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Memoirs of Hadrian
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 843.912
EAN: 9780374529260
ISBN: 0374529264
Label: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 408
Publication Date: May 18, 2005
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Release Date: April 28, 2005
Studio: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
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Editorial Review:
Both an exploration of character and a reflection on the meaning of history, Memoirs of Hadrian has received international acclaim since its first publication in France in 1951. In it, Marguerite Yourcenar reimagines the Emperor Hadrian's arduous boyhood, his triumphs and reversals, and finally, as emperor, his gradual reordering of a war-torn world, writing with the imaginative insight of a great writer of the twentieth century while crafting a prose style as elegant and precise as those of the Latin stylists of Hadrian's own era.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - A masterpiece.
This is an unlikely candidate to be on my list of the 5 best books I've ever read. But it is near the top of that list. An "autobiographical" account of a long-dead Roman emperor (not even one of the glamorous, or truly depraved ones), written by a 20th century Frenchwoman - who'd have thunk it?
Other reviews here pay tribute to the depth of scholarship underpinning this book, as well as to Yourcenar's brilliant writing. But it would be wrong to pigeonhole the book as catering only to ... Read More
Rating: - Memoirs of Hadrian
It is a great book, truly fascinating. It blends touching insights of the human soul with chapters that would fit well as a textbook in a MBA program.
Rating: - Enlightened Caesar
Margarite Yourcenar's "Memoirs of Hadrian" is written as a letter from the dying Roman Emperor Hadrian to his successor Marcus Aurelius. Hadrian chronicles his life, from his boyhood in the Spanish provinces and his studies in Greece, to military service, his eventual rise to power, his accomplishments while in power, and his deep love affair with the beautiful youth Antinous.
There are, in my opinion, 2 great strengths to this book. (1) is that Yourcenar has immersed herself in classical ... Read More
Rating: - Perhaps a Masterpiece
For several years now, I had seen repeated references to this novel as being superbly written, with a masterful translation from the French, reaching such a level of excellence as to merit the much overworked designation of "masterpiece." Needless to say, I was a bit skeptical of all this hoopla. When I finally got around to reading the book, on long flights to and from Denver, I needed only to read the first two pages to discover how remarkable this book is. The writing is so absolutely gorgeous and ... Read More
Rating: - beautifully composed
This is a supremely well written book by one of my favorite writers. Without knowing really anything at all about Hadrian, I enjoyed getting thoroughly inside his head. For those, like me, who didn't know or passionately care that much about him going into it, this is a magnificent portrait of a person who has Power on planet Earth.
And the specific person of power that Yourcenar chooses as her subject is a very tasteful choice. Hadrian is filled with sensitive observations about a broad range ... Read More
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