Claudius, I

The only thing wrong with this book is its pseudo-authenticity. Graves was enough of a classical scholar to give an air of verisimilitude to an entirely too hairy and over-convincing narrative. It sounds like real Roman history unless of course you have read real Roman history. A trap for the unwary, but a corking good read.

If you are attracted by the plodding, exacting and referenced style of Claudius (and Graves), the book can be comfortably enjoyed by the fire with a whiskey or two. For those in a rush to experience the unknown; best you seek your pleasures elsewhere.

This story dunks one into the flavor and culture of ancient Rome at the beginning of the succession of Emperors. The level of detail is astonishing as are the characters. One, in particular, is among the best villains in any book published in any time: the Empress Livia. What a creation, what a creature. You don't have to know one little thing about Rome, just love a good tale told well. After you finish, you'll be recommending it to your friends.

Definitely better than average...but not great. My background relevant to this book is that I had having seen the BBC television series before reading the book. Not much of a fan of television, nevertheless I liked the series so much I bought the original tape and then the digital version when that became available. To this day I occasionally pull out the discs and watch the entire series all over again.

When I came across I Claudius while browsing one morning, I decided to compare Mr. Graves' work to the television series. I felt I had to read the work behind the movie I love some so much. This really isn't fair, of course, since movies and literature are entirely separate forms of art, but they are closely related. I was curious.

What I like most about the movie is the characterization of the main players and the interplay between them. Somehow, this did not come off as well in Mr. Graves' book. He tells a great story, and he tells it well. But then the entire history of the Roman culture from Julius Caesar through Romulus Agustulus is a great story even when told by a clinical historian. And the Claudian period has to be one of the juiciest parts of this entire story. To his credit, Mr. Graves brings an already great story wonderfully alive.

I give I Claudius four stars only because somehow the television series was able to bring the characters of this story unforgettably alive, beating Mr. Graves at his own game. This is not to denigrate I Claudius. It is a great read. I give it what is for me the highest form of praise: it is well worth your time.

Truly A Classic
Mr. Graves wrote an absorbing novel about the rulers of ancient Rome. He really brings the period to life and you
will not want to put the book down it is so terrific. History buffs will especially enjoy it. So go ahead and read it and
find yourself in the midst of some very very interesting people.

Robert Graves was one of the great writers of the 20th Century and I, Claudius is his best work.

Graves had a great grasp of the power struggles of the ruling class which is still relevant today. This book is both humorous and murderous, great historical fiction.

Great insight into the world of the elite two thousand years ago. We tend to remember these figures by one name each but the multiple names they each bore did create some confusion. Hard to believe an empire as grand as Rome's could have thrived under such megalomaniac stewards as Tiberius and Caligula. A great read!

I loved the book! The writing is easy to understand; the first-person narration is compelling and you learn history (or one interpretation of it through an interesting and engaging presentation. Loved it!

Graves creates one of the most admirable and lovable characters I've encountered in literature. Claudius is a minor member of the imperial family, step-grandson of Caesar Augustus, until he finds himself the last man standing. Fascinating glimpses into what life was like 2000 years ago. I read it while in boot camp, have read it a couple of times since, gave it to my brother-in-law this Christmas, and at age 61 it's still one of my favorite novels. And the B&W PBS version is almost as good as the books: this volume has a sequel, Claudius the God. Highly recommended for anyone who has enjoyed Colleen McCullough's series of novels about the Roman Republic and the life of Julius Caesar. But way shorter, and way better-written.

Claudius the god is great literature. It is a fictional account and although it is likely that it is not historically correct, and who could know what actually happened and was thought at the time, it brings the reign of the Emperor Claudius to life, in a way that the writings of the time and of times following have not. I don't think that it as good a book as I Claudius, but that should not stop anyone reading it and it is still great literature from a great author, which has stood the test of time since it was written.

This is my absolute favorite reading of I, Claudius. Ever.

While I adore Derek Jacobi, Nelson Rungers reading of the book is unsurpassed (IMO). His voice inflextions and characterizations are absolutely wonderful. I have been searching for years for a copy of this so I can re-enjoy it all over again!

Graves' work is incredibly detailed and a great read. But to listen to Nelson Runger read this masterpiece is a real treat!

This is a brilliant piece of work and sometimes I have to remind myself that this is a work of fiction, based on Claudius's view late in life. A clever way to do it because he would have been biased because of his treatment growing up and his poor relationship with his mother Antonia and his grandmother Livia. His reporting of what he thinks happened before he was born would have been fueled by lingering gossip, especially about Livia and Augustus.
Livia is portrayed as an evil witch and Augustus as weak willed, impotent and under Livia's complete control. As I said, this is a novel and I don't especially buy into the portrayal of either. They were married for over 50 years and Rome went through a very long and successful rule.
I don't think strong, capable women were thought well of at the time and there would have been lots of rumors.
Sadly, a lot of people have taken this book as a history rather than a well researched novel and Livia lives on as an evil witch.

Really enjoyed this work. Had just finished reading the epic Game of Thrones series and wanted a break with something more sedate and historic. Well, historic, yes, more sedate, no! My initial connection with this work was seeing the original BBC adaptation from the mid '70s. Fabulous work, ground breaking TV for that time and considered rather outre in terms of what was being portrayed. In retrospect the editing for TV was quite judicious; the novel is a lot more gruesome, but so is Homer! Continuing a classical tradition?

In any case it's been an engaging read, recommended for those with an interest in Roman history.

I slogged through I, Claudius last year and when the "sequel" became available through a Daily Deal, I decided to slog through it just to bring my reading to Claudius' end. The writing in both books is tedious and overly detailed. I skipped chapters in Claudius the God that focused on Herod Agrippa of Jerusalem - I just didn't care about him until the narrator Claudius finally brings him into his reign as emperor of Rome. When Graves "allows" Claudius to actually tell his story, this is really good and interesting. But far too often Graves gets bogged down in minutiae about some construction project or other project that Claudius has going on. Claudius was quite a remarkable ruler given how he started off in life, and just surviving Caligula's reign before him was a major accomplishment. Too bad the excitement of his rule is lost in the trivia of Graves' books. I did give it 3 stars and I did like it, but frankly, watch the old PBS series "I, Claudius" from the 1970s - it captures very well the essence of Claudius without all the boring details of his projects.

We have so much in common with the romans. Robert Graves makes then come alive. May our Republic live longer than theirs. It is not impossible as soon believe for a cabal to take our Republic away from us.

I must confess, I watched the series on Public Broadcast many many years ago, so I knew what to expect. Just an outstanding Classic. A reader can get so caught up in the suspense that it is hard to lay the book down. Very good reading.

Looong - but well worth it. Seems politics have not changed much. I found the book very interesting, Felt I knew Claudius personally. At times was a little slow, but would pick up again and found it interesting. Must also read I, Claudius to help keep track of characters.

I, Claudius is beautifully written by Robert Graves. It gives us (the Readers) "a front row Seat" into the complicated and often "endangered" lives of the the Present and Future Emperors of the Roman Empire and their Cohorts and Families... and their Enemies.
I, Claudius is informative and earns merits as a "Great Read".
In the Video of "I, Claudius" the storyline and the Characters remain absolutely true to the novel. It is well worth viewing.

Graves "I Claudius" is an epic of ancient Rome from Caesar Augustus to Caligula. Highly entertaining and insightful. The only negative I would propose is that keeping all the characters and their relationships isn't easy. Some familiarity with the era would be helpful.

Claudius the God is basically Part II (<-- Roman Numerals) to I, Claudius. The story picks up after Claudius' ascension to the throne. Claudius was an unwilling emperor, but he truly attempted to restore Rome to its earlier grandeur and status. During middle-age (50ish), Claudius was persuaded to marry the beautiful teenaged Messalina. Claudius was madly in love with her however, she didn't quite feel the same to him. She was smart enough not to let him know this and kept her indiscretions away from him knowledge.

Messalina persuaded Claudius to allow her to help run the empire. He had total faith in her abilities and she was an extension of his will. Messalina misused the very same power creating the very problems that Claudius was attempting to fix. Eventually her extravagances were too much for Claudius' advisors and someone finally had the courage to tell him what had been going on. She was going to be tried, but as custom allowed she might commit suicide as an honorable way out. Instead of doing so, one of Claudius' generals chose it for her.

Much later, at Claudius' death, the style of writing changes and three other author's takes of his death are submitted. This is the part where it became not only difficult to read but I even lost my desire to continue reading and thus the 4* review instead of 5*s.

I, Claudius is beautifully written by Robert Graves. It gives us (the Readers) "a front row Seat" into the complicated and often "endangered" lives of the the Present and Future Emperors of the Roman Empire and their Cohorts and Families... and their Enemies.
I, Claudius is informative and earns merits as a "Great Read".
In the Video of "I, Claudius" the storyline and the Characters remain absolutely true to the novel. It is well worth viewing.

Graves "I Claudius" is an epic of ancient Rome from Caesar Augustus to Caligula. Highly entertaining and insightful. The only negative I would propose is that keeping all the characters and their relationships isn't easy. Some familiarity with the era would be helpful.

Claudius the God is basically Part II (<-- Roman Numerals) to I, Claudius. The story picks up after Claudius' ascension to the throne. Claudius was an unwilling emperor, but he truly attempted to restore Rome to its earlier grandeur and status. During middle-age (50ish), Claudius was persuaded to marry the beautiful teenaged Messalina. Claudius was madly in love with her however, she didn't quite feel the same to him. She was smart enough not to let him know this and kept her indiscretions away from him knowledge.

Messalina persuaded Claudius to allow her to help run the empire. He had total faith in her abilities and she was an extension of his will. Messalina misused the very same power creating the very problems that Claudius was attempting to fix. Eventually her extravagances were too much for Claudius' advisors and someone finally had the courage to tell him what had been going on. She was going to be tried, but as custom allowed she might commit suicide as an honorable way out. Instead of doing so, one of Claudius' generals chose it for her.

Much later, at Claudius' death, the style of writing changes and three other author's takes of his death are submitted. This is the part where it became not only difficult to read but I even lost my desire to continue reading and thus the 4* review instead of 5*s.

An 'insiders' account of how decadent and violent the times were. Claudius, whose lineage provided an interesting vantage point, narrates and illuminates the privilege and precariousness of the ruling class.

Well presented, the alterations made to conform with modern English usage were unobtrusive and useful. Fascinating book about the intrigues of Rome in the era when Christ was born. Interesting references to the prophesied "king for all ages" which Caligula assumed referred to himself - how wrong he was!

I, Claudius and Claudius the God for written for persons interested in accurate history. These are not light historical romances.
If that is what you are looking for, go elsewhere.

If you want insight into the man and the times, read these well researched and written books.

I first read I, Claudius many years ago, and remembered it as a wonderful book. I recently got the ebook to see if my memory served well, and it did. This is an absolute classic, with healthy doses of history, character, intrigue, power, and simply beautiful writing. What a treasure.

I loved this book. I find the Roman Empire fascinating and this book was like getting an inside view of the madness. This large book is well written and very readable. I really enjoyed it and it makes me want to further investigate the Roman Empire.

I, Claudius is a good reflection of what society can become with the right ruler, Agustus, Tiberius, and Caligula. Claudius has captured the essence of his time. An easy to read historical account of Rome.

It's fun to learn about history while being entertained. Not many works of literature like this. It's amazing how the Chicago is in "Boss" (starring Kelsey Grammer) is similar to Rome during Claudius' time.

With hundreds of excellent reviews here, I will just say in brief that our heritage as an empire is not a happy story. Long before Roman civilization, the onset of patriarchy, apparently concomitant with evolution of our cerebral cortex and especially activation of our left brain, hence identity and ego, we lost that golden sense of kinship with the natural order, if, indeed, we truly ever had it. If indeed we ever truly lived a daily sense of kinship with the sacred, or lived in tribes with respect and what now would be called emotional literacy, somehow free of the burdens of the profit motive and of the artifices of power in place of B E I N G . . .

This history or historical fiction with philosophical truth, Aristotle's remark quoted by Graves in his King Jesus, surely takes the romance out of civilization and depicts the entire loss of belonging and all its symptoms and effects.

Still, it is the water we swim in and the air we breathe.

The time period here, as in King Jesus, is also the depth of the Kali Yuga in which by that concept, is the greatest loss of consciousness we will experience and endure. It was Ramakrishna who said that during the Kali Yuga, humans must eat meat. We don't always have to be so depraved. One hopes. Meantime, I have some more Robert Graves to read.

Engaging story all the way through from the "eyes" of Claudius. The book gives powerful insight into some of Claudius' family, their personalities and feelings. It was never boring to read and easy to understand (although I did draw a small family tree on the inside cover to help keep the many individuals' relationships to each other clear in my mind!).

What a disappointment. Perhaps people had better attention spans when this book was written in 1934, but it really dragged. Managed to plod thru the first 300 pages, but couldn't take any more and just skipped to the ending. Drink plenty of coffee if you want to get thru this book.

Not as dry as some of the other Roman historians (i.e. Livy). Contains a broad time period, very informative and is an interesting look at the interactions amongst Rome's leading family. With all the drama, betrayal, sex, and violence, should be made into a movie or something.