Welcome to Litsy!

O‘Farrell was inspired by Robert Browning poem “My Last Duchess.” She describes the poem as “absorbing, shocking, technically perfect and so psychologically astute.” That last descriptor - so psychologically astute - actually describes her own novel perfectly. It‘s eerie and contained and remote yet defiant, bursting, and wild. It states simply: Even if you contain me, you cannot control me. Even if you end me, you never had me.

A historical thriller set in Italy - a young girls marriage to a Duke desperate for a heir It‘s incredibly well written , convincing characters, tragic , moving and has stayed with me probably for sometime !

An emotional and beautiful story about the life of an obscure character of history ✅

So good! This book is written from the perspective of an Italian girl in the 1500s who is married off from her family to a Duke… and the hardships big and small that she endured. This book is engaging to the last page, and although it has a lot of sad moments, it‘s not a downer. It feels true, insightful, and meaningful.

Barnes & Noble opened up a new location about 1.5 miles away from my subdivision. I don‘t think this is going to be good for my bank account. Sometimes you just gotta bypass the used bookstore and treat yourself to some brand new books (and a coffee in the cafe). My bank account took a small hit, but the rest of my summer is planned. 📚💸😜 Starting off with the tagged book. 👍🏻 (Yes, the books passed the required dog sniff test. LOL)

Gorgeous lyrical prose depicting a small part of history in Italy.

I had never read this author before this book, and I greatly enjoyed it. I like books where I acquire new words! This is a story of a seldom heard of Duchess in Italy and her Jekyll and Hyde husband, as well as trying to find a place in society as a young teenager with a massive role to play.

Deep, dark, descriptive alleyways of 16th C Italian conniving and court. Sad, magical and mesmerising as we observe the life of the Duchess of Ferrara, trapped inside her husband‘s court while he waits for her to conceive. I loved O‘Farrells metaphor for the back of an embroidery, the messy underneath that those in power do not want us to see. Beautifully researched and wonderfully transporting, #historicalfiction at its best 🖤

I really liked this story & felt some tension as it went on due to Alfonso‘s behavior & Lucrezia‘s situation. But—I am left frustrated by the ending! Anyone else? #doublespin for May

Up next! It‘s one of my #unreadbookshelf picks and it‘ll give me 2 bingos!

#bookspinbingo

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks made a 2024 open-a-book-a-month box for me at start of new year. Today I opened the May box to find a bee card, stickers, a bee pin, and this beautiful book❣️ So lovely🥰🥰🥰
You know, I heard once that bees are not aerodynamically designed to fly ~ but the bees don‘t know it and fly anyway 🐝 💛 ✈️! A good-luck charm💞 Thank you Misty for delighting me each month this year with your love and thoughtfulness 😘

#LitsyLove

I made my #2024ReadingBrackets for February and then forgot to post them. Sheesh. 🙄 For FICTION, my pick was “The Marriage Portrait.” O‘Farrell does a masterful job of creating tension throughout a book whose end we already know from the very beginning. That‘s a talent, for sure. But in the matchup I had to lean towards “Wellness” to move on.

I always get stumped trying to review books I like the most 🤷‍♀️ but I loved this one - the imagery, the writing, the plot, the way it unfolds, Lucrezia ♥️ and the ending is one I won‘t forget (it was perfect for the book).

“How will he do it? Part of her would like to ask him this. The knife in a dark corridor? His hands about her throat? A tumble from a horse made to look like an accident? She has no doubt that all of these would fall within his repertoire. It had better be done well….her father is not someone who will take a lenient view of his daughter‘s murder.”
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Although #auldlangspine was one sided for me I‘m still glad I signed up as this was on my tbr and my match‘s list so it‘s given me the push to read it, and I‘m loving it! Flying through it.

From HPB and Goodwill today impulse buys because I liked other books by these authors, especially after reading the tagged book last year for #authoramonth @Soubhiville

Thank you so much Denise!! I love the bookmark and the book has been on my list forever! You are so sweet for thinking of me! I hope you have a very Merry Christmas 🎄 ❤️📚

This is the extent of our Christmas tree and I‘m pretty sure Tux will destroy it shortly! It love these bookish ornaments 📚

#LitsyLove

The first O‘Farrell novel I‘ve read, and I feel no compulsion to read anything else of hers.She can write beautiful, poetic prose, full of imagery - but doesn‘t she want us to know that?! The very lengthy descriptions detract from the story.

And that story is basically a very flowery psychological “thriller”. Whilst inspired by the life of Lucrezia de Medici, it‘s a near-complete rewriting of history.

Overall, a disappointing read.

4⭐️/5⭐️

26-28 Oct 23 (audiobook)
Having loved Hamnet, I expected to also love The Marriage Portrait, and I wasn‘t disappointed.
Based on the scant details known about Lucrezia de Medici, who was given to the Duke of Ferrara in marriage at a young age, it is a tale of paranoia, loneliness and the peculiar perspective of the artist. I found Lucrezia both sympathetic and frustrating, but at all times I enjoyed the glimpse of her world O‘Farrell had created.

Exquisite, ethereal, mysterious, and compelling. This was a fascinating story told beautifully. O‘Farrell is quickly becoming a favorite! Finished on the plane :) #BookspinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

I do love the way Maggie O‘Farrell writes. I couldn‘t put this down.

My first BA is in History with a minor in Art History. My favorite classes were Italian Renaissance History & Italian Renaissance art. Alas I did not pursue a career in history or art but I still love to read historical fiction (& nonfiction books). I remember that we discussed the Medici family at length & was fascinated by the family. I liked the book, some parts dragged a little for me. Overall I liked the glimpse into what Lucrezia‘s

Loved it. Maggie can do no wrong. She can make ot much happening so interesting.

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I‘m just gonna zip out real quick to get my hands on every book Maggie O‘Farrell has ever written, brb.

Historical fiction based on a true story about the short life and marriage of Lucrezia de Medici. The novel takes place in two timelines: in the present after she‘s been married young to a handsome duke she does not trust, and her past growing up in Florence. Gorgeous writing and a story that kept me engrossed the whole time.

Last book completed during this month, last book read by this author #AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville A HF based of Lucrecia De‘ Medici who apparently was killed by her husband. This Lucrecia is so different to the real one and the facts are totally fictionalized. The idea comes of this rumor that she was murdered.
I didn‘t like this book as I expected. I felt it forced in term of the history. ⬇️

I have 100 pages left in this spectacular reimagining based on the life of Lucrezia de Medici. The prose is outstanding and I was instantly carried away into the MC‘s story. The author is in a league of her own and this is a favourite from her body of work.

I loved it. What a great ending, too.
#AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville

Whew. What a ride! I loved it. Great ending. #AuthorAMonth

Evocative writing that draws you in and immerses you in its world, yet also leaves you wanting more. Lucrezia is a fascinating character, in some ways very specific to her time and place while at the same time accessible and relatable. I can tell we‘ll have a lot to discuss at book club in September.

So far that‘s three readathon books completed along with progress in others.

#authoramonth #jubilantjuly

It‘s an uncomfortably hot day here today. The only thing I have the energy for is reading. I am hoping to get through this one during #jubilantJuly I loved Hamnet, so I have high hopes. #authoramonth
@Andrew65 @Soubhiville

I enjoyed this enough to want to read more by Maggie O‘Farrell. The shifting timeline confused me for a beat and given the very short timespan of the novel I was left wanting more. I did really enjoy the writing though and the narrator was perfectly suited for the story.

Forgot to tag @Soubhiville for #AuthorAMonth #July

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I wasn‘t sure if a story set in Renaissance Italy would hold my attention, but I‘m pleased that I was very wrong! Dripping in rich atmosphere and intrigue, this is a book where you‘ll want to linger on the beautiful writing while simultaneously hurtling toward the riveting ending. 🎧 #reesesbookclub

What a great book! Wishing I had read this before going to Italy so I could have appreciated this older version of Florence. I did see one of the palaces the real Lucrezia lived in, which is pretty cool!

I‘m so glad Maggie O‘Farrell was voted #authoramonth, I‘ve enjoyed reading some of her books and will read more.

I couldn‘t decide between pick and so-so until I realized my dilemma stemmed from how much time I spent reading this book whilst being infuriated by it. At times I‘d set it down and feel almost incandescent with rage. The depiction of how women were treated and given no option for control over their own lives will make your blood boil. It‘s a very well written and worthwhile read, but I can‘t really say I enjoyed it.

…so I should always remember that I must never let sentiment get in the way of necessary action ♟️

This book felt really long because there's a lot of detail. But I was really only reading it for a couple of weeks in between other things. My favorite part is what she did there with the ending. Our book club troll hated this and wanted us to swap it so I was determined to like it. Glad I actually did.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

Today's train book. This is a slow burn. But book club is in a week. Maybe if I carry it everywhere we'll get some osmosis going.

Historical fiction about Lucrezia de‘Medici, Duchess of Ferrara, dead at 16, perhaps by her husband‘s hand? O‘Farrell imagines the life of this real young woman and maintains a high level of suspense in the narrative. https://cannonballread.com/2023/05/the-marriage-portrait-a-novel-elcicco/

Beach day! It's so cold. Came anyway.

Amazing historical fiction set in Italy in the 1500s. Lovely writing and a surprisingly thrilling page-turner. I recommend everything Maggie O‘Farrell has written. ❤️❤️

My mum just brought me this book I bought her. 💚

I loved this book. It is an interesting story of a young girl who was promised to a Duke and married at 15. The novel flashes between her time in her family home, her early marriage, and about a year into her marriage where she was concerned about her safety from her husband.

The writing was compelling, the story wasn't. There were individual scenes where I was breathless, pulse racing, pages turning themselves. But the whole didn't excite me, and I was reluctant to pick the book back up after putting it down. I also disliked the ending.
This was my first O'Farrell, and I definitely want to read more of her work, but this particular book is not making it onto my personal #WomensPrize 2023 shortlist.

I'm halfway through and I hate to say it but I'm kinda bored. The writing is beautiful, but I'm not feeling invested. We know from the start that the poor girl is going to die, and while I'm curious whether it is her husband (and for what reason?) or something else, I'm not feeling 200+ more pages worth of curiosity. I swear if this book has an ambiguous ending, I'm gonna get mad.

O'Farrell's portrayal of Lucrezia is enjoyable and her isolation palpable, and Alfonso is realistically terrifying, but this novel didn't strike me like Hamnet did. The timeline is a little confusing in places, possibly because I was listening to the audiobook and couldn't turn back when I got disoriented, or maybe just because the flashbacks were so close together in time with the present moment.

Lots going on today (including a trip to the rose garden, where the roses were putting on quite a show), but I managed to sneak in some audiobook time with the tagged book. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. Good tension, but as with Hamnet, knowing the ending is making the whole endeavor kind of depressing.

They JUST announced the Shortlist for the #WomensPrize! I haven‘t been keeping up this year, so I hope I will do better with the Shortlist. So far, I‘ve only read The Marriage Portrait and I absolutely loved it. Demon Copperhead and Trespasses both sound great as well!

#WomensPrize #BookAward #shortlist