The Best French Novel of the 20th Century

Marguerite Yourcenar entered the Académie Française in 1981, the first woman to be admitted. Her novel Memoirs of Hadrian, published thirty years earlier, is ‘often considered the best French novel of the 20th century’, as Joanna Biggs wrote in a recent issue of the LRB. In this episode of the podcast, Joanna joins Tom to discuss Yourcenar’s life and work, and what makes Memoirs of Hadrian – a reimagining of the life of the Roman emperor – such a good book. Find further reading on the episode page: https://lrb.me/yourcenarpod Find Memoirs of Hadrian at the Bookshop: https://lrb.me/hadrianpod Sponsored links: Find out more about the National Gallery's Siena exhibition here: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/siena-the-rise-of-painting LRB Audio Discover audiobooks, Close Readings and more from the LRB: https://lrb.me/audiolrbpod