The Marchesa

It's true that there are many characters introduced in the novel, many of which are of no overall consequence to the story. However, once you get past that, the story itself is pleasant and moving. The tangled, incestuous love story is not the primary focus of the story. In many ways, this is a coming of age story of a woman unloved by her mother, unloved by her husband--who eventually comes into her own. All this is against a historic backdrop. The writing quality is solid, although the plot can seem unfocused at times because of all the tangential stories.