Customer Reviews

I, Claudius (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition)

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This novel by Robert Graves represents the supreme instance in the twentieth century to write a literarily serious historical novel. There has, of course, been no shortage of historical novels during the past century, but for the most part "historical" fiction has become a species of genre fiction, like Sci-Fi, detective fiction, spy fiction, and Westerns. I, CLAUDIUS, on the other hand, is a historical novel composed by someone otherwise regarded as a serious writer. This relationship between serious writers and the genre of historical fiction has not always been the case. Until the mid-19th century, a host of novels attempted to recreate a historical era, not least Dickens in A TALE OF TWO CITIES, William Thackeray in HENRY ESMOND, Flaubert in SALAMBO, Tolstoy in WAR AND PEACE, and Pynchon's GRAVITY'S RAINBOW. But for the most part, writers in the latter half of the nineteenth century and all of the twentieth century have forsaken historical fiction to write in the present tense, or at the latest of their childhood, as with Marcel Proust or Anthony Powell or Harper Lee.

Because of his success in the writing of I, CLAUDIUS and its sequel CLAUDIUS THE GOD, many today think of Robert Graves as primarily a novelist, but in fact most of his writing falls into the nonfiction realm, much of that with a historical bent. Graves was a passionate student of antiquity, both the Greeks and the Romans, and his goal in writing I, CLAUDIUS was to chronicle the period in Roman history immediately after the collapse of the republic and near the beginning of the rule of the Caesars. On the one hand, he wanted to adhere as closely to the documentary evidence for the events in the period as is compatible with a work of fiction, and on the other produced a first rate historical novel. He succeeds splendidly on both counts. His history is not pristine, but it is very close, with imaginative additions only for the sake of making sense of the narrative. The historical details are sufficiently solid and comprehensive for this novel to serve an excellent introduction to the early days of Imperial Rome.

In order to tell his story of Imperial Rome, Graves chooses as his narrator and eyewitnesses none other than the future emperor Claudius, once considered to be one of the weakest and most inept of the early Roman emperors, if also the least corrupt and ruthless. In the early 20th century several historians of Ancient Rome began revising their assessment of Claudius, not least the great Italian classicist (who relocated to England and America) Arnaldo Momigliano. Following the lead of these scholars, Graves presents Claudius as a cautious, sagacious, humble, unambitious, and scholarly soul, one who is simultaneously a gifted survivor and a closeted adherent to republican values. Though a stutterer and physically deficient, Grave's Claudius is a highly eloquent and intelligent observer of his world, a sage analyst of the personalities populating his Rome, and a gifted student of human nature. He also emerges as a highly likable and even admirable soul. One of the great achievements of Graves's novel has been to re-enforce on the popular level that reassessment of Claudius undertaken by the scholars mentioned above.

The precise period covered by Grave's novel begins roughly midway through Augustus's (formerly Octavian) career, the reign of Tiberius, and the shorter but extraordinarily horrid (though immensely entertaining) rule by Caligula. A host of other characters populate the story, but two above all others. One is, not surprisingly, Claudius himself, but the other is in many ways the dominant personality in the entire book, Claudius's grandmother, Tiberius's mother, and Augustus's wife Livia. She emerges as one of the great villains in modern literature, larger than life and exceptionally vile. One of the most brilliant moments in the novel is when Livia confesses to Claudius what motivates and drives her wretched behavior.

I, CLAUDIUS did not inspire a host of imitations among the other top fictional writers in the past century, but Graves did prove that it is a genre that still has potential to inspire, entertain, and educate. It also graphically illustrates the fact that the more things change, the more they stay the same. The world of Claudius may be long past, but the motives driving the actions of novel's characters are as alive now as then, and though the events of the novel took place two thousand years ago, Claudius feels very much our contemporary.

Roman history, with its conquests, technical advancements, and impact on our modern world can be one of the most facinating subjects known to man. Roman politics, however, is usually one of the most boring. What Graves does with "I, Claudius" is present all the complex political intrigues of the early empire and make them not only bearable, but extremely involving.

Told through the eyes of Tiberius Claudius, the intellectually gifted but physically deformed relation to a series of emperors, the book winds from the last half of Augustus' (the first emperor after Julius Caesar) reign through the notorious times of Caligula, all the while keeping the reader enthralled.

The most remarkable thing about this book is simply that so much HAPPENS. Unlike most works of fiction, Graves' work does not busy itself with flowing descriptions of scenery, beautiful women, or romantic philosophy. Instead, the plot moves from event to event in a fast-paced but still rich combination of history and literary skill. Graves is able to strike an impressive balance between massive amounts of raw information (the history part) and uniquely adept storytelling prowess. Never have I read a book so full of historical fact and yet so utterly enjoyable.

You need NO prior knowledge of Roman history to appreciate this novel. Highly recommended.

Instead of going into gory detail about the particulars of this text, as I'm sure you've read a few summaries already, I will merely say that this book changed my reading habits forever. I read this book, simply out of curiousity, because the title was familiar and from the first page of Graves' novel I was gripped. Written in an excellent, half-comic, half-tragic style, the novel flows, and keeps you reading until it abruptly (and I'd say quite cruelly ends). The moment which will stick in my mind forever is when I first read the scene when Claudius is called into the chamber of Caligula. Caligula mad intends to kill Claudius, but Claudius quickly picks up on the emperor's madness...and well read the book. This book changed it all for me, the next book I read was Tacitus, Annals of Imperial Rome, then The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire..and so on. This book lit a passionate flame of curiousity about Roman History and then eventually world history, ever since reading this book 3 years ago, I have read only ancient classics, greek, roman and world histories, at the pace of at least one a month. For that reason alone I must rate this book highly and maybe it will light that curiousity in you too.

"I Claudius." The name conjurs intrigue, violence, good emperors, evil emperors, and above them all an individual who rose to become emperor of Rome in spite of physical handicaps and prejudices. Robert Graves' classic is an insight into the history of the Claudian family and in particular Claudius, the despised idiot and stutterer who outlives all of his relatives to ascend to the throne, a position which he assumes with reluctance.

If you thought classical history is dull, read this book and find out that the ancients were just as corrupt and venal as our modern day politicians. I suppose the movie Gladiator will rekindle some interest in Rome. Read I Claudius and forget Gladiator. The book is historically accurate, well written (I am of the opinion that Robert Graves is the only decent modern English writer-why did he never win the Nobel in literature?) and despite its length, is a pretty quick lead. Take your time though, and savor the characters: Claudius' brother Germanicus, a brilliant general and noble spirit who probably would have been an emperor the equal of Augustus had he lived, Agrippa Posthumous, Augustus' grandson who was another possible pretender to the throne (who Graves portrays in a positive light- Suetonius and other Roman writers considered Posthumous a boor), the Emperor Tiberius, who was both ruthless and capable, and Livia, Augustus' wife and the true power behind the throne. Livia is the glue which holds the story together and conjures up images of powerful women who are the real powers (and this book was written in the 1930s!). Marie Antoinette, Imelda Marcos, and the present First Lady couldn't compare with Livia, who is self assured, ruthless, calculating and cared only for the survival of Rome and the Imperial succession. Sort of an ancient Catherine the Great. And finally, who can forget Caligula, that insane, perverted maniac who did nasty things to others and attempted to make his horse First Consul of Rome. With a cast like that, who needs soap operas or the WWF?

After you finish "I, Claudius" you'll probably be sighing in relief that you weren't born into Roman nobility at the end of the first century BC. Because that would mean you'd have had wealth and political influence during the time of Augustus's scheming wife Livia and the tyrannical reigns of Emperors Tiberius and Caligula, which could have easily meant total loss of wealth and quite possibly death (and the deaths of all members of your family) if you so much as looked at any of them cross-eyed. Claudius is the nervous stammering weakling in the background, ridiculed by nearly all the royal family but relatively safe on account of those same shortcomings. He witnesses and lives through the many terrors and murders that the helpless upper crust of Rome suffers at the hands of the Caesars and their families and friends. The few noble-hearted members of the family are systematically wiped out as well, to prevent them from returning power to the Senate and making Rome a republic again.

Graves based this work (and the sequel Claudius the God) on Claudius's actual autobiography. Clearly many of the details must be fictional (i.e. what was on the menu on such and such night, words said during conversations, etc.), but all major events and many of the minor plot elements are ostensibly substantiated by historical text and hence are probably true to fact. That's scary. How can politics within a single city get as ridiculously inane and out of touch with regard for human life as portrayed in this work? Then again we need to remember that the Roman people condoned the spectacle of people killing each other for sport, so their thought patterns were obviously different from ours today. The Roman empire was a civilization, certainly. A *modern* civilization (with regard to Western core values as taught today), no.

Replete with wit and humor, "I, Claudius" is undoubtedly one of last century's masterworks in literature. Step into Claudius's shoes and warp back two thousand years to the epicenter of the largest ancient empire ever created. Enter the royal palace and be privy to secret plotting of heinous crimes necessary to retain power within the family. And shudder. Because you can't do anything about it, you're just a camera and microphone. You can't help the victims of the plots, even when you know that they could prevent or at least slow the decline of the empire.

It's all about power. Wait until you discover Livia's true purpose in all her scheming! Or read about how the insane Caligula handles the reins of the empire. A must read for all fans of history and anyone who just likes a good story.

Wow, was I ever surprised as all heck when this novel ended up being one of the greatest I've ever read. Not having too much background on Roman history, my preliminary thought was that I would be turned off after reading the first fifty pages. However, that thought was soon contradicted, and I found myself staying up an extra half hour every night just to see the following events.

I, Claudius is, without a doubt, a masterpiece in historical fiction. Much like Lonesome Dove, it made me more open-minded towards different types of literature. It has its own intellecutal wit, superfluous yet absorbing description, and a great storyline. Graves does a superb job at expressing the bad people surrounding Claudius (Livia, Tiberius, Caligula) and the good (Postumus, Augustus, Germanicus). I'm sure this wasn't an easy novel for Graves to write and it's an example of extreme determination and research.

Those reasons can be accountable for it being considered one of the greatest American novels of all time. However, there are certain aspects about it that some overlook. Take the character of Claudius. Though the customs and culture of Ancient Rome are far different than that of late 90's America, the position of Claudius is not. He is an outcast. People look towards him with disgust and make fun of his disabilities. He is barely given any chances and does not exactly have the greatest family life. Yet in the end, he does prevail as Emperor, even though he does not want to be. Let a teenager with tolerance and time read this novel, and most likely they will see how Claudius can relate to many others nowadays. Claudius, I believe, is one of the most dignified and respectable characters in literature. In spite of the harsh criticism, he remains resolute and loyal.

I guess that's it. So I end with saying that this novel is a sure pleaser. HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. I still have yet to read CLAUDIUS THE GOD.

Robert Graves' "I, Cladius" is cetainly a masterpiece on several levels. The book is a wonderful work of historic fiction that entertains from cover to cover with a lively story of the treacherous Julio-Claudian family. The book is also an excellent example of Graves' method of "channeling" the personalities of the past into the present by emersing himself in the historic records and then allowing the missing pieces to emerge as he writes. Finally, the book is a wonderful lesson on survival. Claudius during the reigns of his treacherous relatives and Elizabeth I during the reigns of her younger brother and older sister have much in common. Primarily both Cladius and Elizabeth had to work to hide their brillance in a world where it was best to be underestimated.

Claudius' grandmother Livia must be one of the most interesting characters in fiction or non-fiction. As a young woman with two small sons, she left her Senator husband to marry the young Emperor Caesar Augustus. She remained his most trusted, shrewd, intelligent advisor and partner until in old age she poisons him. She is ruthless, impatient, controlling, manipulative, ambitious, and extremely insightful. She eventually is able to penetrate Claudius' public persona, which is that of a bumbling fool. Claudius was a clumsy cripple, with a nervous twitch. He also stuttered and drooled. All of this made him appear to be a fool when in fact he was extremely intelligent and cunning. Claudius is at most risk when his grandmother Livia finally sees how bright and cunning a survivor he really is.

The character of Caesar Augustus is wonderfully developed. Imagine Lyndon Johnson married to Leona Helmsley and you have an idea of the dynamic duo of Augustus and Livia. Augustus is charming and persuasive to his will, the consumate leader and politician. He is extremely wise, listening to Livia analyze and deconstruct every policy and its implications. Yet he is fully human, loving his family, even as Livia destroys them one by one. In the end, after Augustus' family has been destroyed and murdered by the forces of Livia, he remains in control even though his life forces and joy have been gradually destroyed. This is a perfect example of the parasitic nature of Livia. She destroys all those who are close to Augustus and love him. Augustus is the source of her power and she does not want to share that power with anyone, his grandsons especially. Yet as she brings about the tragic end of his family, she causes the poor man to spritually shrink. As he nears death, she ensures that she is totally in control of Tiberius, her eldest son, and a monument to perversion and abuse of power.

The chapters on the insane reign of Cludius' nephew Caligula are beyond belief. Whereas Tiberius is dangerous and cruel, he is not insane. Caligula is just as dangerous but he is less predictable due to his insanity. Also, to increase the terror, Tiberious was not especially fond of Claudius, whereas Caligula liked his uncle and thus poor Claudius was continually in harm's way in the court of Caligula.

I could write page after page on the wonderful characters in this story. Octavia, Germanicus and others that make this work one of the primary works of historic fiction. How could a historic novel full of murder, treachery, power, sex, insanity, incest, poison, and ambition not be fun?

Robert Graves sets about, in the voice of Claudius himself, to tell the tale of how a stammering idiot rose to the supreme rule of Rome. Written almost entirely in the first person, we're taken step by step through every fine detail of Claudius' memories of childhood, love and marriage, victory and defeat. His friends and foes all come alive to share with us their stories while they come along for the journey of a lifetime.

Though this novel is a work of fiction, Robert Graves stays true to fact and follows a tight line along the true events. Like a painter he takes the black and white words of history and brilliantly colours them in so that anyone can enjoy reading this novel: the value of which is found, not only as a lens into ancient Rome after the republic collapsed into the rule of emperors, but also in the enjoyment of reading a well told story.

Graves' primary source for his novel is the work of "Suetonius: The Lives of the Twelve Caesars." Suetonius wrote a great deal on the Caesars from Julius to Domitian, which of course includes the four mentioned in "I, Claudius;" Julius; Tiberious, the son of Livia; Caligula; and Claudius, our stammering protagonist.

Graves was born in 1885 in London and lived 100 years. Besides "I Claudius" Graves is also known for his poetry; particularly his war poetry. Being of both German and English descent , Graves wrote from a rather neutral perspective regarding the great wars. He fought with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers at the battle of the Somme until he was wounded; after which The London Times, mistakenly published his obituary. Long after all of this, in 1934, "I, Claudius" was published. Graves wrote a sequel to the novel as well; called "Claudius the God."

"I, Claudius" introduced a more palatable aspect to historical studies, and has been so successful that it has been adapted into a BBC mini series and was to be made into a film, which despite having never come to fruition is a testament to how dynamic and true to life the novel is. This palatable aspect of `historical writing' offers readers a chance for a more relevant view of Roman life. Not unlike a play which, though written down, was always intended to unfold before an audience. The book is well worth reading, and well worth buying. I procured my copy for 50 cents at the public library book sale, but it's worth buying new and is a staple to any reference collection of the early Roman Empire.

There's not much I can say here or desire to say here that hasn't been covered by the other reviewers. Just to reiterate though: The character of Livia, as presented here in Graves's novel, is NOT based on any sound scholarship, new or otherwise. It's true that she COULD have poisoned her way to power as depicted here. But bear in mind that Claudius himself COULD have just as well done so himself, with this first person narration serving as a cover up. - Be it remembered that Claudius (the actual emperor) did write an actual first person Autobiography, now lost to us. - Who knows what ulterior motives he might have harboured in doing so? In any event, altogether too many untimely deaths of all sorts pile up to attribute to any one person. It also seems clear to me that Graves, in describing the Germans, was certainly drawing a parallel to the Germans he fought against in WWI.

But, laying historical accuracy to one side, this is a clever and interesting read. It is not, to my mind, the masterpiece some reviewers here make it out to be. But I enjoyed it. The impression one has on closing the book and reflecting on the murders, mayhem and madness that occur on almost every page leaves one feeling about the book as Claudius felt about the last, ebrious conversation he had with Livia:

"The conversation was like the sort one has in dreams - mad but interesting."

It helps, perhaps, to have some knowledge of Ancient Roman History in order to appreciate this work, but the beauty of this novel is that it is by no means required. Robert Graves takes a complicated and distant history and makes it immediate, approachable and human. The characters, and especially Claudius himself, are realistically drawn-they don't feel ancient, they feel modern, and it helps to bring home the truth that people are, and always have been, people.

While watching these (primarily nasty) characters work their poison is fascinating, I, Claudius is mostly a history, better told than just about any history you'll ever read. And, as history, it is instructive and comes across as being meticulously researched. The details only rarely get in the way. The narrative is fairly depressing as it chronicles the solidifying of the Roman Empire, hot on the heels of the demise of the Republic. It reminds us how precious our freedoms and political institutions really are, and how ready people can be to throw those things away in exchange for a little perceived gain, or simply out of cowardice. So easily is dignity lost, it makes one wonder whether it ever really existed to begin with. The writing style is conversational, like hearing from an old, family friend, the narrator being very sympathetic and only slightly untrustworthy.

It isn't a difficult read at all, it is entertaining, educational, philosophical and a modern classic that will give insight into today and tomorrow. In short, there is almost no reason not to read this novel, and several to recommend it.