The Marriage Portrait

Maggie O'Farrell (author)

Fiction & Poetry, Modern & Contemporary Fiction | Hardback Published on: 30/08/2022

£75.00

35 reviews

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Bookseller Reviews

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Storytelling at it’s finest!

Upon reading Robert Browning’s brilliant 1842 poem, My Last Duchess, Maggie O’Farrell was inspired to investigate the titular duchess further. On seeing a... READ MORE

Tanya

A Stunning Novel

The opening pages tell us the history. That in 1560, fifteen-year old Lucrezia di Cosimo de'Medici left Florence to begin her married life with Alfonso Il ... READ MORE

Poppy Flaxman

Easy to read historical fiction for fans of O'Farrell's 'Hamnet'.

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... READ MORE

Loricha Honer

Atmospheric and masterly prose

I was privileged to receive an early reading copy of this stunning historical novel. Lucretia de Medici, accustomed to a life of secure luxury in the fam... READ MORE

Sarah at Torquay

Maggie O'Farrell creates another masterpiece!

Writing from the perspective of Lucrezia De'Medici, Duchess of Ferrara, Maggie O'Farrell (author of Hamnet, the stunning book telling a beautiful story fro... READ MORE

Meg Elkins

So, so beautiful

After reading Hamnet, I thought there won't be another historical fiction book that will stay with me for so long, but here comes Maggie O'Farrell with ano... READ MORE

Mihaela

Historical Fiction at its best!

Maggie O'Farrell championed an unknown history of the people surrounding Shakespeare in Hamnet, his son and wife. Here, O'Farrell uses the same magic to re... READ MORE

Jess at Waterstones Lincoln High St

A Masterpiece about a Masterpiece

A stunning, fictional portrayal of the life of Lucrezia de Medici who became a very short lived Duchess of Ferrara and whose marriage portrait of the title... READ MORE

Katy Wheatley

Oh my good god!!

This novel has firmly elevated Maggie O’Farrell from a brilliant author to one of the best authors in the English language for me. This has to be read to b... READ MORE

Kurde @Horsham

Historical fiction at its finest

I'll be honest, after having loved 'Hamnet' I was about 30 or 40 pages in and I was a bit dubious. OK, I thought, here we are again in the same old, same o... READ MORE

Alan M

Prepare to be transported

Reading this is like being in the middle of a Renaissance painting. It is subtle and nuanced, drenched with colour and texture, yet perspectives shift and ... READ MORE

Beth at Chesterfield

Synopsis

'I thought I had made myself clear,' Alfonso murmurs, barely opening his lips. 'I want something that conveys her… how to put this… her majesty, her bloodline. Do you understand? She is no ordinary mortal: treat her thus. Ensure, please, that the portrait reflects that, above anything else. I want everyone who looks upon this to know instantly what she is: regal, refined, untouchable.'

Florence, the 1560s. Lucrezia, third daughter of Cosimo de’ Medici, is comfortable with her obscure place in the palazzo: free to wonder at its treasures, observe its clandestine workings, and to devote herself to her own artistic pursuits. But when her older sister dies on the eve of marriage to Alfonso d’Este, ruler of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio, Lucrezia is thrust unwittingly into the limelight: the duke is quick to request her hand in marriage, and her father to accept on her behalf.

Having barely left girlhood behind, 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 her 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, the new duchess’s future hangs entirely in the balance.

With the drama and verve with which she illuminated the Shakespearean canvas of Hamnet, winner of the Waterstones Book of the Year and the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2020, Maggie O’Farrell brings the world of Renaissance Italy to jewel-bright life, and offers an unforgettable portrait of a resilient young woman’s battle for her very survival.

Publisher: Headline Publishing Group
ISBN: 9781035402755
Number of pages: 448
Weight: 960g
Dimensions: 250 x 162 x 44 mm

Customer Reviews

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Simply unmissable..

Maggie O’Farrell tells the little known story of Lucrezia, a daughter of Cosimo di Medici who, aged 16 is married to Alfonso, Duke of Ferrara and within a ... READ MORE

Emine at Bromley

Utterly brilliant

Wow! I’m ashamed to admit that Hamnet was the first book I read by O’Farrell and I wasn’t sure if it was a one-off belter so I’m thrilled to discover that ... READ MORE

T Edwards

Disappointing

Unlike the first reviews on this website which seem to have been prompted with pre-publication copies provided by the publisher, this review is from a read... READ MORE

Nicholas Sackman

Lucrezia and Alfonso: the story of a marriage

When I was told that this book was about Lucrezia, the Duchess of Ferrara, I naturally thought of Lucrezia Borgia. It isn’t. It is set a good fifty year... READ MORE

David Kenvyn

But For An Heir

Robert Browning’s poem, “The Last Duchess,” is based on a portrait he saw of Lucrezia de’ Medici, a young girl from Florence during the Renaissance, marrie... READ MORE

Michael Burke

One of the best books of 2022

Last year Maggie O’ Farrell published her first historical novel Hamnet to great acclaim and she has now stayed with that genre with The Marriage Portrait.... READ MORE

Juliet Butler

An atmospheric, compelling read.

We are told how it will end as the story begins, we then get to know Lucrezia as a child, as she grows....but never to be a woman, despite the life she ha... READ MORE

Michelle Sichi

Exquisite

Exquisite detail, rich, evocative and so compelling. I’ve read Maggie O’Farrell since After You’d Gone, which broke me in two, and never thought anyone wou... READ MORE

Small Adventurist

Totally compelling, wonderful

I tore through this book, it was so very compelling. The characters are well developed and entirely believable, you really get a a sense of what it could h... READ MORE

Paula Heenan

Good as expected from Maggie O'Farrell

But nor as good as Hamnet - a masterpiece. Was she pressed to draw complete this title to a deadline? The ending seems hurried.

Godalming

Oh dear

Firstly, paid for my copy. This was rather disappointing in my opinion. The novelist has a persuaive style but I found many details unconvincing. The endi... READ MORE

Book reviewer

A hugely enjoyable, fascinating and immersive read.

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 afte... READ MORE

Mary Picken

Beautiful

Beautiful book!

Anonymous

Amazing

Just stunning, Maggie O’Farrell has such all beautiful style of writing, combined with nuanced characters and a gripping plot. My favourite book of the yea... READ MORE

Elizabeth Crichton

Maggie O’Farrell never disappoints.

“Vitelli looked at Lucrezia for a long moment. His eyes travelled from her hair, divided down the centre, to her temples, to her eyes, cheeks, neck, arms, ... READ MORE

Marianne Vincent

An outstanding piece of writing

I have read and loved all Maggie O Farrell’s books and I didn’t think that anything could be better than Hamnet, but this novel is exceptional. It makes re... READ MORE

Reigate, Surrey

Such a beautiful edition

I love this book. Originally read a digital copy but when I saw this version (and that it was on sale for £12.50) I ran to Waterstones! Ultimately, this ... READ MORE

Lucie

Delicious and addictive

Maggie at her best - again! I know the poem ‘My Last Duchess’ by Robert Browning (worth reading) and this novel is based on it. The tension, character ... READ MORE

Sue Goldsmith

Maggie’s magic

Her historical research is excellent and, read the postscript to se how fact and fiction collide. Whereas I knew a good deal about Shakespeare (Hamnet), I... READ MORE

Rosie Ayres

Never Disappoints

Maggie O’Farrell has quickly become one of my favourite authors. Although her books have fell into the historical fiction category they have all been very ... READ MORE

Katrina Hair

Wonderful

I read this after reading Hamnet for book club. I thought it was better than Hamnet even though it follows a similar pattern. I loved the main character an... READ MORE

Hilda Eaves

Brilliant

Absorbing, brilliant.

H DOW

Beautifully written historical fiction

I was excited to read this book after falling in love with O’Farrell’s writing in ‘Hamnet’. The premise and the cover of ‘The Marriage Portrait’ seemed jus... READ MORE

Alexandra Hamilton

Historical fiction at its best

As ever beautifully written with wonderful descriptions, fully formed characters and set in the 1560s. We follow the life of Lucrezia from a wild child in ... READ MORE

Dana Farren

The Marriage Portrait

Bookseller Reviews

Synopsis

Customer Reviews

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