I, Claudius

By: Robert Graves

Narrated by: Nelson Runger

Length: 16 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

Here is one of the best historical novels ever written. Lame, stammering Claudius, once a major embarrassment to the imperial family and now emperor of Rome, writes an eyewitness account of the reign of the first four Caesars: the noble Augustus and his cunning wife, Livia; the reptilian Tiberius; the monstrous Caligula; and finally old Claudius himself and his wife, Messalina. Filled with poisonings, betrayal, and shocking excesses, I Claudius is history that rivals the most exciting contemporary fiction.

©1934, 1961 Robert Graves (P)1987 Recorded Books

These people were OG...

You know how people like to say that America is like Ancient Rome, and doomed to fall the same way? I disagree.
-I don't know of a single US First Lady who has been found to have been a serial murderer. Not even Hillary C.
-We may have had some Presidents who were massive egotists, but none of them have decided they were God (at least if they did, they didn't tell everyone while dressed up in a red wig and high heels while forcing terrified citizens to call them Venus.)
-We have never declared war on the ocean, fed senators to wild animals for entertainment, forced couples to divorce or commit suicide, or put fig trees on trial for murder.
All this and more was imposed upon this early civilization by members of ONE FAMILY. Eat your hearts out Sopranos...or more likely, have your hearts eaten.

scandalous

A real Roman soap opera! It was a good time to listen to all that scandalous drama, but it did get difficult to follow the characters names. Some parts were boring but most was exciting. Great performance reading, fit the story nicely.

One Man, A Lot of Drama

If you could sum up I, Claudius in three words, what would they be?

Trust No One.

What other book might you compare I, Claudius to and why?

I would compare I, Claudius to A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin. The main similarity between the two stories is the bevy of political intrigue. The lies, deceit, and murders all intersect with power hungry people.

What about Nelson Runger’s performance did you like?

Everything. Each character came to life, especially Claudius.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The Most Powerful Ugly Duckling (it's not a great one but it matches the story)

Gossip @ it's Best

What made the experience of listening to I, Claudius the most enjoyable?

The narrator is superb! It feels like you are listening to a good friend's gossip. Informative, easy to listen to and comical.

What did you like best about this story?

The narrator.

Which character – as performed by Nelson Runger – was your favorite?

Claudius.

Excellent drama at a sober pace.

Where does I, Claudius rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I would have given 4.5 stars if I could. This is very well-delivered history and drama, set in a deep and satisfyingly complex narrative that rewards close attention; the downside is that if you like your historical fiction to buckle some swashes, you'll be a little impatient here. As a longtime Bernard Cornwell fan, I felt that the story structure here was a little obfuscatory and that the pace was a little slow, but after the first few chapters, the intricate web of characters and plots (think G.R.R. Martin, only with more skill at the craft) began to pay off, and the novel became extremely satisfying.

The narrator was not my favorite, but neither did I have any real problem with him. His plain style compliments the dry humor and calm tone of the novel.

Surprised me - fun read

I was worried this was going to be super boring. After trying to read Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire and giving up after a couple hundred pages, I wasn't sure how well I'd do with such a sprawling scope again. Fortunately, the protagonist is interesting and his plight in a family of cut-throat would be emperors is quite compelling, especially when you remind yourself that these were real people and these events did happen.

I haven't seen the BBC miniseries for comparison but the narrator does a good job of representing poor Claudius and his ever-present stutter without taking you out of the story. There are times when Claudius (or the author?) digresses a little too much into the history of this or that or glosses over the sensory details that tend to pull a reader in but it is consistent with his character and I never got bored with the story even if my interest waxed and waned depending on the subplot.

Having all of this history fictionalized was a great way to get involved in it and learn something I might not have read about on my own. The characters are quite well defined and compelling. After finishing this, I plan on reading the sequel sometime.

Spend several hours in First Century Rome

Would you consider the audio edition of I, Claudius to be better than the print version?

Don't know.

Have you listened to any of Nelson Runger’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

If you could rename I, Claudius, what would you call it?

?

Any additional comments?

And you thought modern American politics is dirty! I enjoyed the vivid portrayal of daily life including personal interactions, which were realistically presented. I also appreciated the author's avoidance of cheap thrills from vivid descriptions of the bloodier parts.

Enjoyable...changed text?

Derek Jacobi has great command of this material, bringing his,familiarity with the characters from the BBC show. He puts this knowing warmth into the performance. Not 100% sure but I think this is not just abridged, but actually rewritten in places.

Wow, lives up to the hype!

Didn’t want this book to end. Excited to read the sequel, which I bought half-way thru this book, as it is so compelling. I enjoyed every bit of it. Also bought a few histories by this author. It’s my first Robert Graves, but now I’ll be listening many more of his books.
Much more than I expected. Excellent narration.

Well written\narrated history

I enjoyed listening to this long narrative about Roman personalities and their complicated relationships. I learned more about the common practices and competition for place in elite Roman families. Very interesting.