I don't think I have ever read a book quite like this. Yourcenar does an amazing job making you believe that you are reading the actual memoirs of this incredible historical figure. I knew very little about his life (or much about this era really) going into it. There are times when the book feels bogged down in administrative details about the running of the state that I found less interesting, but in other sections you get beautiful philosophical musings about the nature of life, love, and governance that I really appreciated.