Memoirs of Hadrian [Paperback]

Marguerite Yourcenar (Author), Grace Frick (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1963

Written in the form of a testamentary letter from the Emperor Hadrian to his successor, the youthful Marcus Aurelius, this work is as extraordinary for its psychological depth as for its accurate reconstruction of the second century of our era. The author describes the book as a meditation upon history, but this meditation is built upon intensive study of the personal and political life of a great and complex character as seen by himself and his contemporaries, both friends and enemies. Marguerite Yourcenar reconstructs Hadrian's arduous early years, his triumphs and reversals, and his gradual reordering of a war-torn world.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In her brilliant 'psychological novel and meditation on history,' Marguerite Yourcenar has written an imaginatively daring and artistically persuasive 'self-portrait' of Hadrian."--Orville Prescott

Language Notes

Text: English, French (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux; First Edition edition (January 1, 1963)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374503486
• ISBN-13: 978-0374503482
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (72 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #979,705 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

58 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The book grows with age (your age)., January 21, 2006

By 

Johann Fu (Bellevue, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Memoirs of Hadrian (Paperback)

I tried to read this book in my 20's; the book fell from my hands. I tried again at 40. The book didn't exactly fall from my hands, but my eyelids kept closing. Now I am 70. The book is so close to my heart that I can barely put it down. I am healthy and not (I hope) near death, but in this reflection on life from a man nearing death, life and its joys and sadnesses stand out more vividly than in any other book I have ever read.

From page 13: "...the flesh itself, that amazing instrument of muscles, blood, and skin, that red-tinged cloud whose lightning is the soul." Has there ever been a better description of the loved one's body?

64 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Work of profound scholarship, February 15, 2003

By 

Esther Nebenzahl - See all my reviews

This review is from: Memoirs of Hadrian (Paperback)

Seldom do we find a historical novel written with both so much scholarship and passion. Marguerite Yourcenar not only incarnates the soul and spirit of Emperor Hadrian but of his time as well (second century A.D.). Narrated in the first person, it is the written meditations of a sick man who holds audience with his memories. Suffering from gout, knowing that his remaining days are few, Hadrian leaves a testimony of his life, his accomplishments, his philosophical outlook on life, and some pieces of good advise for his successor Marcus Aurelius. Hadrian was an architect of peace as well as buildings, he felt responsible for sustaining and increasing the beauty of his world, and his duties forced him "to serve as the incarnation of Providence," to the point that he felt he was indeed divine. A lover of the arts, of Greek culture, of the occult, he was above all a pragmatic man whose motto was "Strength, Justice and the Muses." For him life was "like a horse to whose motions one yields, but only after having trained the animal to the utmost." His positive attitude in every life experience allows him to look back as a man fully satisfied... except in matters of love! His passion and tragic death of young Antinous reminds him that "love's play is the only one which threatens to unsettle the soul."

It is history and story written with superb craftsmanship, the end result of painful and laborious 15 years of work and research. It is a psychlogically penetrating portrait of an outstanding figure in history; a man who was able to capture the spirit of his time, which in turn has been recaptured by the genious of Marguerite Yourcenar.

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perhaps a Masterpiece, December 11, 2006

By 

Ronald H. Clark (WASHINGTON, DC USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Memoirs of Hadrian (Paperback)

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 rich, that the reader is immediately captivated. Even those with little background or interest in Roman imperial history (and here we are dealing with the first and second centuries A.D.) will become engrossed in some of the finest prose I have ever read in a novel. After a while, you almost begin to believe that Hadrian actually wrote these "memoirs," so skillfully does the author hypothesize the inner thoughts and feelings of the emperor. I immediately became curious about the author (1903-1987) and how she came to write such a remarkable story. Fortunately, this paperback edition contains a section designated as "Reflections on the Composition" in which the author recounts her travails in writing the novel, her research, and the actual drafting. Also included is an extensive historical bibliography and some wonderful photographic illustrations drawn from Roman coins, sculpture, tombs, and other sources which add immeasurably to the text. A joyful and thrilling read, emoting a wonderous experience in which all readers can join.