I, Claudius : From the Autobiography of Tiberius Claudius, Born 10 B.C., Murdered and Deified A.D. 54 (Vintage International) by Robert Graves Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of I, Claudius : From the Autobiography of Tiberius Claudius, Born 10 B.C., Murdered and Deified A.D. 54 (Vintage International)
Book Review: A Wonderful Read for Anyone
Summary: 5 Stars
It helps, perhaps, to have some knowledge of Ancient Roman History in order to appreciate this work, but the beauty of this novel is that it is by no means required. Robert Graves takes a complicated and distant history and makes it immediate, approachable and human. The characters, and especially Claudius himself, are realistically drawn-they don't feel ancient, they feel modern, and it helps to bring home the truth that people are, and always have been, people.
While watching these (primarily nasty) characters work their poison is fascinating, I, Claudius is mostly a history, better told than just about any history you'll ever read. And, as history, it is instructive and comes across as being meticulously researched. The details only rarely get in the way. The narrative is fairly depressing as it chronicles the solidifying of the Roman Empire, hot on the heels of the demise of the Republic. It reminds us how precious our freedoms and political institutions really are, and how ready people can be to throw those things away in exchange for a little perceived gain, or simply out of cowardice. So easily is dignity lost, it makes one wonder whether it ever really existed to begin with. The writing style is conversational, like hearing from an old, family friend, the narrator being very sympathetic and only slightly untrustworthy.
It isn't a difficult read at all, it is entertaining, educational, philosophical and a modern classic that will give insight into today and tomorrow. In short, there is almost no reason not to read this novel, and several to recommend it.
Book Review: An easy to read education on the most interesting era
Summary: 5 Stars
Its hard to express just how great this book is. It is number 14 on the modern library's editors choice for 20th century fiction, and I would rank it higher.
It was an amazing gift Graves had in occupying the first person as Claudius. The life span of Claudius ranged from Cleopatra, Marc Anthony, Octavian, Augustus, Livia, Tiberius, Nero and the "colorful" Caligula (who engineered the death of his father Germanicus at the tender age of 5.)
Graves gives us deep, rich accounts of the back-stabbing senators and the development of the 'games' held at the coliseum as well as the circus maximus.
The characters come alive throughout the book and although surely liberties were taken in developing them, they are all real and presented as they were understood by Graves.
Graves consisdered himself a poet first and historian second. I Claudius shows his third world class expertise which was story-telling.
Book Review: Greatest Story Ever Told!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Like mentioned above, It is the greatest story ever told. The character of Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus is told so well he seems real. Robert Graves rendition of Livia as a cruel woman and her disregard for Claudius makes him even more real. Though they were real people, Robert Graves makes them return to life. He uses a high vocabulary, with words like hithero and many more. I enjoyed this novel because I can identify with Claudius as a person who is rather intelligent but is treated like an idiot. Highly Recommended!!!Book Review: A Literary Masterpiece
Summary: 5 Stars
This is by far the best of Robert Grave's fictional works. A convincing portrayal of what life was like at the core of the early Roman empire.
Graves masterfully develops the character of Claudius as he ponders his life and impresses his thoughts on to his "autobiography." The reader is then taken through the ambitions and intrigues of the Julio-Claudian dynasty from the reign of Augustus to Nero's. Through the eyes of Claudius, the reader is given a bird's eye view into the dynastic contests with wit and humor as well as the evolution of the empire from the remnants of a crumbled republic. With this insight, Claudius is soon appreciated by the reader as having a keen intellect as opposed to being dull and slow of wit. His desire for truth and his loathing of the imperial struggle gives his story clarity and impartiality. All of the characters are well developed; their actions and motivations all come to light in the course of the story.
Along with Gore Vidal's "Julian" this is one of the greatest works in historical fiction in this genre or any genre. A must read for anyone who enjoys history or just a good story full of intrigue and suspense.
Book Review: Gotta Love that Clau, Clau, Claudius
Summary: 4 Stars
This novel truly surprised me. I had never heard of it before seeing it mentioned on the Modern Library's Top 100 Novels of the 20th Centry and probably never would have pick it up either. Historical fiction has never siezed my interest. However, this is a fascinating book that is beautifully written and packs some very subtle satire and characters worth rooting for. It gets off to a slow start, and the numer of and relationships between characters is vast and confusing, but by the time you put the book down, you too will respect Graves' mastery of rhetoric and characterization. You know how biased (and probably dishonest) Claudius is, but ya just can't help but cheer for him at the end. Now I just need to pick up the sequel.