Home :: Books :: Literature & Fiction  

Arts & Photography
Audio CDs
Audiocassettes
Biographies & Memoirs
Business & Investing
Children's Books
Christianity
Comics & Graphic Novels
Computers & Internet
Cooking, Food & Wine
Entertainment
Gay & Lesbian
Health, Mind & Body
History
Home & Garden
Horror
Literature & Fiction

Mystery & Thrillers
Nonfiction
Outdoors & Nature
Parenting & Families
Professional & Technical
Reference
Religion & Spirituality
Romance
Science
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Sports
Teens
Travel
Women's Fiction
Claudius the God : And His Wife Messalina

Claudius the God : And His Wife Messalina

List Price: $15.95
Your Price: $10.85
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 2 3 4 >>

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The sequel's just as good!
Review: "Claudius the God" is the second of Graves' two-part story of the Roman Emperor Claudius, told in the form of an autobiography. It continues right where "I, Claudius" leaves off, at Claudius's ascendancy to Emperor following Caligula's rather bloody end. Thanks to Livia, Tiberius, and Caligula, most of the politically prominent citizens of Rome have been poisoned, exiled, or otherwise done away with when Claudius begins his reign. So things are relatively peaceful for a while.

If you've read the other reviews of this book, you may get the impression that it's not near as good as the first and that you wouldn't be missing out on much by skipping it. And I guess it all comes down to your tastes. If you're looking for a story packed with intrigue and deception culminating in a triumphant ending, you won't find it in the sequel. There aren't as many loonies around anymore to laugh at. And the last few years of Claudius's reign are decidedly sobering.

Yet if you like reading about history as much as I do, there's still a ton of fascinating material here to immerse yourself in. Such as a rich background on Herod Agrippa, the Jewish king who feigns friendship with Claudius while secretly fomenting rebellion. Or interesting details on the Celtic druids' rituals. And of course an account of Claudius's successful invasion of Britain. Back at home Claudius's lovely wife Messalina eventually reveals her shocking true colors, leading to a purge of Rome's corrupt nobility by Claudius.

All narration is in the same style that distinguished the first book: witty, humorous, and anything but dry. At the end of the first book, I simply had to know what happened to Claudius next. So for me, this book was a necessary read and I'm pleased to say that it far surpassed the expectations I had formed upon reading many of the other reviews here. Claudius makes a heroic effort to repair the extensive damage that the mad Caligula wreaked on the Empire's finances and general well-being (such as adding ~150 holidays to the year!). He largely succeeds but only temporarily, then ultimately yields to the Empire's natural entropic tendency to fall into disorder. You may feel somewhat down after reading it, but you'll have to agree that the ride was fascinating while it lasted!

Highly recommended.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The sequel's just as good!
Review: "Claudius the God" is the second of Graves' two-part story of the Roman Emperor Claudius, told in the form of an autobiography. It continues right where "I, Claudius" leaves off, at Claudius's ascendancy to Emperor following Caligula's rather bloody end. Thanks to Livia, Tiberius, and Caligula, most of the politically prominent citizens of Rome have been poisoned, exiled, or otherwise done away with when Claudius begins his reign. So things are relatively peaceful for a while.

If you've read the other reviews of this book, you may get the impression that it's not near as good as the first and that you wouldn't be missing out on much by skipping it. And I guess it all comes down to your tastes. If you're looking for a story packed with intrigue and deception culminating in a triumphant ending, you won't find it in the sequel. There aren't as many loonies around anymore to laugh at. And the last few years of Claudius's reign are decidedly sobering.

Yet if you like reading about history as much as I do, there's still a ton of fascinating material here to immerse yourself in. Such as a rich background on Herod Agrippa, the Jewish king who feigns friendship with Claudius while secretly fomenting rebellion. Or interesting details on the Celtic druids' rituals. And of course an account of Claudius's successful invasion of Britain. Back at home Claudius's lovely wife Messalina eventually reveals her shocking true colors, leading to a purge of Rome's corrupt nobility by Claudius.

All narration is in the same style that distinguished the first book: witty, humorous, and anything but dry. At the end of the first book, I simply had to know what happened to Claudius next. So for me, this book was a necessary read and I'm pleased to say that it far surpassed the expectations I had formed upon reading many of the other reviews here. Claudius makes a heroic effort to repair the extensive damage that the mad Caligula wreaked on the Empire's finances and general well-being (such as adding ~150 holidays to the year!). He largely succeeds but only temporarily, then ultimately yields to the Empire's natural entropic tendency to fall into disorder. You may feel somewhat down after reading it, but you'll have to agree that the ride was fascinating while it lasted!

Highly recommended.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A worthy sequel to a great novel
Review: "Claudius the God" is a great book, but it is noticeably worse than its predecessor. For one, it is more somber than "I, Claudius". This would have been fine if the account was more truthful to history, but it is still quite preposterous, so the lack of humor takes something away from the narrative.

I liked the characters, such as Herod Agrippa and Messalina, but felt that their complexities were not all revealed. Herod Agrippa is interesting as a rascal with the heart of gold, but his plotting to take over the East is told through the dispatches of a personal enemy to Claudius. Although this is how Claudius found out about his actions, I feel that his story should have been told in a story-like fashion, and then Claudius could have pointed out how he came by such information.

Messalina was an intriguing character but Graves made her evil without any further explaination. Nobody becomes evil overnight. He also failed in excusing Claudius for not seeing Messalina's faults. Although he is supposed to have loved her beyond distraction, you can't really feel it throughout the book. This is a great mystery of why Claudius was so inept when dealing with his wives. Graves makes his conduct smart in "I, Claudius", while in "Claudius the God" he is completely blind to Messalina's ways. If he truly was that blind, then Graves should have concentrated in making Claudius' love for her seem more real and all encompassing. Otherwise, he should have come up with another reason for Claudius' folly.

Overlooking this weakness in his storytelling, the book takes a wonderfully tragic turn when Claudius discovers Messalina's betrayal. His pain is so poignantly written that the readers cannot help but feel for him. Afterwards, when he made the decision to retain a passive role in the government, which stemmed from the pain of Messalina's duplicity, the readers feel acutely the loss of his will to live.

This book could have become comparable to "I, Claudius" if the relationship between Claudius and Messalina was better examined.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Et tu, Claudius?
Review: 'Claudius the God' is actually part two of a two-part set, the second volume after the much-better-known 'I, Claudius'. The story is set in Rome at the time of the institution of Augustus, the first emperor, up to the accession of Nero, the last of the Julio-Claudian line of emperors (after this time, the imperial seat was more of a political prize to be fought for than a family bequest).

Robert Graves intriguing use of the vernacular language and the extensive research, following largely the histories of Suetonius (a gossipy historian) rather than Tacitus (the formal, more official historian), gives a rather racy and juicy insight into the flamboyant lifestyle of the early imperial family, as seen through the eyes primarily of its most unlikely heir, Claudius the stammerer. Claudius escaped much of the political intrigue and was seen as a harmless outsider due to his physical impediments, which helped mask his intellectual capabilities and cunning insight into the actions of others.

Grave's recreation is well-done, but a bit too sympathetic to his hero Claudius. Claudius was not the intellectual saintly character protrayed in theses novels--true, he wasn't nearly as bad as his predecessor Caligula or his successor Nero, but he had shortcomings that are often ignored for lacking the glamour of the evils of the two emperors who bookend his reign.

Graves' use of language is interesting to note. Instead of translating historical scenes into formal, high-academic English (as a classically-trained Oxbridge scholar might be inclined to do), he put things into what Alistair Cook called the everyday language of the English aristocracy, a social class accustomed to the easy exercise of world-domination power, politically and socially. This makes it an engaging work that avoids the pitfalls of academic histories.

This particular volume looks at the later part of Claudius' life, concluding with the time when he was emperor. The intrigues that had carried on in the royal family continued unabated around him as emperor, except that the wise and almost omniscient Claudius of old seemed to develop blind spots once in the imperial seat, largely due to love. When his wife Messalina finally plots his overthrow with a divorce, he acts, and his life is rather sorrowful ever after.

Derek Jacobi's performance in the BBC production is stunning; what the novel leaves out in way of historical accuracy to detail (Claudius was married more times than would Graves' books attest, for instance) it more than makes up for by way of being an entertaining introduction to imperial Rome. Make sure to get both volumes!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Don't miss the point
Review: A lot of the reviews of this book fail to recognise the exercise in which Graves was engaged when writing this book. I agree that he glorifies Claudius beyond what we will find in many historical texts, and also that he goes on about Herod Agrippa (although some people, including myself, find this very interesting) and in general, the book is written rather differently to I, Claudius.

You must recall, however, whether you have read the book already or are considering reading it, that Graves sets about to write a fictional autobiography. That is the style that he chose and I think he does it brilliantly. In I, Claudius we see the various emperors of Rome through Claudius's eyes - we are shocked by their terror, their blood-thirstiness and the general tyranny of their rule. Claudius, as a Republican, allows us to see these things in a manner that we would understand. In this book, however, Graves is trying to give us insight into the mind of an emperor: we see the difference between what occupies his mind now and what did when he was just a citizen. We also see the manner in which he justifies his actions to himself. He is constantly claiming that his actions were not tyrannical, that he was not exercising imperial authority but that he was doing what any reasonable man in his circumstances would have done. In these passages Graves is making it clear to us that he is writing about Claudius as Claudius would have seen himself.

After all, it would have been rather boring to just have another book on how terrible this or that emperor was - here, Graves has attempted, quite boldly, to put us in the shoes of the emperor and see how a reasonable man could fall prey to the charms of virtually unlimited power over the most powerful empire in world history.

I think he does it brilliantly.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Full of intrigue!
Review: An excellent narrative of Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula and Claudius, _I, Claudius_ captured my senses from its very first sentence. Murder, treachery, poisonings, loves-gone-wrong . . . all written in smart prose. How does a stammering and seemingly-idiotic fool become Emperor of Rome? Easily - by chance. Or not so easily, as you'll read! This book will entertain AND teach the reader at the same time. What a bargain!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Sopranos of Ancient Rome
Review: Apparently the violence of Italian culture hasn't changed a lot in the last 2000 years. The characters in these books (I, Claudius and Claudius the God are really just one long story) seem to spend most of their time either plotting to kill, killing, being killed, or avoiding being killed. With all that, no wonder the Roman Empire eventually fell--who had time to rule?

But, this is a genuinely powerful book, and one that should be read at least once. Even though it is fictionalized, it certainly gives a feel for what the time must have been like. And it's a ripping good yarn, as well. Immerse yourself.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Not quite the height that the first book reaches, but good
Review: CLAUDIUS THE GOD is the second part of Robert Graves' two-part fictional autobiography of the Roman emperor Claudius. I, CLAUDIUS was the first. Unlike the first book, which concentrated on the long chain of events that ironically brought Claudius to the throne, the second volume is more concerned with Claudius' own personal feelings on how he should reign, and events in the Near East and Britain which affect his rule.

Two things, however, stand between this book and a five-star rating. The first is that the initial 100 pages of the book are about the life of Herod Agrippa. As interesting as Herod is historically, concentrating solely on him for so long takes away from the focus on Claudius. The second gripe is that the last few years of Claudius' life, after his marriage to Agrippina, are glossed over in a few pages. This may be inspired by the historian Tacitus' comment that in his final years Claudius was merely the puppet of his slaves, freedmen, and wife, but it has a most disconcerting effect on a reader who up to that point has become used to hearing about things in detail.

I would recommend this series to anyone, and the two books do a wonderful job of bringing ancient Rome to life, but CLAUDIUS THE GOD is not quite as wonderful as I, CLAUDIUS.

For those who enjoyed this series, I would suggest reading Michael Grant's translation of Tacitus' ANNALS, published by Penguin.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Worthy Successor to I, Claudius
Review: Claudius the God is the sequel to the legendary "I, Claudius". Though not quite as powerful as its predecessor, the book continues the story of Claudius after his ascension to the throne.

The book points out the many pitfalls of ruling a state; Claudius, sadly, is as much at the mercy of his wife as the Emperor Augustus was his -- a blind spot that nearly costs Claudius his throne. The advice Claudius receives from his friend Herod Agrippa in the beginning of the book -- to "trust no one", is indeed good advice.

As a character, Herod Agrippa steals the book -- the book's first seventy or so pages deal with his story, which form a very amusing and interesting digression -- and shows how Herod Agrippa's influence in Rome is instrumental in bringing the Senate around to recognizing Claudius.

Claudius introduces legal reforms; converts the harbor at Ostia into an all-season port to help secure Rome's food supply, conquers Britain, and revives the Roman religion. The book is a wealth of historical detail and interesting anecdotes.

The book is also engaging and entertaining; although one soon sees that the job of Emperor is no fun indeed -- Claudius has as much cause for paranoia as any of his predecessors.

The book is a must read for anyone who reads "I, Claudius", and is a very good work of literature that brings the Roman age to life.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Worthy Successor to I, Claudius
Review: Claudius the God is the sequel to the legendary "I, Claudius". Though not quite as powerful as its predecessor, the book continues the story of Claudius after his ascension to the throne.

The book points out the many pitfalls of ruling a state; Claudius, sadly, is as much at the mercy of his wife as the Emperor Augustus was his -- a blind spot that nearly costs Claudius his throne. The advice Claudius receives from his friend Herod Agrippa in the beginning of the book -- to "trust no one", is indeed good advice.

As a character, Herod Agrippa steals the book -- the book's first seventy or so pages deal with his story, which form a very amusing and interesting digression -- and shows how Herod Agrippa's influence in Rome is instrumental in bringing the Senate around to recognizing Claudius.

Claudius introduces legal reforms; converts the harbor at Ostia into an all-season port to help secure Rome's food supply, conquers Britain, and revives the Roman religion. The book is a wealth of historical detail and interesting anecdotes.

The book is also engaging and entertaining; although one soon sees that the job of Emperor is no fun indeed -- Claudius has as much cause for paranoia as any of his predecessors.

The book is a must read for anyone who reads "I, Claudius", and is a very good work of literature that brings the Roman age to life.


<< 1 2 3 4 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates