Listen to a sample
The Marriage Portrait
- Author
- Maggie O'Farrell
- Narrator
- Genevieve Gaunt
- Publisher
- Headline
- Publish Date
- 30 August 2022
- Run Time
- 13 hours 29 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Rating
- 4.5 (8 reviews)
Not available in your country
We don't have the rights to sell this audiobook where you are. If it's already in your library you can still listen to it in My Books.
What to expect
The breathtaking new novel from the author of Hamnet, the Sunday Times No.1 bestseller (2021) and winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction 2020, The Marriage Portrait is a dazzling evocation of the Italian Renaissance in all its beauty and brutality.
Winter, 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 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. Here, in this remote villa, 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, ruler of a province, and a trained soldier? How can she ensure her survival.
The Marriage Portrait is an unforgettable reimagining of the life of a young woman whose proximity to power places her in mortal danger.
(P) 2023 Headline Publishing Group Ltd
Critics Review
-
Every bit as evocative and spellbinding as Hamnet. O'Farrell, thank God, just seems to be getting better and better . . . O'Farrell's writing is so vivid it melts away the time and space between now and 16th-century Italy . . . With The Marriage Portrait, then, O'Farrell hasn't just produced another magnificently transporting page-turner. She has given us an exhilarating, devastating look at women's captivity, creativity and ultimately, rebellion in a world run by some very cruel men
i newspaper
-
Finely written and vividly imagined, it is far from being simplistic, but there is an engaging simplicity to it . . . a very good one to be read, as publishers used to say, by "children of all ages"
Guardian Book of the Day
-
In O'Farrell's hands, historical detail comes alive . . . evocative, moving and sensitively rendered
Spectator
-
O'Farrell is simply outstanding
Guardian
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
Her writing is exquisite. Immersive and compelling
Marian Keyes
-
An extraordinary writer with a profound understanding of the most elemental human bonds
Observer
-
One of the most exciting novelists alive
Washington Post
-
Ingenious, inventive, humane, wry, truthful . . . better than her last novel
Scotsman
-
Her narrative enchantment will wrest suspense and surprise out of a death foretold
Financial Times
User Reviews
Book 4.5
Narration 4.8
-
5.0 5.0
Maggie O'Farrell never disappoints at building a world and making historical events seem so relevant.
The Marriage Portrait is rich and compelling, and the narration is brilliant. Highly recommend!megchaplin 2023-06-09 -
5.0 5.0
Absolutely loved this. Beautifully written
irene 2022-12-10
Details
- Author
- Maggie O'Farrell
- Narrator
- Genevieve Gaunt
- Duration
- 13 hours 29 minutes
- Release Date
- 30 August 2022
- ISBN
- 9781472223876
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Headline
- Genre
- Historical fiction, History of art
- Rating
- 4.5(8 reviews)
- Narration
- 4.8(8 reviews)
Synopsis
'Someone swore that, as a little girl, he once saw you touch a tiger. And that the tiger didn't harm you, it let you stroke it. It was always said that you had charmed the beast.'The breathtaking new novel from the author of Hamnet, the Sunday Times No.1 bestseller (2021) and winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction 2020, The Marriage Portrait is a dazzling evocation of the Italian Renaissance in all its beauty and brutality.Winter, 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 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. Here, in this remote villa, 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, ruler of a province, and a trained soldier? How can she ensure her survival.The Marriage Portrait is an unforgettable reimagining of the life of a young woman whose proximity to power places her in mortal danger.(P) 2023 Headline Publishing Group Ltd
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.