I, Claudius is Robert Graves' riveting account of Ancient Rome in all of its madness and debauchery. First published in 1934 and written in the form of a secret autobiography, it endures as one of literature's most celebrated and compelling historical novels.
Abhorred for his weakness and viewed by his family as little more than a stammering fool, the nobleman Claudius quietly survives the cruelties, bloody purges and intregues of the imperial Roman dynasties. From the sidelines he observes the reigns of emporors: from the wise Augustus and his wicked wife Livia to the sadistic Tiberius and the excesses of Caligula. I, Claudius paints a vivid, and sometimes funny, picture of the ancient world - highlighting the complexities and politics inherent in empire-building.
A narration by Sir Derek Jacobi is always an unquestionable treat, and here he's on totally familiar ground as he immortalized Claudius, the Roman historian and chronicler, in the 1976 BBC TV series. A classic worth revisiting or enjoying for the first time, even this tidy abridgment captures the Rome of Augustus, Tiberius, and the mad Caligula, with its plots, poisonings, and palace intrigue and the eventual succession of "Claudius, the stammerer." Jacobi, a brilliant master, can color characters with pace and tone--and mostly without accents--and make each wholly distinct. The lists of who succeeded or descended from whom daunt him not, and sweep the listener along. The narrative flow is essential as so many events are described or related. Jacobi makes them vivid and thoroughly engaging. R.F.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly...
"Graves’s legendary tale of Claudius, a nobleman in the corrupt and cruel world of ancient Rome during the rule of Augustus, Tiberius and Caligula, is a truly compelling listening experience. Derek Jacobi returns to the role that defined his career when he starred in the 1976 Masterpiece Theatre miniseries I, Claudius. Jacobi is so strong in this role, it seems created especially for him. Jacobi’s compelling voice demands his audience’s undivided attention from start to finish and in doing so delivers an unforgettable performance as Claudius yet again. So incredibly personal is Jacobi’s performance that listeners feel almost as if eavesdropping on someone’s private life, which only draws us deeper into this gem of modern literature."
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