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Robert Graves traces the Roman Empire from 44 BC to the beginning of Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Grammaticus reign in 41 AD. I, Claudius is a work of fiction but gives an excellent glimpse into the life of Rome and its citizens during the height of the Roman Empire. Graves wrote the novel with the voice of Tiberius Claudius, a lame stammering disappointment who delved deeply into the underbelly of Roman politics. I was captivated with this story from the opening pages when Claudius introduced himself with a prophecy of his ascension to Emperor to the final pages with the death of the insane and sadistic Caligula. Characters we meet along the way include, Livia, the murderous megalomaniac who runs Rome for over forty years, Tiberius, the paranoid Emperor who’s fear keeps him from seeing his friends,and Caligula, who sees himself as a living god yet runs terrified from any form of danger. I loved this book and cannot wait to start Claudius the God.

Frederica Potter is one of the most memorable heroines of twentieth-century literature. The other books in this series are good, but this one is outstanding, and despite the split narrative, very compelling. I related so much to Frederica's sexual, professional, and feminist struggles with her life, and when I got pregnant, I though about her a lot. He's wonderfully drawn, and even the hyper-ridiculous backdrop of early seventies avant-garde insanity Byatt uses as her setting doesn't ruin this book. Wonderful, wonderful stuff.