Saturday, February 4, 2017

Robert Graves' "I, Claudius": Audiobook Review

Historical Fiction
Overall
Performance
Story
"At last I will find readers for my histories "
Where does I, Claudius rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
Derek Jacobi enlivens the prose and brings depth to the proceedings. I'd rank this pretty high

What other book might you compare I, Claudius to and why?
With its self-conscious chronicler, perhaps the last book I heard at Audible, the equally erudite combination of mysterious murders and historical intrigue, The Name of the Rose.

Which scene was your favorite?
The climactic one, as the predecessor to Claudius gets his comeuppance.

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

Any additional comments?
Robert Graves' novel is heavily abridged here, broken by classical music interludes, but the plot is seamlessly edited. I wish there was more dialogue and less reporting. Rarely do you hear characters speak, and it's almost a shock to hear both fey Caligula and stammering Claudius engage in an extended conversation. (Audible US 2/3/17)

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