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Loading... I Claudius (original 1934; edition 1992)by Robert Graves
Work InformationI, Claudius by Robert Graves (1934)
  
Historical Fiction (16) » 52 more Favourite Books (139) Five star books (17) Books Set in Italy (12) 20th Century Literature (263) Top Five Books of 2013 (753) Books Read in 2015 (254) Folio Society (248) Unread books (254) Books Read in 2021 (994) A Novel Cure (219) Unreliable Narrators (73) 1930s (46) Books Read in 2023 (1,792) Antigua Roma (5) Best First Lines (73) Books Set in Rome (28) My Favourite Books (45) Alphabetical Books (110) Best of World Literature (357) No current Talk conversations about this book.   ) dvoratreis | May 22, 2024 |   ) jd7h | Feb 18, 2024 | jgoodwll | Feb 1, 2024 | It was very impressive how Robert Graves made me believe that I was reading a real autobiography of Claudius. I had to remind myself that it's historical FICTION... I found it a bit challenging to keep track of who was who and the (dysfunctional) imperial family relationships - somebody should have included a family tree/a chart in the book. But I am not complaining... P.S. I remember being very interested in Suetonius' The Twelve Caesars when I was small, while digging through my grandparents' bookshelves. Obviously, it was something about Ancient Rome, and the author had a cool name. But I never got around to reading it, there were so many other books... Since my book club had chosen "I, Claudius", could it be a sign that it's time for me to read "The Twelve Caesars"? ( ) Alexandra_book_life | Dec 15, 2023 | I first enjoyed this book more than 45 years ago - when it introduced me to some treasures of ancient Roman writing - Tacitus and Ceasar especially. Rereading after so long was interesting - I now have a good basic understanding of the Roman history of the period, so I was more able to sit back and enjoy the ride. Graves produced a masterpiece - good solid factual history, interspersed with believable novelistic details. (  ) mbmackay | Oct 18, 2023 |
 Young Claudius is such an unlikely protagonist, and the story covers his childhood as the family embarrassment, with a stammer and a limp. Readers know from the start that he’s going to become emperor, there’s not really any suspense on that account, but what a ridiculously wild route. Claudius survives the reigns of Augustus (and Livia), Tiberius, and then insane Caligula, and is finally appointed to Imperial power, despite his not-so-secret republican leanings and basically his best efforts to stay away from becoming emperor. I’ve read this book 5 or 6 times now, and every time I notice another historical detail. I, Claudius reimagines historical figures as complicated characters, and retells actual events with Claudius’ commentary and spin. It’s this compelling mix of careful research and details from Suetonius, and scenes that, well, no Roman historian said it DIDN’T happen that way, so why not? It is not enough for us to form any judgment of his merits as a historian or his qualities as a stylist. It is Graves that gives him a voice, and what a voice it is, garrulous, digressive, spiced with gossip and scandal, at the same time strangely dispassionate and sober. There is a range of tone here that enables Claudius, in his persona as professional historian, to deal with matters widely diverse, to be equally convincing whether talking about the waste and excess of military triumphs, the fate of Varus and his regiments in the forests of Germany, or the endless intriguing for power and influence among the members of the imperial family. Supuesta "autobiografía" de Claudio, singular emperador romano predestinado a serlo a pesar de que sus deseos fueran por otros caminos. Graves dibuja sin concesiones un espeluznante retrato sobre la depravación, las sangrientas purgas y las intrigas cainitas llevadas hasta el crimen durante los reinados de Augusto y Tiberio. Pero Yo, Claudio es también Calígula y su etapa sádica, Mesalina, Livia y, cómo no, Roma, un decorado único para esta trama argumental apasionante que se llevó a la pequeña pantalla con rotundo éxito. AwardsDistinctionsNotable Lists
Once a rather bookish young man with a limp and a stammer, a man who spent most of his time trying to stay away from the danger and risk of the line of ascension, Claudius seemed an unlikely candidate for Emperor. Yet, on the death of Caligula, Claudius finds himself next in line for the throne, and must stay alive as well as keep control. Drawing on the histories of Plutarch, Suetonius, and Tacitus, noted historian and classicist Robert Graves tells the story of the much-maligned Emperor Claudius with both skill and compassion. Weaving important themes throughout about the nature of freedom and safety possible in a monarchy, Graves' Claudius is both more effective and more tragic than history typically remembers him. A bestselling novel and one of Graves' most successful, I, Claudius has been adapted to television, film, theatre, and audio. No library descriptions found. 
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