A review by bwaldrum
Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar

5.0

A sometimes difficult and ponderous read, but magnificent nonetheless. Yourcenar devoted long years of her life to copious historical research about Hadrian and the time period, embellishing only a little. In writing these memoirs, she creates a believable account of the man's life and his inner monologue. I struggled about midway through under the weight of the long, deliberate prose but found my footing again reading out loud. Although some sections are meandering (as one might expect any person's life to be at times), others grab the reader completely. Thanks to Yourcenar's meticulous research and writing -- and the excellent translation by Frick -- I felt transported to another world. I feel I know this ancient man now, his world and how he lived. That in itself is a wonderful achievement.