What can I say? This is an absolutely magnificent book. One might believe that it is truly an autobiography of Emperor Hadrian, if only it weren't for the fact that behind the pompous and archaic words lies a style that is too modern to be from two thousand years ago. However, I adored this style for the combination of ancient formulas and contemporary narration.

It is a great journey into the classical world, yet in a rather particular period: when one no longer believes in the ancient pagans, and at the same time Christianity has not yet taken a predominant hold.

Hadrian, who relates his memories - in the form of a written letter - to his grandson Marcus (who is none other than the future emperor Marcus Aurelius), reflects on universal themes: from love to death, from philosophy to religion, good governance and despotism.

The most touching parts are some of the visions he provides of the future developments of Roman society and that which will come after; clearly all accurate visions since the one writing is the Yourcenar of the twentieth century.

Yes, it is a great journey into the classical world, but it is also a novel that illustrates how that world has influenced our present one, how there is nothing new in the ways of doing and thinking, how we, at least we Europeans, are all children of that Greco-Roman culture that we study in school and often see as something too distant.

In the notes at the back of this book, Marguerite Yourcenar reveals that in 1941, she happened upon some Piranesi engravings in a shop in New York. One of them depicted the interior of Hadrian’s Villa as it might have appeared in the 1740s. I say “might have” because Piranesi had a knack for adding captivating layers to his engravings of Rome’s monuments. What others saw as mere ruins, he brought to life with his unique imagination.

Yourcenar, who had been researching Hadrian’s life for years, interprets Piranesi’s version of the villa as the inside of a human skull, with strands of vegetation hanging like hair. She recognizes Piranesi’s genius in capturing the tragic interior world of the villa’s former owner, Emperor Hadrian.

When I considered her words, I realized that this is precisely how I would describe her own accomplishment in this book. She too has medium-like gifts, serving as an extraordinary intermediary between Hadrian and the reader. We are inside Hadrian’s head, experiencing a hallucinatory journey.

There is a further parallel between the Piranesi engraving and Yourcenar’s book. Piranesi chose to represent the Temple of Canope, a space Hadrian created to commemorate Antinous. The statue of Antinous was no longer there in Piranesi’s time, yet he chose the exact site of the missing statue. Antinous dominates Piranesi’s work by his absence, just as he did in Hadrian’s life and in Yourcenar’s book.

It seemed appropriate to seek out the missing statue, although it has not been an easy task. We know it was a Bacchus, and among the many statues of Antinous, several depict him as such. The Braschi Antinous, now in the Vatican Museums, perhaps best corresponds to Yourcenar’s description.

Yourcenar mentions the fine Italian marble and the vine leaf motif circling the sorrowful head, which she interprets as a reference to the early end of the young man’s life. Her book is as beautiful as the marble and as delicate as the vine motif. No one has ever created a fictional biography quite like this.

“But books lie, even those that are most sincere.”

  
“But books lie, even those that are most sincere.”

It is said to be the historically most accurate novel - I can't judge that myself, but I'm willing to trust the word of those who are knowledgeable about it. What is even more incredible is the way the author managed to make herself invisible in her work. You know how novels usually bear the imprint of their authors' personalities. Normally, when you finish reading a novel, you have some sense of the author's character. The narrators of Proust and Celine seem like mirror images of their authors; in other cases, it may be true to a lesser extent - but not in this case. The only thing you can guess about Yourcenar by reading Memoirs of Hadrian is that she is a genius.

If I believed in spirits, I could assert that Hadrian's spirit had possessed Yourcenar. An innocent reader can easily be led to believe that this book is written by someone who, if not a king, is a really old man living in ancient Rome.

The narrative is in the first person - so we start with a bit of suspicion about its reliability, but soon that suspicion is dispelled. Hadrian is old and looking forward to his inevitable death. I guess different people react differently at that stage - Hadrian has become a bit distant from himself - distant enough to look at himself objectively:

  
“I have come to speak of myself, at times, in the past tense.”

Another thing that the shadow of death does is that it makes the king of one of the most powerful empires seem so much like an ordinary, powerless man.

Not that Hadrian is your typical arrogant king. Besides the tough qualities of builders, soldiers, and generals that you would expect from a Roman king, he also has the softer qualities of being knowledgeable, philosophical, a lover of arts, at times poetical, and perhaps wise - qualities that we associate with the people of ancient Greece - and Goodreads. His philosophical reflections and lyrical prose are almost seductive.

Rowling once said, "To a well-organized mind, death is but the next best adventure." That is Yourcenar's Hadrian for you. The narrator impresses on the reader's mind an image of a wise old man accepting his inevitable death with the confidence of conviction (rather than the arrogance of ignorance as is often the case) and giving his last lesson (in the most lyrical language) to his disciple; perhaps with one hand raised to the heavens like in 'Death of Socrates'.

I have whole pages of quotes from the book. The following are just a small sample:

“Morals are matter of private agreement; decency is of public concern.”

“We talk much of the dreams of youth. Too often we forget its scheming.”

“To me, who had not yet given first place to anything except to ideas or projects, or at the most to a future image of myself, this simple devotion of man to man seemed prodigious and unfathomable. No one is worthy of it, and I am still unable to account for it.”

“I knew that good like bad becomes a routine, that the temporary tends to endure, that what is external permeates to the inside, and that the mask, given time, comes to be the face itself.”

“I am not sure that the discovery of love is necessarily more exquisite than the discovery of poetry.”

Fiumi di… grafite

Over the past few years, I have become accustomed to reading with the help of a pencil, an indispensable tool. Underlinings also allow me, at the end of reading, to quickly review some significant passages. But this time, they have led me slowly to reread, and... enjoy, the entire novel: because there is not a page without an underlining; in fact, there is not a page with only one underlining; and then there are vertical lines: simple, double, triple...; arrows, asterisks, boxes...

Because on every page I have found a reason for interest, involvement; or sincere curiosity; or true emotion... Every page has anyway fascinated me and, at the same time, has aroused my admiration for Marguerite Yourcenar. For the delicate sensitivity of her feelings; for the enthusiastic accuracy of her historical research; for the depth of elaboration and the finesse of ideas; for that simple but elegant writing. And it doesn't matter how much of herself she has "covered" Hadrian with: the distance in time and the relatively scarce documents could not allow her a more plausible portrait; she has miraculously managed to give light and life to the ancient forms of stone and to the words handed down by the sources; without pretending to reconstruct, but simply with the intention of using authentic stones, carefully cleaning them, to "interpret" with respect a lost past; and with passion she has returned to us an Emperor close and tangible, rich in humanity and wisdom, of heroism and weaknesses: a scholar, a traveler, a poet, a lover.

M.Y. constructs the novel like a long letter that Hadrian, while beginning to glimpse the outline of death, writes to Marcus (Aurelius), his young adopted nephew and future Emperor. Little by little, the letter becomes the outburst of a man; the written meditation of a sick man who gives an audience to his memories; an intimate and sincere confession, beyond the official accounts.

(It would seem that the picture of my days, like mountain regions, is composed of different materials haphazardly agglomerated: I recognize my nature in it, already composite in itself, formed in equal parts of culture and instinct. Here and there the granites of the inevitable emerge; everywhere the landslides of chance. […] In this deformity, in this disorder, I perceive the presence of an individual... and his features blend like those of an image that is reflected in the water).

Through faded memories, in a time that remains suspended between undated episodes, the Author thus gives shape to the image of the Man, of an enlightened innovator, who liked to feel himself above all a “continuator”*; who perceived having “collaborated with the centuries”, gathering in himself all the gifts transmitted by the past and contained in that instant of time, to pour them into the future; convinced of having given new vigor to Greek culture through Roman culture, in an equilibrium between the crystalline harmony of the first and the austere rigor of the second. And the reader comes into contact with him, despite the centuries of separation, a continuator himself of History; thanks to Marguerite Yourcenar.

P.S. an emotional visit, a journey into History in the footsteps of Hadrian: L'età dell'equilibrio until 5 May 2013, at the Capitoline Museums, in Rome.

Thanks to the Exhibition and the competent passion of the guide Lucia Prandi of "Roma Sparita"]

*Catastrophes and ruins will follow; chaos will triumph, but from time to time order will also come. […] Not all our books will perish; our broken statues will be restored; other cupolas, other pediments will rise from our pediments, from our cupolas; there will be men who will think, work and feel like us: I dare to count on these continuators who will follow, at irregular intervals, over the centuries, on this intermittent immortality. (page 274)

This is a truly gorgeous book penned by Marguerite Yourcenar.

In it, the emperor writes to the future emperor-philosopher Marcus Aurelius, sharing his life experiences and the burdens of leadership.

The tone of the book is a perfect blend of nostalgia, regret, and pride, all intertwined beautifully.

It is a true masterpiece that took her a decade to write. Despite being very short, it is a magnificent read.

I was truly inspired by it and amazed at how Yourcenar brought this period of Roman history to life with her skillful pen.

It is an incredible read that leaves a lasting impression.

Unfortunately, it is rather disheartening to note that few current political leaders possess such a breath of humanity and maturity.

They seem to lack the depth and wisdom that is so evident in this remarkable book.

Perhaps they could learn a thing or two from the emperor's words and example.

One can only hope that future leaders will strive to embody the qualities of leadership and humanity that are so beautifully depicted in this literary gem.

I have no clue how to review this particular work.

The only thing I can say is that Yourcenar seemingly tapped into the spirit of Hadrian while penning this. It gives the impression of being a memoir written by the man himself.

My edition included an afterword by the author, elucidating the 25-year on-and-off process of writing, which was almost as engaging as the novel itself.

If my understanding of ancient Greek and Roman history were more profound, this might have easily earned a 5-star rating.

However, despite my limited knowledge in that area, I could still appreciate the depth and detail that Yourcenar brought to the story.

The vivid descriptions and the masterful way in which she crafted the narrative made it a captivating read.

Even without a comprehensive understanding of the historical context, I was able to immerse myself in the world of Hadrian and gain a sense of his character and experiences.

This is a testament to the author's skill as a writer and her ability to bring history to life on the page.

**"The Captivating World of 'Memoirs of Hadrian'"**

“Like a traveler sailing the Archipelago who sees the luminous mists lift toward evening, and little by little makes out the shore, I begin to discern the profile of my death.” This beautiful and poignant quote sets the tone for the remarkable book, "Memoirs of Hadrian" by Marguerite Yourcenar.

Many of my friends know of my penchant for enjoying a glass of bourbon or bourbon cream on occasion. I savor it slowly, just as I did this incredible work. It's not a long book, but it's filled with rich details and a depth that is truly captivating.

This historical fiction, written in the form of a letter from Emperor Hadrian to his adopted grandson and successor, Marcus Aurelius, feels so personal and real. It's a story of a life that is deeply reflective, philosophical, and honest. Hadrian shares his rise to the throne, his battles, his loves, his flaws, and his moments of weakness. Despite my limited knowledge of his history, I was completely engrossed in this book.

I'm in awe of "Memoirs of Hadrian," and reviewing it is a challenge. Marguerite Yourcenar's prose is sophisticated and lush, making it a class act. I urge you to read this book if you have any inclination. It's a rare find, one that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:

“Of all our games, love’s play is the only one which threatens to unsettle the soul, and is also the only one in which the player has to abandon himself to the body’s ecstasy.”
“Our great mistake is to try to exact from each person virtues which he does not possess, and to neglect the cultivation of those which he has.”
“I knew almost nothing of these women; the part of their lives which they conceded to me was narrowly confined between two half-opened doors…”
“Friendship was a choice to which she devoted her whole being; she gave herself to it utterly, and as I have done only to my loves. She has known me better than anyone has…”
“The founding of libraries was like constructing more public granaries, amassing reserves against a spiritual winter…”
“Catastrophe and ruin will come; disorder will triumph, but order will too, from time to time. Peace will again establish itself between two periods of war; the words humanity, liberty, and justice will here and there regain the meaning which we have tried to give them.”

Even if I were to nitpick in the manner of a pedantic critic, I would have nothing specific to reproach this book with. And it has overwhelmed me, professionally, leaving me in wonder as to where such popularity comes from (especially among people whose literary sensibilities I value).

Marguerite Yourcenar writes seriously, yet pregnantly, although I haven't read her before. The book is an excellent source for compiling the Best Quotes of World Literature and thus, it is fine that (the student) brings a historical figure to life in their mind.

I'm betting all the cards on the possibility that the theme is boring for me, since I already had a good part of that information from other sources and I don't consider Hadrian an entertaining person.

Incredible read. Yourcenar writes from the 1st person inside the mind of 2nd century Roman emperor Hadrian. We are in the driver's seat of his mind, seeing his thoughts and experiencing the 2nd century Roman world through his eyes.

Yourcenar explores the man with subtlety and nuance, exposing a deep and interesting psychological portrait. All the little details add up to create an amazingly intimate experience connecting the reader to this emperor. Of course, there is a lot of speculation and artistic license, but she did a lot of research for this. Merely as an artistic endeavor, regardless of historical aspects, this book is a phenomenal accomplishment. The psychological explorations are fantastic, and her interpretation of how Hadrian may have seen and experienced the world is both believable and interesting. She inhabits this man. This aspect is a totemic achievement in regards to artistry and degree of difficulty. If you had told me this book was written by him, I'd be like "Cool! sounds legit to me! amazing this guy's memoirs made it all the way down to us given that we have like less than 1% of the writings from that era surviving to our times". However, I don't think Hadrian would have been such a good writer. There is such a 20th century elite intellectual writer quality to this, so there are a few tells that might have given it away. The exploring and writing about emotions, personal psychology, intimate details strikes me as a much more modern phenomenon, at least on average. But whether it is accurate and true to life in a way doesn't matter to me. It was a vehicle to bring us a psychological exploration of a man with great power and influence, and also this device served as a vessel to explore and travel the 2nd century Roman world. In this, she succeeds.

There is a lot of contemplation, philosophical meanderings that Hadrian explores. I enjoyed this a lot. Others might find it annoying, but to me, it added to the portrait and felt incredibly real and believable.

I was particularly struck by how she imagined Hadrian dealing with chronic illness/health issues. I honestly have to suspect Yourcenar went through some of her own serious health issues, because her understanding of this issue, and her exploration of human psychology under health duress is so on point and captures the smallest and most intimate truths of these experiences. I have a hard time imagining someone who hasn't experienced these truths would be able to capture and explore them with this level of understanding. Anyways, I loved those sections.

Her notes at the end of the book are great too. I loved reading about her process and experience in writing and researching this book. It's always interesting to learn about a creator's methodology, process, experience in the creation of their work. I found particularly incisive her comments about the pitfalls of trying to write and "know" another human being. It is an impossible task. Neither can one TRULY know oneself. But as she explains, she couldn't recreate a "true" autobiography of herself either. It would be just as difficult as writing this work on Hadrian. But that is part of the fun of such an experiment as this. It is imagination, conjecture, exploration of the human spirit projected from the prism of one's own experience, time, culture, psychology, feelings, etc. I also liked her point that there will always be this gulf in both one's ability to understand oneself and ability to understand others; they are similar phenomenons. Along the lines of understanding others, she uses the example that her father is just as unknown to her as Hadrian is, even though 18 centuries separate these two people. It was a point that struck me.

"All escapes us, both others and ourselves. The life of my father is more unknown to me than that of Hadrian. My own existence, if I had to write it, would be reconstructed by me from the outside, painfully, like that of another. I would have to turn to letters, to the memories of others, to fix these floating memories. They are always only fallen walls, patches of shadows." And elsewhere, speaking of her father: "I am no more Michel than I am Zeno or Hadrian. Like every novelist, I have tried to reconstruct him from my own substance, but it is an undifferentiated substance."

These are the reflections of a man, who, by Yourcenar’s words, was “almost wise”.

The novel is crafted with such precision, honesty, and delicacy that it becomes effortless to forget one is perusing a work of fiction.

Hadrian, in his capacity as Emperor, is deeply engrossed in the myriad of both grand and琐碎的 concerns related to governing an empire at its peak.

As an individual, he contemplates his loves, losses, successes, and failures.

In these reminiscences of old age, the novel is inevitably philosophical.

The prose is masterful, yet from reading Manny’s review, one can perceive just how much is forfeited in the translation - perhaps an excessive amount.

The novel's greatest accomplishment lies in its ambition - the extent of research is astonishing - and the author's capability to so thoroughly inhabit and enliven the mind of this long-departed and poorly understood historical figure.

The right place of birth is that in which a person first rationally saw himself; books were my first homeland.

Hadrian's Memoirs present a concise reconstruction of both an emperor and a long-forgotten period, whose fruits still float among us today. Addressing Marcus Aurelius just before death, which he tries to enter with open eyes, he conducts a scrupulous monologue, pointing out the burden of Rome, the great respect for Greek literature and art, as well as a comprehensiveness towards life and death, including mistakes and deceptions during his reign. Among other things, Hadrian also engages in a polemic about the possibility of creating a universal world system that will originate from Rome (the eternal city as he called it).

I don't know whether to admire more the philosophical reflections or the very aesthetics of the written word spilled onto paper. Jursenar shines as she writes. One can clearly feel the softness and inclination towards the Roman emperor. She tried to deal with Hadrian from the inside, with his feelings, thoughts, and state of will just before death. She writes as if he were her son with great dedication. There is something pedantic in her manuscript, which is not just a heaped-up mass of facts (data), far from it. So this novel fades in terms of 'historical' and becomes what has always been there and what will always be.

Adriano, uomo e imperatore

This is a beautiful book by Marguerite Yourcenar, a wonderful writer.

The narrator is the emperor Adriano, already in his sixties and ill, who reviews his life in the light of existential reflections.

Those who know the author can, however, perceive many convergences of thought. She also knew that glory and wealth are but base currency, as the protagonist says: "I returned home covered in honors, but I was aging", and highlights the figure of Plotina, the widow of the predecessor Trajan, who "devoted herself to the austere pleasures of meditation and books. (...) She gently descended into the shadow; that garden, those bright rooms were becoming more and more the enclosure of a Muse". So different from many women of that decadent era, in some aspects so similar to the equivalent ladies of today and yesterday; female models from which our writer wanted to radically emancipate herself: "The love they constantly talked about, sometimes seemed to me foolish (...) a fashionable jewel, an expensive and fragile accessory; and I suspected that they gave themselves passion along with lipstick (...). I would have desired much more the naked human creature, alone with herself". "A man who reads, and who thinks (...) belongs to the species, not to the sex (...). But lovers seemed to pride themselves on thinking only as women; the spirit, the soul, that I sought was also but a fragrance". "I found again the limited vision of women, (...) their gray sky as soon as love ceases to smile at them".

The narration, although supported by a very well-documented historical base, has a purely existential cut.

The style has the splendor of a writing capable of always surprising, and often intelligence shines through it like a diamond.

The translation by the latinist Lidia Storoni Mazzolani is splendid.

"Little lost and gentle soul, companion and guest of the body, now you prepare to descend into colorless places (...). For one more instant, let us look together at the familiar shores, the things that we will certainly never see again... Let us try to enter death with open eyes".