I have just finished Robert Graves' 'I,Claudius'. Written in 1934, this is a fictionalised autobiography of the fourth Roman Emperor, Claudius, whose superior mind and physical disabilities allow hs survival in what must be the most murderous, perverted and despotic family in all history. Claudius is a fascinating character and an excellent narrator - so good that before I did my research, I mistakenly thought this was a translation of a genuine Roman autobiography (oops!). An austere-looking hardback, I was convinced that I would find it boring, and only picked it up to confirm that it was as boring as I thought it would be, although I admit aerily mentioning obscure books I have read was also a motivational factor... The book was far more readable that I ever imagined, and also far more famous - it was made into a very successful television series with Derek Jacobi as Claudius in the 70's - so neither of my preconceptions came true. I'm really glad I did pick it up though; it's been a long time since I've read anything quite as engaging and fascinating as Graves' masterpeice. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in reading something beyond their A-Level set texts - it's not hard work, but it is very rewarding reading :)
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