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Title: Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar ISBN: 0-374-50348-6 Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux Pub. Date: 01 June, 1963 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.67 (42 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Marguerite Yourcenar's Psychological Masterpiece
Comment: Marguerite Yourcenar's "Memoirs of Hadrian" is one of the finest examples of historical fiction I have read, and without question, the best that's been told through the eyes of its protagonist, the Roman emperor Hadrian. Yourcenar's superb accomplishment is a fictitious memoir of Rome during the early years of the 2nd Century A. D. that is as mesmerizing as any work by the likes of genuine Roman historians such as Tacitus or Suetonius. Her memoir offers us a man who was truly one of the most liberal, and far-sighted, of Rome's early emperors; a philosopher-king who bequeathes his wisdom and knowledge to his adopted nephew and successor, the young Marcus Aurelius, in the form of a lengthy letter that is the text of Yourcernar's novel. This is an admirable, compelling portrait of a man who chose to rule wisely and well, forsaking the wars of conquest waged by his immediate predecessor Trajan, for a reign noted for its peace and prosperity and a successful effort to "re-hellenize" Rome by a devout admirer of Greek history and culture. This terse book is told in fluid, often lyrical prose ably translated into English by Yourcenar and her long-time companion, the American Grace Frick. Following the novel's conclusion, Yourcernar provides some compelling vignettes recounting how she finally wrote this book.
Rating: 5
Summary: the horse's mouth
Comment: So many reviews have commented on how remarkable this book is that it's difficult to add anything to what has been said. It is a wonderful book, one to read again and again. I'm only making an attempt to add something because for me the most amazing aspect of this very great (and completely enjoyable) historical novel was how I forgot, while reading, that the author was not Hadrian himself. I can't think of any book where an author has so convincingly vanished behind the main character. Hadrian speaks! I also found the book easy to start reading and hard to put down
At the end of his life, looking back through his memoir as imagined by Marguerite Yourcenar, the emperor doesn't try to create a picture of a man who is flawless. This most thoughtful leader was far from that. But by accepting himself as he was, he had the courage to lead.
Any visitor to Rome feels the soul of the Emperor Hadrian, particularly, I think, in his most remarkable monument, the Pantheon. This is a book all travelers to Rome should read--before and after the visit.
Rating: 5
Summary: Obscure gem
Comment: This book is well-written, well-translated, well-informed, and a wellspring of insight into human nature. Written as a series of lengthy letters to Marcus Aurelius from Emperor Hadrian, it reads as an extraordinary historical narrative. At the same time, it builds a complex and convincing portrait of a fascinating character and bestows upon the reader a wealth of notable and quotable thoughts on human nature, human relations, politics, leadership, and nature.
Why and how Ms. Yourcenar wrote this book is a bit of a mystery to me, but I'm glad she did and glad I discovered it. I'll undoubtedly come back to read it again.
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Title: The Abyss by Marguerite Yourcenar, Grace Frick ISBN: 0374516669 Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux Pub. Date: 01 January, 1997 List Price(USD): $29.00 |
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Title: Fires (Phoenix Fiction) by Marguerite Yourcenar, Dori Katz ISBN: 0226965287 Publisher: University of Chicago Press Pub. Date: 01 December, 1994 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
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Title: Following Hadrian: A Second-Century Journey Through the Roman Empire by Elizabeth Speller ISBN: 0195165764 Publisher: Oxford University Press Pub. Date: 01 April, 2003 List Price(USD): $28.00 |
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Title: Hadrian : The Restless Emperor (Roman Imperial Biographies) by Anthony R. Birley ISBN: 0415228123 Publisher: Routledge Pub. Date: April, 2000 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: Beloved and God: The Story of Hadrian and Antinous by Royston Lambert ISBN: 0821620037 Publisher: Meadowland Books Pub. Date: 01 August, 1988 List Price(USD): $9.95 |
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