A review by benjamin_thomas
Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar

challenging informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This book likely deserves a better score than what I've provided. There are clear moments of simple perfection in its structure - sentences and full sections that cut through everything to present honest, brilliant truth. But, as a complete work, there is also a patient genius. I've never read something so confident in its pace that also fills so much time and space. It is a slow book that measures the heart of an unknowable man. It beautifully weighs legacy and mythos with the reality of leadership and mortality. This book is an ode to the human spirit and to the art which we create to craft our immortality. A highly recommended read to any patient reader - it is a uniquely rewarding read.