CanofWorms
8d ago
I agree. I kept waiting and waiting for Claudius to finally become emperor and realized about 50 pages from the end that the book would likely end right at the point where he did become emperor.
I think my issue with the book is that once Livia died, the intrigue and backstabbing and villainy became far less subtle and interesting. Caligula was indeed a villain, but a far less interesting one than Livia. His villainy was right up in your face while Livia’s villainy was in the shadows.
CanofWorms
9d ago
Surely You're Joking? Funny story about this book. In high school physics, my teacher would offer students the opportunity for extra credit once a quarter. To get the credit, you had to read a book from her pre-approved list and then have a 30 minute conversation about the book. I, as a bookworm, took advantage of this and read Surely You're Joking. I thought it was awesome as well. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I read his second autobiography What Do You Care What Other People Think, which, while not as good as his first, was still worth reading.
I didn't learn much physics in that class, but her booklist stuck with me.
CanofWorms
9d ago
Thanks for the rec, I've got it saved in my cart.
CanofWorms
10d ago
Done with I, Claudius and onto A Thread Across The Ocean.
A couple thoughts on I, Claudius
- Historical fiction is a very cool concept and I would like to read more of it. It gives the author a nice structure to work with and he can then just make up interesting stories to fill in the unknown. It's fun to read the Wikipedia entries on all the Roman emperors/politicians after finishing the book.
- In the same vein, I'm currently rewatching The Sopranos, and I kept thinking how much the palace intrigue and murder in I, Claudius reminded me of the show. There's a scene in the The Sopranos where a couple mafia guys are torturing a Jewish man who refuses to submit and he says "900 Jews held their own against 15,000 Roman soldiers...and the Romans, where are they now?" Tony Soprano answers "You're looking at them asshole." Great bit of writing from The Sopranos, and I like the idea that the mafia are the descendants of these debauched and violent Roman emperors.
- *Overall, I thought the book was very good, though it did waver a bit at the end when Caligula became emperor. It felt rushed and not fully fleshed out, especially in comparison to the reigns of Augustus and Tiberius.
I'm about a quarter of the way through A Thread. It's about the construction of the first telegraph line across the Atlantic Ocean in the 1860s. It's a pretty interesting bit of trivia.
CanofWorms
11d ago
I miss when our billionaires were fat, drank bourbon, and smoked big cigars. That was the real America.
CanofWorms
12d ago
I believe they call these questions the human condition. If you find an answer, please let the rest of us know.
CanofWorms
19d ago
My after-work routine depends on the day. I'll usually do one of the following:
-Hit the gym
-Go to the driving range
-Go to the movie theater (solo)
-Meal prep (almost always a home-made caesar salad with chicken)
-Group therapy (every thursday)
-Softball team (spring and summer only)
-Hang out with my girlfriend
I'm lucky that I only need to be in the office two days a week, so I have a lot of flexibility in my after-work regiment. I spend a lot of time (too much, tbh) by myself during the week, so I really try to stay active instead of sitting alone in my apartment.
CanofWorms
19d ago
This sounds like a good, social life.
CanofWorms
23d ago
Probably the Duomo in Florence. I lived next to it for a time and walked by it everyday. It always looked like a movie set.
CanofWorms
29d ago
Agreed. By the time I got to the 60 page speech at the end of Atlas Shrugged, it was a battle of willpower to finish the book.
Well done, I’ll give you an 8/10 for this.
More options
Context Copy link