I, Claudius

By: Robert Graves

Narrated by: Derek Jacobi

Length: 5 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

Here is a major new recording and the riveting account of Ancient Rome in all its madness and debauchery.

The politics of empire-building and the hypocrisies, back-stabbings, and corruptions of Rome's first family come to light. First published in 1934, the book retains a marvelously modern and often comic tone, and is written in the form of Claudius' autobiography. This is gripping stuff, read by one of our finest actors, who also starred as Claudius in the classic television series.

©2007 CSA Telltapes Ltd. (P)2007 CSA Telltapes Ltd.

Very much abridged, but still good

Derek Jacobi performs this well, and made it a pleasurable listen. Being an abridged recording, it does leave out a lot, but covers the story up until Claudius is made emperor, which is where it stops. That was my only disappointment. The unabridged story continues on quite a bit longer, and I was hoping this recording would cover that material.

I suppose Derek Jacobi would have been too expensive to have perform the unabridged version, but I think it would be worth any extra expense to have it.

Need plus ultra

Doesn't get any better than this coupling of an inspired satire by Graves and an outstanding narration by Derek Jacobi.
David Evan Glasser

Wish it were longer!

This is one of my favorite books. To have the legendary Derek Jacobi reading this timeless story is fantastic. He played Claudius in the PBS production of "I, Claudius" many years ago, and his performance is even more compelling in this audiobook. I could listen to him all day--and I did! If you haven't read the unabridged version, you will want to after listening. Enjoy!

Entertaining view into the world of the ceasars

Great book for anyone with a bit of interest in roman history. Because of all the (similar) names in the book, maybe have a family tree of the Julio Claudian dynasty at hand

C

Jacobi does a great job with the narration - brings Claudius to life. The abridged version moves through the plot efficiently and keeps the story in tact

A wonderful retelling

It was great hearing Derek Jacobi reprise his Claudius, almost as if you were having dinner with the old stammerer himself. It reminds one of the BBC series but stands on its own. I only wish it were not abridged! Onward to "Claudius the God," which completes the saga. You can get the unabridged version, but it won't be with the incomparable Sir Jacobi.

Derek Jacobi at his best.

Since I associate Mr. Jacob with Claudius, I thought the audio performance was excellent. Anyone who loves history, will love this performamce. I know the author has taken history and adds to it that you feel you are there. The music also made the audio performance more frightening and alive.

I, Claudius

The real shame here is that this is a abridged story. Derek Jcobi gives an excellent and delightful reading.

When did they have time for world domination?

Firstly, an admission: I purchased this audiobook because 'I, Claudius' was our book group pick for April and most members had given up a chapter or so in because it was too dense a read. I have found that a narrator who understands the story can add so much to it by inflection and so chose the easier route. And, yes, I purchased the abridged version (tsk, tsk).

So, having chosen what I believed was the easier path, I still struggled in the early part of the book to keep up with all the -iuses - Claudius, Octavius, Tiberius, Posthumus, Germanicus, Augustus - you get the idea. Add to that the intermarriage and penchant for naming children a version of their parent's name (Agrippa - Agrippina, Livia - Livilla, etc), and it's a hard story to get a handle on without a family tree in front of you. That said, once I got the hang of it - I'd liken it to watching a movie with subtitles - I really enjoyed the story, Not short on drama, the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Also, the characters became easier to follow as more and more of them were killed off.

Originally published in 1934, I, Claudius takes the form of a memoir of Roman Emperor Claudius, who became emperor following the assassination of Caligula. He is, essentially, the last man standing. It is surprising, listening to this tale, that the Romans had any time at all to wage wars and conquer the world, given all the political intrigue and backstabbing at home.

Derek Jacobi is an excellent narrator, and his crisp delivery helped my understanding of the novel no end. Jacobi played Claudius in the 1976 BBC miniseries and 2007 radio adaptations of the book, so his knowledge of the character informs his reading of the book beautifully.

Having listened through to the end, I started again at the beginning in order to get clear in my head who was related to who (and who killed who) at the start. This isn't a story for everyone, but if you are interested in ancient history, enjoy a reading/listening challenge and are after some political intrigue, then this might be one for you.

Deliciously fascinating!

I read the book when I was a teenager and loved every word. When I bought the Audible version I was a little anxious that Derek Jacobi wouldn't "match" the voices I'd heard in my head all those years ago. My fears were ungrounded: Jacobi is brilliant and I'm enjoying every minute. The shenanigans of ancient Rome make today's politicians seem tame, and Robert Graves was a writer to relish. Highly recommended.