Short Review: I, Claudius by Robert Graves

I, Claudius is historical fiction at it's best. It tells the story of how Claudius arose from obscurity to become emperor of Rome in 41 C.E. He supposedly had a horrible stammer and was lame, which may be why others hungry for power overlooked him. As he recounts his life, we learn the inside scoop about the first three Caesars—Augustus, Tiberius, and Caligula— and the world of ancient Rome comes to life.

Here's what I wrote in the summer of 2007: "Great fun and great characters. The blasé attitude toward poisonings and murders, the plotting, the stealing . . . it's all here. Great story." I gave this an A rating.

—I, Caludius, the first in a pair, was originally published in 1934; the cover shown here is by Vintage, 1961. I listened to the unabridged audio edition (Recorded Books) read by Nelson Runger. My reading notes indicate that he did an amazing job.

I, Caludius at an Indie

I, Caludius at Powell's
I, Caludius at Amazon

Reading at the Beach is the host for this meme: Each week she invites us to spotlight a book whose title begins with the featured letter. This week it's I.