et tu Claudius?

I, Claudius - Robert Graves
An oddly interesting historical novel by an author who, prior to publishing this, was most respected for his poetry. Much like Marquez's, The General in His Labyrinth, this book uses history as a starting point for a decent tale of fiction. The facts are generally correct in this work, as in Marquez's, but there is little historical evidence of the personality that Graves brings to his characters. If you have an interest in Roman history - or if you tend to like so called period pieces, this book has quite a lot to offer. As with modern works of urban political fiction there are plenty of scandal, sex, drugs, intrigue and murder in ancient Rome. But we all knew that didn't we? This first of two books concerning the Emperor Claudius covers his life from birth to his ascension to power, Claudius, The God covers the ensuing reign and death of Claudius. The real flash of brilliance here is that the stories are told in the first person (up until his death...in the second book) which gives us an unexpected look at what it's like to be the king. And yes, it's pretty good.
Rating: A-
Related:
Claudius, The God - Robert Graves
The General in His Labyrinth, - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
(an interesting sidebar: I believe there was only one Roman Emperor who was not killed by some act of treachery, Vespasian - - who oddly enough started life as a "commoner")