Memoirs of Hadrian(Including Reflections On the Composition of Memoirs of Hadrian) (Twentieth Century Classics S.)

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Memoirs of Hadrian(Including Reflections On the Composition of Memoirs of Hadrian) (Twentieth Century Classics S.) Frick, Grace Summary *Mémoires d'Hadrien* est un roman historique de l'écrivaine française Marguerite Yourcenar, publié en 1951. *Mémoires d'Hadrien* est un roman historique de l'écrivaine française Marguerite Yourcenar, publié en 1951. Ces pseudo-mémoires de l'empereur romain Hadrien ont immédiatement rencontré un extraordinaire succès international et assuré à son auteur une grande célébrité. Il s’agit d’une œuvre dont le projet remonte à l’adolescence de l’autrice. Yourcenar considérant le projet comme trop ambitieux pour être une œuvre de jeunesse, le décrivait de la trempe de ceux « qu’on ne doit pas oser avant d’avoir dépassé quarante ans ».Le livre est présenté comme une longue lettre d’un vieil empereur adressée à son petit-fils adoptif et éventuel successeur âgé de 17 ans, Marc Aurèle. L’empereur Hadrien médite et se remémore ses triomphes militaires, son amour de la poésie et de la musique, sa philosophie ainsi que sa passion pour son jeune amant bithynien, Antinoüs. -------------*Memoirs of Hadrian* (French: Mémoires d'Hadrien) is a novel by the Belgian-born French writer Marguerite Yourcenar about the life and death of Roman Emperor Hadrian. First published in France in French in 1951 as Mémoires d'Hadrien, the book was an immediate success, meeting with enormous critical acclaim. Although the historical Hadrian wrote an autobiography, it has been lost.The book takes the form of a letter to Hadrian's adoptive grandson and eventual successor "Mark" (Marcus Aurelius). The emperor meditates on military triumphs, love of poetry and music, philosophy, and his passion for his lover Antinous, all in a manner similar to Gustave Flaubert's "melancholy of the antique world."Yourcenar noted in her postscript *Carnet de note* to the original edition, quoting Flaubert, that she had chosen Hadrian as the subject of the novel in part because he had lived at a time when the Roman gods were no longer believed in, but Christianity was not yet established. This intrigued her for what she saw as parallels to her own post-war European world. Highlights Easy to enjoy: 288 pages · Paperback By Frick, Grace Details ISBN: 9780140181944 Author: Frick, Grace Format: Paperback Pages: 288 Language: English Publication date: 26 October 1989 Condition: Used – Very Good About the authors Frick, Grace and Marguerite Yourcenar · Publisher: Penguin Books More about this book Reviews 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. Show more