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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
As hilarious as the first was. Maybe a little sadder, and the ending being just an absolute delight to read. These two books are such a joy together and couldn't recommend anymore to those who love the Roman times.
funny
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The sequel to I, Claudius, Claudius the God and his wife Messalina is more of same if you’re into that sort of thing. The first book recounted one of the most turbulent times in recorded Western history, and from the wonderful point of view of Claudius himself. Although the events of Claudius’s reign are not as immediately interesting as the events that preceded him (And the entire reign is told in sometimes excruciating detail), Graves’s humor and pleasant prose still shines through. 7.5/10.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Gaslighting
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Genocide, Incest, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War
Minor: Pedophilia, Rape, Violence, Blood, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment
informative
Same rich text soaked with Roman'y goodness and little dry humour as the original, but a little lacking in plot compared to the OG, unnecessary sequel feeling despite an enjoyable read.
Decent, but nowhere near as good as 'I, Claudius'.
Not quite as good as I, Claudius, but still a fascinating peek at Rome of the time as imagined by Graves.
Ay, Claudius! The fourth Roman emperor (fifth if you count Julius), and a most improbable one. From Augustus, who in his long rein was able to consolidate and institutionalize the mechanisms of empire, the line of Caesars had gotten steadily worse... Tiberius, a reluctant but paranoid ruler; Caligula, a certifiable madman. What were the odds that a physically challenged, socially outcast scholar like Claudius would be chosen to succeed? But it seems that succeed he did! In reading Robert Graves, we come to empathize greatly with Claudius, and if we are to believe him, he was actually a thoughtful, moral, benevolent person; what more could Rome have wished for in an emperor? It wasn't until later in his life that the disillusionment sets in, first sparked by the duplicity of his wife Messalina, and exacerbated by the obsequiousness of the Senate; by that point Rome had largely ceased to long for the true freedom of the Republic. All of these factors finally began to bring out the eccentric nature of his Caesarean/Claudian lineage in him. Ay Claudius! You were so promising, and to think what might have been! At least thankfully you didn't succumb to excesses in the likes of your predecessor, although those excesses would arrive soon enough in the form of his successor, his adopted son by Agrippina, Nero. These two volumes by Graves give a very good picture of early imperial Rome. My readings of Rome have always been focused on the Republican period, so I did not know many details about the Empire. This series is a good start to the early years of Empire.
The second and final novel just doesn't live up to the first. Somehow, Claudius loses his personality and the narrative drive devolves into a list of events involving people and characters with which the reader has no connection.
dark
emotional
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated