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A review by nonabgo
Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar, Marguerite Yourcenar
5.0
I used to read a lot of historical fiction way back when, but stopped when I discovered fantasy, which made it easier for me to escape reality. But historical fiction, the one that is really based on real-life events and personalities, is something I really want to delve into more, because as I mature, I feel the need to be anchored in reality and gain a better understanding of the world I live in and where we all come from.
[b:Memoirs of Hadrian|12172|Memoirs of Hadrian|Marguerite Yourcenar|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1416448158s/12172.jpg|1064574] appealed to me because I'm Romanian and Hadrian (and Trajan, his predecessor) had a great impact on what later became the Romanian people. In fact, the first chapters of the book talk a great deal about the Dacian wars and I would recommend it, for this reason, to all Romanians who have a passion for history.
The book is build as a memoir. This is a great way of telling the story of a great man, more so than having it told with the voice of a contemporary or that of the author. Of course, the story, while rooted in historical evidences (writings of Hadrian's contemporaries or successors), is a work of fiction. Nevertheless, one that describes in great detail and integrity the events and mores of 2nd century Roman Empire. While Hadrian's life is the centre of this novel, a lot of it actually revolves around the conquests, the political environment, the struggles to keep the peace in an empire on the brink of fragmentation, but also around the laws of the Roman Empire, the many intermingling religious beliefs and the social life, which, incidentally, was a lot more open and liberal than any social establishment we have today.
I found myself remembering my year 1 Roman Law course, which set the ground for all law systems we have today. I also found myself wishing to have a lot of the social beliefs brought back. Believe it or not, Romans of the 2nd century were a lot more tolerant regarding sexuality, religion, the role of women, and labour than we are today.
I also got immersed into the decor. The author does a great thing with descriptions. I walked through Rome and Athens and remembered a lot of the sights I saw there which I did not know, or had forgotten they were built at Hadrian's request and based on his plans. Did I know the Pantheon and Temple of Zeus were built in his time? I had probably read that at some point, but had forgotten. I doubt I ever will. And this is not all, as the book takes us from Rome to Greece, from Britannia to the Middle East, from Dacia to Cartagena, all around the Roman Empire of old, at its peak - what a great experience!
The product of 20 years of intense research, starts and fires that consumed written pages, [b:Memoirs of Hadrian|12172|Memoirs of Hadrian|Marguerite Yourcenar|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1416448158s/12172.jpg|1064574] goes beyond the story of one man, and beyond the story of an empire. It's a study on religion, sociology, philosophy, medicine, relationships and the human nature. It's a study on life and death, quite a current one, for that matter. It makes me wish I had known this visionary of a man, one that was so giving to the world, but so selfish when it came to his personal life.
[b:Memoirs of Hadrian|12172|Memoirs of Hadrian|Marguerite Yourcenar|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1416448158s/12172.jpg|1064574] appealed to me because I'm Romanian and Hadrian (and Trajan, his predecessor) had a great impact on what later became the Romanian people. In fact, the first chapters of the book talk a great deal about the Dacian wars and I would recommend it, for this reason, to all Romanians who have a passion for history.
The book is build as a memoir. This is a great way of telling the story of a great man, more so than having it told with the voice of a contemporary or that of the author. Of course, the story, while rooted in historical evidences (writings of Hadrian's contemporaries or successors), is a work of fiction. Nevertheless, one that describes in great detail and integrity the events and mores of 2nd century Roman Empire. While Hadrian's life is the centre of this novel, a lot of it actually revolves around the conquests, the political environment, the struggles to keep the peace in an empire on the brink of fragmentation, but also around the laws of the Roman Empire, the many intermingling religious beliefs and the social life, which, incidentally, was a lot more open and liberal than any social establishment we have today.
I found myself remembering my year 1 Roman Law course, which set the ground for all law systems we have today. I also found myself wishing to have a lot of the social beliefs brought back. Believe it or not, Romans of the 2nd century were a lot more tolerant regarding sexuality, religion, the role of women, and labour than we are today.
I also got immersed into the decor. The author does a great thing with descriptions. I walked through Rome and Athens and remembered a lot of the sights I saw there which I did not know, or had forgotten they were built at Hadrian's request and based on his plans. Did I know the Pantheon and Temple of Zeus were built in his time? I had probably read that at some point, but had forgotten. I doubt I ever will. And this is not all, as the book takes us from Rome to Greece, from Britannia to the Middle East, from Dacia to Cartagena, all around the Roman Empire of old, at its peak - what a great experience!
The product of 20 years of intense research, starts and fires that consumed written pages, [b:Memoirs of Hadrian|12172|Memoirs of Hadrian|Marguerite Yourcenar|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1416448158s/12172.jpg|1064574] goes beyond the story of one man, and beyond the story of an empire. It's a study on religion, sociology, philosophy, medicine, relationships and the human nature. It's a study on life and death, quite a current one, for that matter. It makes me wish I had known this visionary of a man, one that was so giving to the world, but so selfish when it came to his personal life.