The reception of Marguerite Yourcenar's A Coin in Nine Hands has been notably polarized. While some critics have lauded the thematic depth of the novel, others have criticized its structural execution. One critic even described it as a “tragedy” that encapsulates “the hope inherent in human lives.” In stark contrast, another dismissed it as a “disjointed and curiously artificial work, breathing a facile pathos.” This divergence in opinion highlights the complexity and multifaceted nature of the novel.

For a comprehensive analysis, C. Frederick Farrell, Jr., and Edith R. Farrell’s work, Marguerite Yourcenar in Counterpoint, offers valuable insights. They explore A Coin in Nine Hands within the broader context of Yourcenar’s oeuvre, drawing particularly revealing comparisons with Memoirs of Hadrian. The characters in Memoirs of Hadrian are described as “introspective, and eminently capable of self-analysis,” while those in A Coin in Nine Hands are portrayed as needing “masks and mirrors,” suggesting a more superficial or complex engagement with their identities.

Yourcenar’s literary contributions are vast, spanning eight novels alongside plays, nonfiction, poetry, and translations. Among her works, Memoirs of Hadrian stands out as her most celebrated. However, A Coin in Nine Hands represents a distinct departure from the Roman Empire’s grandeur, instead anchoring itself in a precise historical period. Yourcenar herself noted that in crafting A Coin in Nine Hands, she was working with “a different set of models.” This was the first time she felt acutely aware of contemporary events of that particular year—1933—and had to adapt her technique to the evolving scene. Despite the specific historical context, she infused the novel with the mythic dimension that is a hallmark of all her works, blending the particular with the timeless.