Customer Reviews

Claudius the God/2-Audio Cassettes

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This novel, like its antecedent I, Claudius, will mesmerize those who love classical history, although casual readers may find it tedious. The two works together form a fictional autobiography of the Roman emperor Claudius, who - at least in this literary incarnation - is both an astute observer of first century Roman political society and an extraordinary character in his own right. Born into the Roman imperial family but repelled by the violence and treachery surrounding it, Claudius retreats from power for much of his adult life. He buries himself in obscure academic pursuits and hides, for what he believes to be his own safety, behind array of weird physical disabilities. When his nephew, the mad emperor Caligula, meets his just reward, the middle-aged Claudius is literally dragged against his will onto the Imperial throne. I, Claudius ends with this bizarre scene and Claudius the God takes up from there with the improbable emperor's own account of his reign up to point of his death. Much to everyone's surprise, Claudius emerges into the public eye as an energetic, able and just ruler. And while the great pride he takes in his enterprise is evident, both the style of his rule and the tone of his narrative is characterized by a wry and self-deprecating humor. Much of the book consists of a detailed recounting of the administrative, judicial and military minutia in which Claudius immersed himself. However, there is a deeper theme at work too, which is the inevitability that innocence in a corrupt world will be betrayed. Claudius's closest friend for much of his life is Herod Agrippa, the grandson of the biblical Herod the Great. Herod Agrippa is a charming rogue and schemer who, while genuinely fond of Claudius, teases him mercilessly for being a fool and warns him, as it turns out in all seriousness, to "trust no one". The irony in the admonition is apparent when Herod himself betrays Claudius, plotting militarily against him and almost succeeding. This is only a side story, however. The thematic climax of the book occurs when it comes to light that Claudius's beautiful wife Messalina, whom he adores with the intense innocence of a teenager in love, has been using him all along for the fool, taking lovers and mocking Claudius behind his back. He finally discovers the truth when she is found to be conspiring with one of these paramours to seize the throne. She is executed for her treachery, but Claudius's spirit dies with her. He re-marries, but to a woman he cares nothing about and who, with his knowledge and acquiescence - for his death has been foretold by augury - begins amassing power on her own and conspiring to make way for her own son by a previous marriage. This son is later to enter history as the decadent fiddler Nero. The book closes with actual historical accounts by Tacitus and Dio Cassius of the real-life emperor's death at the hands of his ambitious wife, who poisons him. The last pages give us the final degradation, a bitterly satirical account Seneca, depicting Claudius - in death, once again the fool - trying to enter Olympus as the deified emperor but being banished mockingly to Hades by the other gods. The book is cynical and deeply sad. It's beautifully written and I recommend it, although it won't be to everyone's taste.

I ordered this book as a replacement for one I wore out and I still read


Graves, a great author, the best of historical fiction.

This book is the sequel to "I Claudius" which is my all-time favorite book. Though not quite up to that first book in intrigue and overall flow, it is still a great book in its own right.

There is a lot of rich descriptions of battles undertaken by the now Emperor Claudius that stretch for many pages. Also, Claudius has to deal with the betrayal of his friend Herod as well as his scheming wife Messalina (along with her debaucheries) while Claudius' advisor Pallus is also trying to usurp him.

Claudius' grand scheme to eliminate the monarchy and restore the Republic spawns the evil Nero (though he is not quite as evil as Caligula). Should not be missed!

There are certain people who, after creating a role on television based on a character in literature, make such an impression as that character that the mere mention of that character brings that actor or actress's name and face to mind ... and Sir Derek Jacobi's portrayal of Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus "this-that-and-the-other" in the BBC TV series I, CLAUDIUS based on the two novels I, CLAUDIUS and CLAUDIUS THE GOD by Robert Graves is in the forefront of such portrayals. In 1980, Dove Audio decided to bring the Graves novels to audio book form, and the absolutely best idea they had for the narrator was to ask Sir Derek to recreate his role as "Claudius", which he did magnificently in the audio book I, CLAUDIUS and now returns (again even remembering to include Claudius' stammer) to complete Claudius' autobiography from his unwilling election (courtesy of the Roman Army!) to become the fourth Emperor of Rome to just before his death in 54 A.D. (at the hands of his fourth wife, although this historical fact is NOT contained in the audio book!), which he tells his audience that he expects at any moment. Sir Derek's wonderful voice and vocal inflections bring Claudius to life as he recounts all the details of the history of Rome behind the history ... all the things that the official historians either never knew, overlooked or deliberately buried! But Claudius, who managed to cleverly survive THREE reigns before he got stuck with the job, is deliberately writing for US, the people of future posterity, sees no need for secrecy and takes us the reader/listener step by step through the Roman military campaigns, the private lives of the Roman aristocracy, and the various plots and murders of those men (and women too!) trying to claw their way to the Imperial throne AND those who were already there trying to keep themselves there!

The only thing I have to complain about this audio version is that while it is extremely satisfying to listen to, it is an Abridged version, but in the slightly-more-than-two hours that the recording lasts you the listener will never be bored! You may miss the overtly sexual scenes and acts that the TV series showed, but Claudius never glosses over that part in his narrative, and Sir Derek's voice expertly conveys not only the professional historian that Claudius was (in the novels, anyway!) but also a great deal of Claudius' emotion, especially in this half of his story when he is faced with the ultimate betrayals by those nearest and dearest to him. Definitely a MUST for any audio book collection!