I, Claudius

• Author:  R. Graves  (1895-1985)
• Title: I, Claudius
• Published: 1934
• Genre: Historical fiction
• Trivia: Nr 14 on Modern Library’s Top 100 Novels
• #20BooksOfSummer Challenge
• The Guardian List   (138  /1000)
• Trivia: James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction 1934 for R. Graves
• Trivia: In 1976, the BBC produced a  TV series based on I, Claudius
• …starring Derek Jacobi, Patrick Stewart and John Hurt.
• The series was one of the most successful mini-series ever produced.

 

Introduction:

1. The elderly Roman emperor Claudius writes his memoirs.
2. He tells of the history of the Roman empire through his own period of rule.
3. It chronicles the reigns of  emperors
4. Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula and finally Claudius.
5. It begins as Augustus is emperor and his scheming wife Livia.
6. She will stop at nothing to make her son
7. …from a previous marriage Tiberius the next emperor.

1. This is a long period of intrigue, deaths by poison and double-crosses.
2. History is witnessed by Claudius.
3. He limps and stammers which  cause everyone to think him simple-minded.
4. But Claudius in fact possesses a very keen intellect.
5. Claudius accentuates his deficiencies.
6. That way he will not be seen as a threat in the murderous world.
7. He has a greater chance of survival.
8. He is determined to see justice be done and Rome returned to a Republic.

Claudius:

Conclusion:

1. I, Claudius….I was addicted to this series in the 1970’s!
2. Do you remember the snake slithering across the mosaic of Claudius’ face?
3. For old times sake…I wanted to read the classic by Robert Graves.
4. Strong point: Graves mixes history with irresistible  juicy details
5. …that gives this book a ‘soap-opera’ feel.
6. The reader gets wrapped up in the live of these historical figures.
7. Ch 9: Graves includes a discussion about the ethics of writing history
8. with Claudius, Livy and Pollio.
9. Strong point: Claudius tells the reader that Livy “…makes the people of Ancient Rome
10. …behave and talk as if they were alive now.“
11. That is what Robert Graves has done in his best-seller I, Claudius.
12. I could not stop reading even after the book was ended.
13. The marriages of Claudius and his 2 wives
14. Messalina and Agrippina the Younger (his niece)
15. …were fascinating! (reading in Wikipedia)

Last thoughts:

1. If you watched the TV series (1976) the book offered no surprises.
2. Still I needed Wikipedia to keep me informed ‘who’s who’
3. …during the reading! (so many births, marriages, adoptions etc)
4. I don’t why is  book is included on the
5. Modern Library  TOP 100 novels of 20th C list.
6. It was good
7. …but not to be compared with Faulkner, Joyce or Conrad!