(Robert Graves, 1934)

The epitome of a great work of historical fiction, I, Claudius, is as much a soap opera as it is a piece of historical fact. Full of political intrigue, treachery, debauchery, humor, and philosophy this book follows the reigns of Ancient Rome’s first three emperors — Augustus, Tiberius, and Caligula — as told by the fourth emperor, Claudius, who miraculously escaped the many bloodbaths that felled his more unlucky relatives. Although the story focuses on the men of this time, the women truly are the most interesting characters — namely Livia (who must have inspired Atia of the HBO series Rome) because of her mastery of manipulation and her desperate and indiscriminate acts of violence toward anyone who stood in her way. Graves is a historian known by me mostly for his translations of ancient texts, like The Odyssey, and is surprisingly witty here, finding a creative way to bring history to life. It’s not really a page-turner — being at times hard to remember who’s who or to differentiate one act of violence from another — but if you are looking for something to pick up for an hour or two every other day then try this one out. I recommend it for anyone with a moderate interest in history & politics, and definitely for anyone that loves nasty bitches murdering their sons and then demanding to be named a goddess!

Notable excerpt:

She reminded me that she had never contrived a murder which might be held to benefit her directly and immediately. She had not, for instance, poisoned my grandfather until some time after being divorced from him, nor had she poisoned any of her female rivals… Her victims were mostly people by whose removal her sons and grandchildren were brought closer to the succession.