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Memoirs of Hadrian (FSG Classics) Paperback – May 18, 2005

by Marguerite Yourcenar (Author), Grace Frick (Translator)

4.5 624 ratings

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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.

Review

"If you want to know what 'ancient Roman' really means, in terms of war and religion and love and parties, read Memoirs of Hadrian." - The New Yorker

About the Author

Marguerite Yourcenar (1903-87) wrote plays, stories, poems, and novels, including the notable Memoirs of Hadrian. She was the first woman to be elected to the Academie Francaise.

Grace Frick contributed to The Abyss from Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Print length

416 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date

May 18, 2005
Dimensions

5.5 x 1.1 x 8.2 inches
ISBN-10

0374529264
ISBN-13

978-0374529260
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Farrar, Straus and Giroux (May 18, 2005)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0374529264
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0374529260
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.7 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.1 x 8.2 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #77,285 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #227 in Biographical Historical Fiction
- #684 in Contemporary Literature & Fiction
- #5,444 in Literary Fiction (Books)

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4.5 624 ratings

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4.5 out of 5

624 global ratings

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Eugenia

Benevolent roman emperor

Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2023

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When we think of emperors in the ancient Rome, many of the benevolent one get overlooked. Recently, I was on trip in Greece where there were many monuments built by emperor Hadrian. I wanted to learn more about Hadrian who is a compelling character. This book is written by author who was the first woman to become a member of French academy of arts, Ms. Marguerite Yourcenar. It is written is a form of letter where Hadrian is writing about his life from early childhood until the time when he was adopted and designated to become the next emperor. There is wisdom and humanity in it that make reading feel real as if it is really coming from Hadrian himself. Fabulous read for anyone who enjoys classics and fine writing.

4 people found this helpful

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Robert Bolton

A Memoir From the Man Who Rules the World

Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2016

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This book from Margaret Yourcenar, and translated into English by her and her lover Grace Frick, purports to be the memoirs of the Roman emperor Hadrian. He writes in the form of a letter reminiscing to his adopted grandson and future successor, Marcus Aurelius. Hadrian knows he is on the precipice of death, suffering from a form of cardiac hydropsy, and desires to recount his life.

Over the next three hundred pages, Hadrian describes his origins in a sleepy Spanish town. His grandfather divines that he will one day be ruler of the world and shortly thereafter he is the first of those closely connected to Hadrian to die, found dead on his farm and torn by birds of prey. Hadrian is eventually called by his distant uncle Trajan, the current emperor, to serve as a military commander in Dacia. The relationship between the two men is strained, but Hadrian performs well and retains his position. Trajan's ambition, however, leads him to folly and he decides to invade the Parthian Empire. Isolated in Mesopotamia, Trajan's health breaks down and eventually he dies, leaving Hadrian as his successor under suspicious circumstances.

Hadrian immediately withdraws from the newly won territories and makes peace with his foreign enemies, while also purging a few rivals from within the empire. Over the course of the next few decades, Hadrian brings about a level of peace and financial prosperity the empire had never previously encountered. Content to recognize men possess certain differences in attitude that cannot be changed, Hadrian allows a wide variety of opinions and faiths to flourish throughout the empire. Towards the end of his reign, this period of happiness ends. His beloved, a young man named Antinous, drowns himself in the Nile in an esoteric attempt to prolong the emperor's life. The Jews of Jerusalem and surrounding areas also rise up in revolt, and Hadrian is forced to brutally crush their rebellion. By the end, the children of Israel are exiled and their holy city is a pile of ruins.

Hadrian's health begins to break down and, after a brief flirtation with suicide, he decides to meet death with open eyes and an appreciation of what beauty the world can fleetingly offer. On the whole, the Memoirs of Hadrian is a fantastic novel that offers philosophy in a refreshing way. Rarely, if ever, have people had a leader with the intellectual repose the author gifts Hadrian with, but one would hope they at least realize once in power how puny their authority truly is. On a few occasions, the author diverges from the historical record (e.g. the permanent mystery of the circumstances of Antinous' death), but the appendix at the end of novel listing the author's resources shows she clearly did her research. Time passes quickly while reading this book, just as Hadrian would say for other aspects of our lives.

32 people found this helpful

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Anne Mills

A Jewel of a Book, With Many Facets

Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2017

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This brilliant historical novel tells a fascinating story, in beautiful language, with much wisdom. The novel is formed as an autobiography of the Emperor Hadrian, who ruled Rome from 117CE to 138; he was one of the "Five Good Emperors" who helped bring Roman civilization to its highest point. Hadrian was complicated. Politically, he was a good emperor from a Roman point of view, but other nations (like the Jews) saw him very differently. Personally, he was disciplined and intelligent, but fell passionately in love with a young boy, and could be cruel. The book, framed as a letter to Marcus Aurelius, who succeeded him twenty years after his death, takes Hadrian from his boyhood in Spain to his deathbed in Italy at 62.

The novel is beautifully written, in prose that captures the cadences of classical Roman writing. It is studded with perceptions and insights, as such a memoir would have been; I found myself underlining points as if it were an original text. The story is compelling -- how does it feel to be ruler of the world, and then to lose that which you hold most dear -- and the characters are fully developed. The novel took many years to write, and was based on exhaustive research -- Ms. Yourcenar, in an afterward, discusses what was known and what she made up, but it hangs together as a work of art. A great book, and a great pleasure to read.

73 people found this helpful

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Kaui

A heady tome for the ages

Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2016

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This book is lyrical, fascinating, erudite and wise. It is considered by many (but not all) as one of the best books in historical fiction. It is also considered by most to be Ms. Yourcenar's best work. That she labored over this historical homage for decades, wrote and discarded several drafts, and ultimately took the position as Hadrian herself to write his epistolary novel are all remarkable facts. However the best aspect of this book is its excellent writing. Well, and also the book masterfully weaves the history of the Roman Empire. Should you read this book? YES. Will you read this book? It depends on your courage and taste for challenging literature. This one is both very challenging and very worth it.

8 people found this helpful

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Ervin

A mesmerizing translation, I will seek out other books translated by Grace Frick

Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2022

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The book is a most outstanding and captivating collection of “ ruminations, politics and philosophy״, very skillfully incorporated into the stylized biography of a historical personality, admittedly not a nice human being. To enjoy language, expressions and words that appeal too me, I am frequently returning to this book just as I do to Amor Towles’ “ A Gentleman in Moscow”, for relaxation and smile on my face. Both books have been criticized for lack of “action” which i didn’t miss, happy to accept that we have different tastes, hopefully all of us get catered for.

5 people found this helpful

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SteTata

Perfetto!

Reviewed in Italy on July 20, 2023

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Perfetto, prodotti e spedizione

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genericbloke

A truly great work, a love letter to antiquity

Reviewed in Germany on October 2, 2020

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Fantastic book, oozes history, you get a real palpable sense of being there, along for the ride.

One person found this helpful

Subhorup

Paperback packaging needs to improve singinicantlh

Reviewed in India on September 3, 2018

Verified Purchase

When the product is a paperback, additional cardboard reinforcement would help the item reach the customer in a "less damaged" condition. Very disappointed - in spite of being very happy with having made a great purchase.

Amazon Customer

A masterpiece

Reviewed in Canada on March 23, 2017

Verified Purchase

This is an amazing book. I read it with complete fascination, and may reread it at some point. Marguerite Yourcenar has mastered the entire history of the period. She writes luminously. At the core of the book is a great mind coming to grips with his own mortality, and, to a lesser degree, with his place in history. It also about how love transfigures everything. The book is a masterpiece.

4 people found this helpful

Ralph Chalmers

I love this book. It is a marvellous work, beautifully translated.

Reviewed in Australia on January 27, 2023

Verified Purchase

I love this book. It is a marvellous work, beautifully translated.

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