I, Claudius

"I, Claudius by Robert Graves 4/5 :star::star::star::star: This was more of a third party telling around Claudius than about Claudius himself. I learned more about Augustus, Livia and Caligula than I did Claudius. This was very dry and I only enjoyed about every third or fourth chapter when people were killed or exiled."

"Review cross-posted from <a href="https://books.max-nova.com/i-claudius">https://books.max-nova.com/i-claudius</a><br/><br/>Robert Graves's "I, Claudius" transports us back to an Ancient Rome whirling with intrigue, grandeur, and violence. Told from the point of view of Claudius (before he became emperor), this book covers the period of time from Julius Caesar to the ascension of Claudius. Graves draws on historical sources as well as his fertile imagination to bring the members of the imperial family to life, painting particularly stunning portraits of Livia, Tiberius, and Caligula. Graves does an excellent job of helping us keep all the names and relationships straight as we delve into the depraved lifestyles of the Roman elite. All the sex scandals, wild spending, gambling on chariot races, and murders... certainly gave me a longer-view historical perspective on our comparatively tame current political situation! And Livia! My understanding is that there isn't firm historical evidence for all of the poisonings and assassinations that Livia carried out, but damn.<br/><br/>Claudius narrates the book in a delightful tone, full of witty observations, backhanded compliments, and snide quips throughout. The publication date - 1934 - of this book surprised me. Graves's style felt quite modern and natural. And while he may have taken some interpretive liberties with Roman history, his book really helped me get a handle on the complex dynamics of that turbulent period in Roman history. I'm looking forward to reading his followup book, "Claudius the God." The audiobook narration is excellently done as well."

"A fantastic fictionalization of a fascinating historical perspective. Framed as the autobiography of Tiberius Claudius, Robert Graves gives a highly entertaining account of Ancient Rome during and just after the reign of Emperor Augustus. The family and political drama of Ancient Rome's most powerful few had massive implications on the well-being of the entire ancient world; lust, deception, and ambition pervade the period and the unassuming narrator catches it all with masterful wit. I read this book in 10-15 page chunks every day along with a group of others on Twitter. The #LiteratureTogether series aims to make more difficult books accessible to users by breaking them into manageable pieces and providing a forum for daily discussion. The conversation for this book can be found under #IClaudiusTogether. "

"Great first person narrative, flows like a dream."

"<br/> <br/> Wonderful book. Started my love of books about Roman history""