I, Claudius (Vintage International (Paperback))

Rating:
Summary: Where history is never boring!
Review: What a wonderful read. Hand this historical novel off to the next person that says history is boring. It documents the life of Claudius, grandson of Caesar Augustus, and later Emperor of Rome due to a simple ability to outlive worthier and wilier heirs. I will spare you the synopsis, but Robert Graves takes what is a sensational and complicated story of a very dysfunctional family and humanizes the history. As good as the book is, the 1970s British show, BBC I believe, is even better. Despite cardboard staging, the acting is brilliant and the dialoge sparkles. Shames current TV. Livia, wife of Augustus and Claudius' grandmother is pure charm and evil as played by Sian Phillips. I believe that is her name. And Derek Jacobi is wonderful