I, Claudius (Penguin Classics)
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I, CLAUDIUS and CLAUDIUS THE GOD are an imaginative and hugely readable account of the early decades of the Roman Empire ... racy, inventive, often comic (Daily Telegraph )
One of the really remarkable books of our day, a novel of learning and imagination, fortunately conceived and brilliantly executed (New York Times )
Still an acknowledged masterpiece and a model for historical fiction ... sympathetic and intensely involving: a great feat of imagination (Hilary Mantel )
One of the really remarkable books of our day, a novel of learning and imagination, fortunately conceived and brilliantly executed (New York Times )
Still an acknowledged masterpiece and a model for historical fiction ... sympathetic and intensely involving: a great feat of imagination (Hilary Mantel )
Product Description
Despised for his weakness and regarded by his family as little more than a stammering fool, the nobleman Claudius quietly survives the intrigues, bloody purges and mounting cruelty of the imperial Roman dynasties. In I, Claudius he watches from the sidelines to record the reigns of its emperors: from the wise Augustus and his villainous wife Livia to the sadistic Tiberius and the insane excesses of Caligula. Written in the form of Claudius' autobiography, this is the first part of Robert Graves's brilliant account of the madness and debauchery of ancient Rome, and stands as one of the most celebrated, gripping historical novels ever written.
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First Sentence
I, Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus This-that-and-the-other (for I shall not trouble you yet with all my titles), who was once, and not so long ago either, known to my friends and relatives and associates as 'Claudius the Idiot', or 'That Claudius', or 'Claudius the Stammerer', a.d. 41 or 'Clau-Clau-Claudius', or at best as 'Poor Uncle Claudius', am now about to write this strange history of my life ; starting from my earliest childhood and continuing year by year until I reach the fateful point of change where, some eight years ago, at the age of fifty-one, I suddenly found myself caught in what I may call the 'golden predicament' from which I have never since become disentangled. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
I, Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus This-that-and-the-other (for I shall not trouble you yet with all my titles), who was once, and not so long ago either, known to my friends and relatives and associates as 'Claudius the Idiot', or 'That Claudius', or 'Claudius the Stammerer', a.d. 41 or 'Clau-Clau-Claudius', or at best as 'Poor Uncle Claudius', am now about to write this strange history of my life ; starting from my earliest childhood and continuing year by year until I reach the fateful point of change where, some eight years ago, at the age of fifty-one, I suddenly found myself caught in what I may call the 'golden predicament' from which I have never since become disentangled. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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36 of 38 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Published in 1934, poet Robert Graves's _I, Claudius_ tells the story of Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus, known in Roman history as Claudius--an historian, a crippled stutterer, and widely regarded as an idiot. Claudius is isolated from the treachery of the Roman court during the years immediately after the death of Christ, protected by the fact that no one takes him seriously enough to want to assassinate him. Ultimately, however, Claudius ascends to the throne of the Roman Empire in 41 A.D. and rules brilliantly until he is assassinated in 54 A.D.
Through the first person narrative of Claudius, Graves tells the story from the beginning of the Christian era until Claudius's death fifty years later, recording the horrors visited on the Roman people by his family's rulers. Claudius's grandmother Livia, widow of Caesar Augustus--and one of the most treacherous women in history--manipulates the imperial succession through poisonings, assassinations, marriages, and secret alliances. The reign of her son Tiberius is bloody, murderous, and corrupt. His brother, the good soldier Drusus, is kept in foreign lands until he can be assassinated. Tiberius's succession by Caligula, his grandson and the protégé of Livia, takes Rome into even more terrifying debauchery. Claudius's ultimate succession to the throne upon the death of Caligula, his insane nephew, is regarded as a joke by the court--the installation of an idiot who will not challenge the imperialists. Ironically, Claudius is discovered to be a republican.
This first person account, with virtually no scenes of direct action, defies the first rule of novel-writing: to recreate, not "tell about" actions. Here every aspect of Roman history is filtered through the mind of Claudius, who "tells about" all the action as he knows it. Claudius, however, is so perceptive and so full of fascinating information about the characters and their motivations, that the reader creates his/her own action scenes from the information revealed by Claudius. Through Claudius, whom the reader comes to admire, the reader is able to evaluate what is happening in ways that direct-action scenes, with all their superficial excitement, do not allow.
Characters are complex, fully developed humans, instead of cardboard, costumed "ancients," and their machinations, though extremely bloody, show the conflicts that occur when absolute rule and republican sentiments contend for dominance, a conflict in which Graves says he saw parallels to World War I and its aftermath. Giving a new view of Claudius from what had traditionally been accepted, Graves's portrayal is historically accurate (based on then-new information) and psychologically perceptive, a brilliant novel which sets the standard for historical fiction. Mary Whipple
Through the first person narrative of Claudius, Graves tells the story from the beginning of the Christian era until Claudius's death fifty years later, recording the horrors visited on the Roman people by his family's rulers. Claudius's grandmother Livia, widow of Caesar Augustus--and one of the most treacherous women in history--manipulates the imperial succession through poisonings, assassinations, marriages, and secret alliances. The reign of her son Tiberius is bloody, murderous, and corrupt. His brother, the good soldier Drusus, is kept in foreign lands until he can be assassinated. Tiberius's succession by Caligula, his grandson and the protégé of Livia, takes Rome into even more terrifying debauchery. Claudius's ultimate succession to the throne upon the death of Caligula, his insane nephew, is regarded as a joke by the court--the installation of an idiot who will not challenge the imperialists. Ironically, Claudius is discovered to be a republican.
This first person account, with virtually no scenes of direct action, defies the first rule of novel-writing: to recreate, not "tell about" actions. Here every aspect of Roman history is filtered through the mind of Claudius, who "tells about" all the action as he knows it. Claudius, however, is so perceptive and so full of fascinating information about the characters and their motivations, that the reader creates his/her own action scenes from the information revealed by Claudius. Through Claudius, whom the reader comes to admire, the reader is able to evaluate what is happening in ways that direct-action scenes, with all their superficial excitement, do not allow.
Characters are complex, fully developed humans, instead of cardboard, costumed "ancients," and their machinations, though extremely bloody, show the conflicts that occur when absolute rule and republican sentiments contend for dominance, a conflict in which Graves says he saw parallels to World War I and its aftermath. Giving a new view of Claudius from what had traditionally been accepted, Graves's portrayal is historically accurate (based on then-new information) and psychologically perceptive, a brilliant novel which sets the standard for historical fiction. Mary Whipple
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Re-reading old favourites has become a bit of a habit with me lately - simply because there are few new authors with half the talent of Robert Graves.
As one reviewer points out, quite rightly, this isn't history, but the reader can't help but wish it to be true. The character of Claudius is so well drawn and accounts so well for the paradoxies evident in the historical accounts of him that you feel it must be right. There is nothing in the story that cannot be verified in Suetonius or Tacitus and Graves' handling of the material leaves the reader with nothing but admiration for his explanation of those facts.
Truly magnificent.
As one reviewer points out, quite rightly, this isn't history, but the reader can't help but wish it to be true. The character of Claudius is so well drawn and accounts so well for the paradoxies evident in the historical accounts of him that you feel it must be right. There is nothing in the story that cannot be verified in Suetonius or Tacitus and Graves' handling of the material leaves the reader with nothing but admiration for his explanation of those facts.
Truly magnificent.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
"I, Claudius" and its sequel "Claudius the God" are definitely amongst the best books ever written on Imperial Rome, and quite probably amongst the best historical novels on any age or subject. No novelist could have devised a better plot than the actual events in those days, with fascinating characters such as Augustus, Livia, Germanicus, Tiberius, Caligula and Claudius himself, and an empireal court rife with intrigue and plotting, but I've never known it told better than Graves does.
It's a book that demands your full attention and concentration, just to keep track of the countless family ties, feuds and plots, but in fact that's part of the attraction. A breath-taking story, by a master storyteller who knows his subject matter extremely well!
It's a book that demands your full attention and concentration, just to keep track of the countless family ties, feuds and plots, but in fact that's part of the attraction. A breath-taking story, by a master storyteller who knows his subject matter extremely well!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Disappointed
I was quite disappointed with this novel. I am quite a fan of Robert Graves, having read his autobiography; "Goodbye to all that' and a lot of his poetry. Read more
Published 14 days ago by Mr Jim Pinnock
Learning from history
Although I was aware of the celebrated BBC adaptation, I had never seen it and only became interested in the book after the writer Michael Dobbs recently named it as one of his top... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Simon
A classic book spoilt by numerous typo's
It's good to have this excellent 'historical novel' in the Kindle format and especially as the publisher has reduced the price a little in recent months. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Chainsaw Charlie
Fear and loathing in Classical Rome.
I first read this in 1976-77,just after the first broadcast of the BBC production of "I Claudius".The TV series was fine,but as ususal,the book is so much better,
It spans the... Read more
It spans the... Read more
Published 12 months ago by PygmyTwylyte
Good history, OK literature
I've been hearing about "I, Claudius" for a long time, and recently I finally decided to push it up on my reading list and find out what all the fuss was all about. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Dr. Bojan Tunguz
Terrible Kindle version of a great novel
The novel is great but the high price (greater than the paperback) can be in no way justified by the quality of this Kindle version. Read more
Published 15 months ago by B Moore
Shock and awe in ancient Rome
What an amazing book.
Graves' fictionalized history starts almost prosaically with a complex and sometimes digressive exposition of the politics and intrigues of... Read more
Graves' fictionalized history starts almost prosaically with a complex and sometimes digressive exposition of the politics and intrigues of... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Scarficus
I, Claudius, Robert Graves - Historic fiction at its best
Why bother going to the trouble of inventing a decent plot and characters when history has already done it for you? Read more
Published 16 months ago by Victor
Kindle price is outrageous
The book is a classic which I enjoyed in paper - but the Kindle price is outrageous four times the cost of the paper copy. This is just not right
Published 17 months ago by Miniac
Same old ebook price-gouging
It's a classic but seriously, eight pounds for an electronic version of a novel written in 1934 that sells for £6 in paper form (with all paper's attendant production, distribution... Read more
Published 17 months ago by D. Lawrence
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