![]() Of course, he discusses the politics but he also talks about religion (he is a humanist), astrology, the broad range of arts and sciences and, in a frank way, his love for his favourite and lover, Antinous. He touches on all the aspects of his life, his career and his reign. He has lived life to the full and is now writing both to show to his successor what he has achieved but also to better understand himself. ![]() What makes the novel so worth reading are Hadrian’s musings on life in all its richness. It is written in the form of a letter to Hadrian‘s seventeen-year old cousin and future successor, Marcus Aurelius. ![]() It was a huge (and unexpected) success when it came out which is rather surprising, as it is not, as the title might imply, a blood and guts story of the Roman Empire but, rather, a very thoughtful reflection on a life well-lived, with little plot, little action and much philosophy. Indeed, in the Anglo-Saxon world, it is virtually the only one of her works that is known. ![]() This is the best-known of Yourcenar’s works. Home » France » Marguerite Yourcenar » Mémoires d’Hadrien (Memoirs of Hadrian) Marguerite Yourcenar: Mémoires d’Hadrien (Memoirs of Hadrian) ![]()
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