Product Description

A work of historical fiction which recreates the life and times of Emperor Claudius, who lived from 10 BC to AD 41, a time when poisoning, blasphemy, treachery, incest and unnatural vice were commonplace. From the author of CLAUDIUS THE GOD AND HIS WIFE MESSALINA.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #162038 in Books
• Published on: 1988-08-25
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 848 pages

Customer Reviews

Salve, Imperator!
Fantastic - divine even! Graves has written a fantastic pair of novels here, to the standard of Claudius himself, as the level of detail given is absolutely astounding.

His portrayal of the traits of every character is flawless, giving the reader a most vivid picture of the character while reading.

Yet this level of sophistication of the facts is not echoed in the actual writing, as this book is accessible to anyone, whether or not they have an interest in that particular period in history.

Someone once said (can't remember who!) - 'If a book is worth reading, it is worth buying' - "I, Claudius" is certainly a book which anyone should have in their collection.

Brilliant in parts
Robert Graves' Claudius novels are a fantastic rendering of Roman life. It is sometimes difficult to keep up in the early parts of 'I, Claudius' because of the complexity of Claudius' family structure (which Graves does not shy away from explaining to the full!). However, once the family tree is out of the way, and a couple of relatively uninteresting wars have been fought, you're on to an engrossing read, filled with twists and turns.

Caligula's excesses make particularly entertaining reading, whilst providing modern readers with a stark portrait of what excessive power can lead to.

If you survive the first 150 pages without falling asleep, you're there. This jewel of a book is definitely worth the archaelogical dig!

Superb
Robert Graves writes a majestic, hilarious and moving portrayal of ancient Rome extending from the benevolent reign of Augustus, through the tyranny of Tiberius and the insanity of Caligula, to the triumphs and tribulations of Claudius. Drawing on a huge knowledge of ancient history to present a (largely) factual account of the times, Graves fills the gaps with a wonderful array of salacious events, and gives each character fullness, especially Claudius himself who is one of the great characters in modern fiction. These two books are never dry and stuffy, by contrast they are overflowing with freshness and vitality. As relevant to today's events than any contemporary work, I Claudius and Claudius the God are essential reading.