by, Robert Graves, rated BThe first sentence in this book tells the reader that 1) What the book is about and 2) that it's written in a very engaging, easy to read style:
Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus This-that-and-the-other (for
I shall not trouble you yet with all my titles) who was once, and not so long ago either, known to my friends and relatives and associates as "Claudius the Idiot", or "That Claudius", or "Claudius the Stammerer", or "Clau-Clau-Claudius" or at best as "Poor Uncle Claudius", am now about to write this strange history of my life; starting from my earliest childhood and continuing year by year until I reach the fateful point of change where, some eight years ago, at the age of fifty-one, I suddenly found myself caught in what I may call the "golden predicament" from which I have never since become disentangled.
In spite of a writing style that was engaging, wry and very readable these imperial Caesar's were a nasty and evil bunch of people. And while I enjoyed the book by the end I was truly sick and tired of them. At some point I will read Claudius the God but for right now I am thankful to be done with them and happy to move on.
No comments:
Post a Comment