Most of the time a dreadfully boring enumeration of events. If you like history, the detailed descriptions of Roman culture are nice. ( )

A magnificent achievement, to write as if he was the Emperor Claudius (he only becomes emperor right at the end). Very informative on Roman history and ways of life. Does one believe that Rome and the imperial household were as bad as that? Well, ancient sources vary.

Engrossing, fascinating, disturbing, with deadpan humour shining through at times. I really liked Claudius as a narrator and character (especially Claudius' conversation with Caligula when the latter decided that he was a god - priceless).
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"? ( )

Great historical fiction.
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. ( )

Anyone interested in the history of the Roman Empire would be fascinated with this fictitious autobiography of Claudius. Robert Graves, a noted historian was also known for his works as a translator, essayist, critic, and lecturer, and he did an outstanding job in writing this award winning story of Claudius. It also rates as #14 on the Modern Library List of best novels ever written.

Writing in the first person, the tale begins when Clausius was a mere teenager as he describes being shunned by most of his family because of his disfigured body and severe stutter. There is a lot of focus on family gossip, and of course, the family are all members of the Julio-Claudian Royal Caesar family.

Claudius’s mother was the daughter of Marc Antony, and his father was the nephew of Augustus Caesar. His Great-Great-Uncle was Julius Caesar. To complicate things, his Grandmother on his father’s side of the family was married to his great-uncle Augustus Caesar. The family tree is complicated because of all the inbreeding.

It is almost impossible to understand the full meaning of I Claudius unless you first read some historical background of Roman history and the Caesar Dynasty. Julius Caesar was believed to be a descendant of the Gods, and following generations of his lineage imagined their evil behavior was excused because they were exempt from judgement. They preferred to inbreed, keeping the family blood line as pure as possible.

In any case, the family history was riddled with mysterious poisonous deaths, betrayal, sabotage, and incest. The most evil of the clan were vicious and would do anything to usurp the power of other family members. There was literally a civil war between brother-in-laws (Marc Antony and Augustus). No wonder the mention of Babylon in the Bible is interpreted to mean Rome.

As Claudius struggles to keep a low profile, staying out of controversial family feuds, he becomes an intellectual scholar and immerses himself in writing - alleged to have written over 40 books. He never wanted to rule Rome but due to the assassination of the reigning Caligula Caesar he was unexpectedly selected as a successor.

As the story covers all the scandalous and nefarious activities of the Royal family members it also describes the military conquests, and concludes when Claudius takes over as Emperor of Rome in 41 AD.

After reading the autobiographical novel Great Lion of God which is about Paul the Apostle (lifespan: 5 BC to sometime between 64 and 68 AD), I found it intriguing to contrast it with the autobiographical novel of the life of Tiberius Claudius the Emperor or Rome (lifespan: 10 BC to 54 AD). Interestingly their paths never crossed. Paul was only in Rome twice and only after Claudius had already passed away.

Coincidently, both Claudius and the Apostle Paul were believed to be murdered, Claudius by poison, and Paul by beheading. The Emperor at the time of Paul’s death was Claudius’s successor and grand-nephew Nero. And both fictitious historical novels ended approximately 13 years prior to their death. The similarities end there.

Robert Graves does an excellent job of bringing all the characters to life and the true story of the Caesars is so outrageous there is no need to embellish the fictional account. "I, Claudius" is an enthralling read.

Rated 5 Stars September 2023 ( )