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sumigurl's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent BBC dramatic adaption. Wonderful cast and thoughtfully edited.
bennings's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic historical novel. This set the standard for every decadent court in fiction since and the cast of characters are all incredibly interesting and engaging.
chairmanbernanke's review against another edition
3.0
The fictionalised life of Claudius. He encounters many famous figures and events are retold.
schroedingers_rat's review against another edition
4.0
Engaging at the jump, even if it gets a bit dense (Romans have like six names to share and they get to roll dice on which order the names appear). I didn't really know anything about the setting or the era before I went into it, and I found it really fun and enlightening. This may not be the most historical account (I have no idea) but the little details add a lot of sugar. Lots of blood, death and a few funny jokes.
The whole time I was waiting for Claudius to be Emperor. I was waiting for that part to hit the whole time. I think I was about 70% through before it started dawning on me. This is the story of how he GETS there. Or, I guess, some men have greatness thrust upon them.
While I enjoyed this one, I am hesitant on starting the sequel (where we actually get to see Claudius be Emperor). Lotta Rome for one month. [EDIT: now I'm annoyed I don't know what Claudius will do to get to the point he is at the beginning of the book, so onto the sequel I go!]
The whole time I was waiting for Claudius to be Emperor. I was waiting for that part to hit the whole time. I think I was about 70% through before it started dawning on me. This is the story of how he GETS there. Or, I guess, some men have greatness thrust upon them.
While I enjoyed this one, I am hesitant on starting the sequel (where we actually get to see Claudius be Emperor). Lotta Rome for one month. [EDIT: now I'm annoyed I don't know what Claudius will do to get to the point he is at the beginning of the book, so onto the sequel I go!]
ange_kate's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
myjourneyreadingbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
karen_lipkey's review
4.0
I love this book so far. And I'm halfway through it after having to return it to the library on two separate occasions due to running out of time. I'm not sure why I haven't just 'buckled down' and read it already. It's really surprisingly good. It's just not the kind of book you can read on the treadmill at the gym. It's more of a Saturday morning taking-it-easy kind of read. Speaking of which... why am I on goodreads wasting time when I could be reading said book? Hmm.
ianfinitejest's review against another edition
5.0
An impressive fictional biography. I think the modern reader would like more insight into Claudius' mind, we don't get much reflection in all of that history. But the intrigue is in the plotting, the cruelty, the (as other reviewers have pointed out) the endless poisonings, and the many tragic heroes left by the wayside of Rome's bloody history.