From the Bookshelf of On The Same Page …

The Marriage Portrait

Maggie O'Farrell

Start date: January 1, 2023

Finish date: January 31, 2023

Find A Copy At

Group Discussions About This Book

No group discussions for this book yet.

What Members Thought

Jan 20, 2023 Karol rated it really liked it

Shelves: borrowed-library, read-in-2023

Dark and intriguing. The author's use of language to paint a mood is phenomenal. I was not happy where the story strayed from historical accuracy which is why I am rating it 4 stars instead of 5. ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Mar 14, 2023 Shelli rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorite-author, historical, audio, buddy-read, expected-more, great-narrator, read-in-2023

I was excited to read this after loving Hamnet. This one didn't compare for me personally. I can't fully explain why. Perhaps I liked the Shakespeare subject matter better. I know I felt a strong emotional attachment to the characters in Hamnet which is always a winner for me. I never felt that in this book. This was still a good story, but dragged for me in places. I felt the writing got tedious in the descriptions of the mc's inner turmoil yet I didn't "know" her well enough to care. I was lis ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Mar 03, 2023 Ellen Librarian rated it really liked it

A little draggy in places but I loved how the author set up a feeling of foreboding at the start that goes through the book. Almost like a gothic novel. I found the "surprise" ending a bit predictable and not really believable.

The author did a fabulous job of making you feel like you were there in 1550s Italy. Very evocative. ...more

Like · see review

Jan 21, 2023 Melissa rated it really liked it

Shelves: book-club, 2023

Thoroughly enjoyed how the author allows the reader to see the natural world through the eyes of Lucrezia. Lucrezia notices so much about the flowers, trees, river, and animals as an artist and transfers those images to wood and paper.

Because Lucrezia pays so much attention to detail, she is able to pick up on many of the undercurrents in court as well as make observations that may help her at a future time.

The characters, some based on real people and others on people Lucrezia would probably c ...more

Like · see review