Being an "avid reader" has been a huge part of my identity for as long as I can remember.  Because of that, I think people might find it surprising how often I get stuck in "reading ruts." If you read on a semi-regular basis, you know the feeling: no matter how hard you try, you can't find a book that feels sufficiently absorbing. You become dejected, even worried, that you'll be unable to recapture the ultimate reader's high: being so obsessed with a book that you're unable to do anything but read it. I've been in such a rut since I read Convenience Store Woman back in late December (so weird, so good - not to mention, short enough to read in a single sitting).

     Last year, I read Hamnet*, Maggie O'Farrell's critically- and commercially-acclaimed 2020 "novel of the plague" which follows two narrative arcs: one, the meeting of Shakespeare (though he isn't given a name in the book) and his wife, Agnes (Shakespeare's wife IRL, Anne Hathaway, also went by Agnes) and the other: his twin children coming down with the bubonic plague, his daughter surviving, his son dying, and the aftermath. The writing was beautiful - but I didn't love it. I don't mind reading something sad, but this book was too depressing for me. I'm in the minority here, though, so if the plot interests you - give it a try. 

    My relative indifference towards Hamnet may be why it took me months to pick up The Marriage Portrait, O'Farrell's most recent novel. Though it came out back in September, I didn't buy it until last month, because I thought the novel might be a good complement for something historical I was writing (soon to come), without much expectation. I cannot believe I waited that long. 

     The Marriage Portrait follows Lucrezia, the misfit daughter of of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo de Medici (name sound familiar?), who is forced to marry Alfonso, the powerful Duke of Ferrara, to secure an alliance with Northern Italy when her sister who is betrothed to him dies suddenly.  (I know this sounds like renaissance fan fiction, but stay with me...) 

   Though she is reluctant and afraid at first, she's pleasantly surprised when she meets the Duke. He's informal, even funny, and genuinely seems to care for her. As a reader, though, you're observing with caution. 

  O'Farrell's brilliant narrative structure vacillates between two storylines. One arc charts Lucrezia's path from a childhood spent as the "odd sibling out" in her family's Florentine palazzo through to the idyllic early days of her marriage. The other storyline spans the entire book, but takes place over the course of one night: the night Lucrezia slowly inches towards death, fully aware that it is her husband, Duke Alfonso, that has poisoned her. 

    It's fascinating to watch the narratives unfold side-by-side. At the start of the book, I, like Lucrezia, was charmed by Alfonso, even, at points, convinced she may have been mistaken in her theory that he poisoned her. 

    As the story progresses, O'Farrell slowly breaks down Alfonso's façade, offering harrowing glimpses of the cruelty he's capable of as the story unfolds. 

    The story is thrilling, but not in the way of a classic, page-turning thriller. From the spare, elegant prose to the paranoid, ominous environment that the reverse narrative creates, it's perfect for fans of Donna Tartt's Secret History. This was my favorite book I've read in a long time - and if you're not convinced, just wait. It's going to make an epic limited series. 

*If you clicked this link, you'll probably notice that it leads you not to Amazon, not to Bookshop, but to ThriftBooks, a site you may have never heard of but, if you're a reader - I promise you'll be obsessed with. They sell gently used copies of books, often for under $6, and they have one of those rewards programs that *actually* works (I've redeemed three free books over the past year). This isn't sponsored, but...call me, ThriftBooks