Author:Robert Graves,Barry Unsworth
Continuing the saga begun in I, Claudius, Robert Graves's Claudius the God is a compelling fictional autobiography of the Roman emperor, published with an introduction by Barry Unsworth in Penguin Modern Classics.
Claudius has survived the murderous intrigues of his predecessors to become, reluctantly, Emperor of Rome. Here he recounts his surprisingly successful reign: how he cultivates the loyalty of the army and the common people to repair the damage caused by Caligula; his relations with the Jewish King Herod Agrippa; and his invasion of Britain. But the growing paranoia of absolute power and the infidelity of his promiscuous young wife Messalina mean that his good fortune will not last forever. In this second part of Robert Graves's fictionalized autobiography, Claudius - wry, rueful, always inquisitive - brings to life some of the most scandalous and violent times in history.
If you enjoyed Claudius the God, you might like Marguerite Yourcenar's Memoirs of Hadrian, also available in Penguin Modern Classics.
'I, Claudius and Claudius the God are an imaginative and hugely readable account of the early decades of the Roman Empire ... racy, inventive, often comic'
Daily Telegraph
'One of the really remarkable books of our day, a novel of learning and imagination, fortunately conceived and brilliantly executed'
The New York Times
'Graves made Roman history funny and familiar'
Guardian
A compassionate, forceful and profoundly moving revelation
—— Scotland on Sunday[T]here are gems of impassioned writing quilted within this ambitious cross-cultural novel of loss and reconciliation
—— Sunday TimesEpic and frequently astonishing
—— The TimesCrossing the River is dense with event and ingeniously structured. It requires concentration and is worth it
—— IndependentAn ambitious exploration of oppression, loss and reconciliation that employs a collage of styles and ranges across continents and centuries
—— Nicci Gerrard , Observer[Phillips is] a master ventriloquist, giving immediacy and voice to an impressive range of vivid characters about whom the reader cares deeply... Wonderfully individual
—— San Francisco ChronicleCaryl Phillips' exploration of the relations betweeen black and white is nuanced, humane and sypathetic. And his deep awareness of the historical process is combined with an exceptionally intelligent prose style - clear, unencumbered and compassionate
—— New Statesman and SocietyAn antidote to cynicism.... Haddon floats insights - sculpted, delicate and precise as origami - on currents of offbeat wit... you don't know whether to laugh or cry at the waywardness of the human spirit, you are salved by the compassion and humour of the tale. The delight is in the detail
—— Jennie Renton , Sunday HeraldIt has already been repeat-snubbed by this year's Man Booker judges. They've made a mistake. A Spot of Bother may be a novel about a humdrum family living in Peterborough, told in the third person this time, in deliberately ordinary language. Yet there is more real linguistic artistry, not to mention human empathy, at work, here than in all those poetic prosemongers, the Ondaatjes and the Banvilles... A Spot of Bother is a novel of minor incidents but it tackles big problems
—— David Sexton , Evening StandardLike a cross between Margaret Drabble and Francoise Sagan
—— The TimesJoughin has an appealing darkness and urgency, as she potently conveys the pleasures and pains of human interactions
—— The Sunday TimesAdeptly written and enjoyable... Ruth's childhood perspectives are extremely well captured
—— TelegraphStriking story of Ruth and Gray under the spell of famous poets' lives
—— Good Housekeeping's 8 Great ReadsReading Joughin's second novel is like immersing yourself in a cool pool at a hazy summer party ...as addictively abrasive as a shot of cold vodka, this wil leave you both refreshed and gasping for stability
—— Time OutThis darkly comic story about unpredictable love is perfect if you're looking for some intelligent chicklit
—— Family Circle
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