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purplewaterbottle 's review for:

Memorie di Adriano by Marguerite Yourcenar
4.25
emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

After a slow start (which made me nearly lose interest in the book) it picks up, getting better and better with every page and becoming a true masterpiece with Antinous' first appearance, including everything that comes after. 
The writing is undoubtedly wonderful, and the Italian translation (which is the one I read) includes an insert written by the translator herself talking about her experience and friendship with the author, which made me appreciate the writing even more. 
Although the start was a bit slow, it is definitely worth reading.