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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
I will say, that while I did enjoy this book overall, it suffered from the same problem as the prequel: namely, it felt like a history textbook, and it would go on long tangents that felt unnecessary to the larger plot. However, that being said, it was a good read. I loved the new cast of characters and the way their true intentions were slowly revealed to the reader -- Messalina especially was so charismatic and interesting to follow, like Caligula in the first book. Do I have a fondness for extravagant bad guys? Yes, obviously.
Much like I, Claudius, this book brought up the important issue of truth in the history that's been passed down to us. We don't really have a way of knowing how true the accounts of emperors that we have are, considering they were written with biases and only select versions have survived over the centuries, and this book does a good job of bringing that to light without making it the focus. It is still historical fiction, after all, and I'm sure it takes many liberties.
My least favourite things:
- the feel of the book. The point of it being an autobiography sometimes got lost.
- the long descriptions. It gets very tedious to read descriptions of battles or ships that last entire chapters.
- same goes for the really long decrees and letters that take up a good portion of the book.
My favourite things:
- the characters. Messalina, Herod, among others, were such a joy.
- Claudius himself! I really adore the way the book portrays how he's perceived as an idiot, but attempts to show you his intentions-gone-wrong and how he thinks things through.
This was a very good sequel, and it definitely lived up to my expectations. Highly recommended!
Much like I, Claudius, this book brought up the important issue of truth in the history that's been passed down to us. We don't really have a way of knowing how true the accounts of emperors that we have are, considering they were written with biases and only select versions have survived over the centuries, and this book does a good job of bringing that to light without making it the focus. It is still historical fiction, after all, and I'm sure it takes many liberties.
My least favourite things:
- the feel of the book. The point of it being an autobiography sometimes got lost.
- the long descriptions. It gets very tedious to read descriptions of battles or ships that last entire chapters.
- same goes for the really long decrees and letters that take up a good portion of the book.
My favourite things:
- the characters. Messalina, Herod, among others, were such a joy.
- Claudius himself! I really adore the way the book portrays how he's perceived as an idiot, but attempts to show you his intentions-gone-wrong and how he thinks things through.
This was a very good sequel, and it definitely lived up to my expectations. Highly recommended!
[b: I, Claudius|18765|I, Claudius (Claudius, #1)|Robert Graves|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1611780411l/18765._SY75_.jpg|4232388] was an exceptionally fun read with some flaws: Claudius' first wife is the most callously written character in the history of story telling, and there's too many pages on war and battles when we could be seeing more outragous sexual practices and political intrigue.
Claudius the God, however, was all flaws. It's clear why the masterpiece BBC drama condensed the entirity of this longer book into just two episodes, keeping only to the meatier story of Claudius' wife, Messalina, and his equally devilish last wife, Agrippina, neither of which can hold a candle to the devious brilliance of Livia. You have to wait about three quarters of the book before Messalina even does anything truly dastardly, and while the rest has its midly amusing moments, it's mostly dull, dry tales of war and bureaucracy.
It's also very self-forgiving. Everything Claudius does is 'honourable' or he has his reasons, and he honestly didn't mean to have that bloke's hands cut off. I don't know if it's Graves making excuses for him, or an example of how Claudius is more feeble minded than he realises, but either way it becomes a self-pitying bore. It does feel like a genuine diary, a chronicle written for one's own pleasure and recollection by someone gradually losing their youth and vigour to senility, without any thought of an audience that doesn't want to be bored rigid. And that would almost be fine, but reading it that way goes entirely against the reason Claudius was supposed to have written this shit down in the first place. I've forgotten so much of this book even though I read it late last year; it just wasn't interesting and felt like such a forced sequel to a great book.
As lack lustre as it is, what is so much worse, what was an unforgivable wound to my expectations, having adored the show before reading anything, was there's no brilliant speech to the senate. That amazing moment, when Claudius expertly argues he should be emporer to men who'd thought him nothing but a fool, is not in the book. That's not Grave's fault, obviously, he didn't know the BBC would take his historical fanfiction and smother it with gold and sapphires, but it was disheartening to say the least.
For those who've suffered that same bereavement, let me lighten it with this joy you may not have encountered. There was a tragically cancelled earliar production of Grave's story with Charles Laughton as Claudius, and an excerpt survives in which Laughton delivers his variation of the 'why I should be emporer' speech, all with a passion and command that rivals Derek Jacobi's. It's bittersweet to watch considering we'll never see any more of it, but since Graves couldn't give you that glorious scene, here's another version for you to enjoy:
Charles Laughton's Claudius addresses the senate
Claudius the God, however, was all flaws. It's clear why the masterpiece BBC drama condensed the entirity of this longer book into just two episodes, keeping only to the meatier story of Claudius' wife, Messalina, and his equally devilish last wife, Agrippina, neither of which can hold a candle to the devious brilliance of Livia. You have to wait about three quarters of the book before Messalina even does anything truly dastardly, and while the rest has its midly amusing moments, it's mostly dull, dry tales of war and bureaucracy.
It's also very self-forgiving. Everything Claudius does is 'honourable' or he has his reasons, and he honestly didn't mean to have that bloke's hands cut off. I don't know if it's Graves making excuses for him, or an example of how Claudius is more feeble minded than he realises, but either way it becomes a self-pitying bore. It does feel like a genuine diary, a chronicle written for one's own pleasure and recollection by someone gradually losing their youth and vigour to senility, without any thought of an audience that doesn't want to be bored rigid. And that would almost be fine, but reading it that way goes entirely against the reason Claudius was supposed to have written this shit down in the first place. I've forgotten so much of this book even though I read it late last year; it just wasn't interesting and felt like such a forced sequel to a great book.
As lack lustre as it is, what is so much worse, what was an unforgivable wound to my expectations, having adored the show before reading anything, was there's no brilliant speech to the senate. That amazing moment, when Claudius expertly argues he should be emporer to men who'd thought him nothing but a fool, is not in the book. That's not Grave's fault, obviously, he didn't know the BBC would take his historical fanfiction and smother it with gold and sapphires, but it was disheartening to say the least.
For those who've suffered that same bereavement, let me lighten it with this joy you may not have encountered. There was a tragically cancelled earliar production of Grave's story with Charles Laughton as Claudius, and an excerpt survives in which Laughton delivers his variation of the 'why I should be emporer' speech, all with a passion and command that rivals Derek Jacobi's. It's bittersweet to watch considering we'll never see any more of it, but since Graves couldn't give you that glorious scene, here's another version for you to enjoy:
Charles Laughton's Claudius addresses the senate
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
This was not quite as much fun as the first book about Claudius. He becomes a mediocre emperor despite initial good intentions.
Mér fannst þessi töluvert síðri en fyrri bókin. Hún fjallar líka um miklu styttra tímabil. Jesúpælingarnar eru frekar þreytandi. Bestu partarnir eru þegar maður sér Kládíus gera sömu mistök og Ágústus gerði í fyrri bókinni. Það hjálpar manni að skilja hvernig Ágústus gat verið svona blindur.
Ik heb dit boek gelezen voor OC Latijn en het gaf zeer veel info over keizer Claudius. Maar ik heb het niet volledig gelezen.
While Claudius the God has a lot of charm, its definitely a step down from I, Claudius. The bumbling virtuous survivor from the first book has grown into an a clever and able administrator, but one that can't stave off the inevitable corruption of Empire.
Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus ascends the Roman throne in the second half of Robert Graves' life of Claudius. After the debacle of the reign of his three relatives, Augustus, Tiberius and Caligula, Claudius is left with Roman society in ruins, and his dreams of re-establishing the Republic fade. In an effort to bring Rome back from the brink of disaster, Claudius institutes many governmental reforms. Although he is somewhat successful, during his thirteen year reign, his heroic efforts are somewhat thwarted by the corrupt system and the constant behind-the-scenes manipulation of the ruling classes. Chief among them, his wife, Messalina, plots his downfall and engages in the kinds of excesses that were common among Caligula's cohorts. She eventually receives her just desserts, breaking Claudius' heart in the process. There are other people who genuinely love Claudius, and eventually even his grandmother Livia comes to show him a grudging respect.
Once again, Robert Graves exhibits his awesome talent in this gripping tale. I have read this duo of books at least three times, and plan to read them again. They are just that good.
Once again, Robert Graves exhibits his awesome talent in this gripping tale. I have read this duo of books at least three times, and plan to read them again. They are just that good.