to the Grand Duke of Tuscany; married at 15 to Alfonso， Duke of Ferrara， a soldier and grown man almost twice her age; dead at 16。 This is her story。O’Farrell’s astonishing attention to detail， her fascination with the minutiae of life， transports us to Renaissance Italy， where Lucrezia herself is vivid， real; a spirited， intelligent young girl who has lead a sheltered existence in the palazzo nursery。 Her marriage is a political contract; a duty to her family; her role to produce an heir。 Like the caged tiger in her father’s zoo， she is trapped。 Her compliance and absolute obedience is demanded by the husband who， she begins to realise， poses a terrible danger to anyone who contradicts him。 What will happen when he turns against her？ Sumptuous， exquisite， thrilling。 This breathtakingly brilliant novel is an absolute must read。 A strong contender for my book of the year。 。。。more

Mary Picken ，

This is the story of 16 year old Lucrezia， the third daughter of Cosimo de’ Medici， who is suddenly propelled into marriage to a man she has never met after her older sister， Maria dies on the eve of her marriage to Alfonso d’Este， about to become Duke of Ferrara。 Lucrezia who is the wayward sister， having little interest in boys and even less in jewels or clothes， preferring to spend time with her painting and enjoying the delights of nature。 She especially loves animals and is in awe of her fa This is the story of 16 year old Lucrezia， the third daughter of Cosimo de’ Medici， who is suddenly propelled into marriage to a man she has never met after her older sister， Maria dies on the eve of her marriage to Alfonso d’Este， about to become Duke of Ferrara。 Lucrezia who is the wayward sister， having little interest in boys and even less in jewels or clothes， preferring to spend time with her painting and enjoying the delights of nature。 She especially loves animals and is in awe of her father’s newest acquisition to his menagerie。But her father， Cosimo believes in creating diplomatically advantageous marriages for his daughters to bolster his position and ensure his lands are secure from hostile invaders or usurpers。 So when Maria dies and Alfonso d’Este requests the hand of Lucrezia in marriage instead， he is quick to agree。Lucrezia’s story is immortalised in Robert Browning’s famous poem， My Last Duchess set in 1564 and is based on the real-life Duke Alfonso II who ruled Ferrara， Italy in the latter half of the 16th century。 In the poem， he’s talking about his first wife Lucrezia de’ Medici， 3 years after she died under suspicious circumstances shortly after marrying the Duke。I was really interested to see what story Maggie O’Farrell would lay behind this famous portrait and I was not disappointed。 She writes with such skill and empathy that it is impossible not to fall for this fabulous character who is both naïve and tenacious as she comes to terms with realising that the man she married is interested in only one thing from her。The novel opens in the winter of 1561。 Lucrezia， Duchess of Ferrara， has been unexpectedly taken to a country villa， which more resembles a fortress than a place of rest and recuperation， by her husband， Alfonso。 None of their usual entourage is in attendance and Lucrezia does not even have a maid with her。 As they sit down to dinner it dawns on Lucrezia that Alfonso has created the perfect conditions for getting rid of her with no witnesses。Maggie O’Farrell’s novel moves backwards in time to show us Lucrezia as a young child in the sheltered environment of the Medici Palace in Florence and overshadowed by the more conventional beauty of her sisters。We learn about her childhood， and how her life was so suddenly altered by early marriage。 Her only example was that of her parents who had very much a loving marriage of equals when it came to ideas and affairs of state， but for Lucrezia no such potential for growth exists in her marriage to Alfonso。 He is a man of two sides; sometimes loving and tender， seeing his wife in a way that both pleases and surprises her while at the same time shutting her out of all his concerns and any matters of court。O’Farrell’s prose is lively， engaging and enchanting。 Her Lucrezia springs off the page like a delighted faun seeing the world for the first time， delighting in nature and with no idea that the woods are full of huntsmen with rifles。Lucrezia de Medici poss by BronzinoAs Lucrezia takes her place at the Court and is at all times accompanied by Alfonso’s sisters， we see this wild faun become tamed and increasingly feeling caged as she is constrained by her husband’s insistence on adherence to his customs of manners。 And when she is called upon by him to sit for her marriage portrait – to be painted by the impressive artist Bronzino， we feel the shivers of a woman realising that she is the subject of coercive control。 We care about what happens to Lucrezia and that’s because O’Farrell has brought a fully realised woman onto the page and into our hearts。Verdict: Maggie O’Farrell’s writing is rich and full of empathy for Lucrezia。 She paints a wonderful picture of a young woman out of her time， constrained at every turn and unable to grow her considerable potential。 This book is a dream to read and is a book to lose yourself in。 My time flew by and I could read it all again， so much did I enjoy it。 A hugely enjoyable， fascinating and immersive read。 。。。more

Jayne ，

Maggie O'Farrell is a master story teller who tells her stories with lush and gorgeous prose。 Lucrezia de Medici is married at 15 to Alfonso II， Duke of Ferrara。 The book opens with Lucrezia convinced that her husband plans to kill her。 It has been a year and she is not yet pregnant。 The author recounts Lucrezia's childhood as the daughter of the Duke of Tuscany。 She is a magical daughter that can tame a tiger and draw like a master。 Maggie O'Farrell draws the families with all the beauty availa Maggie O'Farrell is a master story teller who tells her stories with lush and gorgeous prose。 Lucrezia de Medici is married at 15 to Alfonso II， Duke of Ferrara。 The book opens with Lucrezia convinced that her husband plans to kill her。 It has been a year and she is not yet pregnant。 The author recounts Lucrezia's childhood as the daughter of the Duke of Tuscany。 She is a magical daughter that can tame a tiger and draw like a master。 Maggie O'Farrell draws the families with all the beauty available to her in the English language。 The tension in Lucrezia's marriage is palpable with every day she is not with child。 The Duke's cruelty is introduced bit by bit interspersed with his loving overtures of his young bride to a point。 Then the tension builds。 How will he kill her？The reader is in excellent hands with Maggie O'Farrell。 My fondest wish is that she continues to write her exquisite books for many years to come。 A big thank you to Netgalley and Knopf for an Advanced Reader's copy。 。。。more

Mihaela Sorlea Tentis ，

Maggie O'Farrell amazed me with Hamnet and this did not dissapoint！ The was she creates characters and places， is amazing。This is a historical fiction and she does explain at the end the alterations she opted for but it's the way she portraits the characters makes you emerge in the book and get lost in it。 I fell in love with Lucretzia and the way the author created her character。 About Lucretzia:'There is something at the core of her， a type of defiance。 There are times when I look at her and I Maggie O'Farrell amazed me with Hamnet and this did not dissapoint！ The was she creates characters and places， is amazing。This is a historical fiction and she does explain at the end the alterations she opted for but it's the way she portraits the characters makes you emerge in the book and get lost in it。 I fell in love with Lucretzia and the way the author created her character。 About Lucretzia:'There is something at the core of her， a type of defiance。 There are times when I look at her and I can see it - it's like an animal that lives behind her eyes。 。。 It makes me fear there will always be a part of her that will not submit or be ruled。'Many thanks to Hachette for the proof copy。 。。。more

Rita Brutsch ，

A gripping historical novel set in 16th century Italy。 The main protagonist is Lucrezia Medici who married the Duke of Ferrara at age 13。 Wonderful writing with a surprise ending。 Highly recommended！

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