Memoirs of Hadrian
by Marguerite Yourcenar
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Book Summary Information
Author: Marguerite YourcenarTranslator: Grace Frick
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-05-18
ISBN: 0374529264
Number of pages: 408
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780374529260
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of Memoirs of Hadrian
Book Review: The Good Emperor
Summary: 5 Stars
Some editions of Memoirs of Hadrian say it is "by" both author Marguerite Yourcenar and Grace Frick, the translator. Normally, I would consider that a bit much -- like giving the frame maker partial credit for the painting -- but in this case it seems more than warranted, as Ms. Frick was the mind behind one of the best translation jobs I've ever come across.
If she hadn't managed it, Memoirs of Hadrian would have faded into obscurity for English-language readers. After all, the story line is not eventful: it is a series of letters from Roman Emperor Hadrian to future emperor Marcus Aurelius, who Hadrian had come to think of as a grandson.
What makes Memoirs of Hadrian great is the way the story is told. The book captures the candid language and thoughtful sentiments of a wise old man nearing death and offering his wisdom to his young heir. It is a kind of frank confession that is at once autobiography, philosophy, and psychology.
An example, from near the beginning, when Hadrian explains where his life stands: "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."
Another example, when Hadrian describes a military victory: "Rome had prepared me a triumph. I no longer protested against these vain but venerable customs; anything which honors man's effort, even if only for a day, seemed to me a salitary in presence of a world so prone to forget."
And I could go on and on.
Obviously, the concepts and narrative come from Ms. Yourcenar. But the beauty of the language in English depends so much on Ms. Frick.
As a work of literature, I suppose it is possible that the rich language and profound sentiment would be enough to make reading it enjoyable. But I do think that a general knowledge of Roman history and European and Italian geography will immeasurably add to the enjoyment of it. It is not an easy read, but it is worth the effort.
(Interesting contextual information not completely explained in the book: Marcus Aurelius was 17 when Hadrian died at the age of 62, but Hadrian had already arranged for Marcus Aurelius to eventually become emperor. Hadrian's adopted son, Antoninus Pius, adopted Marcus Aurelius on Hadrian's insistence, and after Antoninus Pius' 23-year-reign, Marcus Aurelius became emperor himself, as Hadrian desired. The three men were the last of the five "Good Emperors".)
Summary of Memoirs of Hadrian
Both an exploration of character and a reflection on the meaning of history, Memoirs of Hadrian has received international acclaim since its first publication in France in 1951. In it, Marguerite Yourcenar reimagines the Emperor Hadrian's arduous boyhood, his triumphs and reversals, and finally, as emperor, his gradual reordering of a war-torn world, writing with the imaginative insight of a great writer of the twentieth century while crafting a prose style as elegant and precise as those of the Latin stylists of Hadrian's own era.
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