Questions About I, Claudius (Claudius, #1)

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Answered Questions (8)

I'm enjoying this book but I'm wondering how much of it is real history and how much is "novel"?

Pete daPixie My opinion is it is mostly Graves' invention. The only accounts from posterity come from Suetonius, Tacitus and Plutarch...and their histories, writte…moreMy opinion is it is mostly Graves' invention. The only accounts from posterity come from Suetonius, Tacitus and Plutarch...and their histories, written many years after events, were very loosely based on actual facts with lots of their own invention. Although Claudius wrote histories himself, all his works are lost. So, for example, there is no evidence to convict Livia of all her supposed crimes.
Historical fiction at its finest.(less)

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Would I have a hard time reading it without much knowledge of Roman history?

Esther Asselin Nope. I read it with very little knowledge of Roman history and was able to follow along. I would recommend reading the first fifty pages or so in one…moreNope. I read it with very little knowledge of Roman history and was able to follow along. I would recommend reading the first fifty pages or so in one sitting if possible though, so that you can remember everything. In the beginning there's quite a lot of names and it was a bit confusing of who married whose ex-wife and such. Don't get discouraged though, it gets much easier from then on to keep track of the characters. Or look up a family tree at the beginning of your reading to clear up any confusion. But no, you don't need much knowledge of Roman history to enjoy the book.(less)

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what is the abstract of the novel?

Brandon The Imperial Family and Nobles of Rome, and their struggles for power, both perceived or actual. Lots of backdoor deals, assassinations, breaches of t…moreThe Imperial Family and Nobles of Rome, and their struggles for power, both perceived or actual. Lots of backdoor deals, assassinations, breaches of trust, etc. All from the perspective of Claudius, who is an absolute runt amongst many strong, powerful and cunning men and women. Or so they think...(less)

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Is there any objectionable content in this book? (I'm especially concerned about sexual content)