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I, Claudius (Dramatised)

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I, Claudius (Dramatised)

By: Robert Graves
Narrated by: Derek Jacobi, Tom Goodman Hill
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About this listen

A full-cast dramatisation of Robert Graves' brilliant account of the madness and debauchery of ancient Rome, starring Tom Goodman Hill as Claudius and Derek Jacobi as Augustus. The wickedly entertaining inside story of the lives and deaths of the Imperial dynasty from Augustus to Caligula is told by their obscure relation, Claudius. In public, Claudius is a stammering, drooling weakling, whose reputation as an idiot keeps him safe from office and assassination. But in private, he's as sharp as they come, and keeps a secret history of everything he discovers. Until one day, as one of the few of his family left alive, he's acclaimed Emperor against his will. Can he save Rome from the corruption he's grown to detest?

Featuring Derek Jacobi (who won a BAFTA for his performance as Claudius in the acclaimed 1977 BBC television production) as Augustus, and with an all-star cast, this gripping dramatisation will enthral anyone who loves the decadence of Ancient Rome.

©2011 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2011 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd Biographical Fiction Classics Genre Fiction Scary Funny

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This captures the essence of the original BBC series with perhaps a little more humour and colour thrown in. Tom Goodman Hill is every bit as Claudius as Derek Jacobi was, and that's no mean feat. I wish there were more parts to this dramatisation but sadly there aren't. I'll just have to listen again...and again...and again.

One more thing: this Caligula is more 'Horrible Histories' than John Hurt's terrifying original portrayal but deliciously camp and slightly sinister nonetheless.

Overall, highly recommended.

Can't wait to listen to this again

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incredible drama, well acted and edited with the added bonus of a free history lesson of part of the Roman Empire. I've listened to this book several times over the last few years and never tire of its content and intricacy.

Unforgettable Drama

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A brilliant adaptation that rivals even the 1976 TV series; not a single under par performance in the entire thing.

A Worthy Adaptation

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this is a great dramatisation of the work, being well performed with a brilliant choice of cast!.

a great dramatisation

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I found myself immersed in the intrigue. Scared at times, not knowing what would happen or when. Edge of my seat would be a good way to describe this book.

drama at it's finest!

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Great book after seeing Shakespeare’s Roman plays this puts the history into place.
Thank you

Wow those bloody Romans

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up there with the very best of audible. I adore Robert Graves book so it was a delight to hear it so eloquently and charmingly brought to life. superlative performances across the board and of course a delight to hear Jacobi back as he made his reputation with the televised BBC ‘original’ back in the seventies. my only gripe is that they focused solely on ‘I, Claudius’ as it’s very easy to roll straight into the sequel ‘Claudius, The God.’

outstanding adaptation and performance

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The history of his life and reign told by Claudius himself , dramatised beautifully ( yes I know he didn’t actually write it )as imagined by Robert Graves . Claudius lives through some of the most turbulent times in Ancient Rome , it is prophesied that he will one day become Emperor but that seems to be a huge joke as most people who do not know him well consider him an imbecile, that includes his own family . Truth be told Claudius is a intelligent and caring man , and to survive the reigns of other members of his own family he needs his wits about him . This is an exceptional dramatisation and I return to it often , enjoy .

The enduring masterpiece of Robert Graves

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This BBC production of I,Claudius is epic and gripping from the start.



One of the curiosities I found was trying to associate Jacobi's voice with Augustus, due to his great performance as Claudius in the 70s BBC television series. It is not difficult to distinguish the two and at first I thought I would be disappointed in the roles, but Tom Goodman Hill plays Claudius just as well, perhaps better than Jacobi could possibly repeat the performance, given his age (and the age of the character)



Even the intro music before each chapter had me excited, and the story kept me awake many nights just to keep going. It's as thrilling as watching any tv series.



As with HBO's Rome: this drama is full of people you love to hate, and can't wait to see the end of, and you hope it will be tragic for them. You won't be disappointed; but sadly, I Claudius, is a tale of tragedy for all characters, especially p-poor C..C..Claudius.



I couldn't recommend it any more highly. 5 stars.



(Connosieurs note: I have not read the book, so cannot compare the two)

Excellent production

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Really only gets going with Caligula. Some of the Mockney soldiers I could have done without. Not a patch on the TV series but not a bad listen.

Good in Parts

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