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Awix (3310 KP) rated I, Claudius in TV

Aug 27, 2019 (Updated Aug 27, 2019)  
I, Claudius
I, Claudius
1976 | Biography, Comedy, Drama, History
10
8.3 (12 Ratings)
TV Show Rating Watch
It is entirely possible some modern viewers may take issue with this hugely acclaimed and influential drama simply because it was made entirely on videotape in TV studios, and some of the 1970s old-age make-up has not, well, aged well. I can't help but feel a bit sorry for these people, for this is one of the great TV treats of all time: the aged Emperor Claudius sits down to retell his family history, a horrifying tale of jealousy, lust, treachery, sexual perversion, murder, and insanity (quite how much of it is actually true is another issue).

A very unusual story by any standards: the main character isn't even born until well into the first episode, and the main villain dies of old age halfway through. Best to ignore the odd structure and enjoy the vicious black comedy the tale is dripping with, with an extraordinary cast making the most of a set of witty, sophisticated scripts. Hard to choose who shines the most: Brian Blessed is restrained as Augustus, Sian Phillips chilling as the psychopathic Livia, John Hurt hilarious and terrifying at the same time as the lunatic Caligula. Derek Jacobi carries the whole thing with warmth, wit and pathos. One of the masterpieces of TV drama.
  
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ClareR (5911 KP) rated The Queen Of Bloody Everything in Books

Sep 9, 2018  
The Queen Of Bloody Everything
The Queen Of Bloody Everything
Joanna Nadin | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A challenging mother/ daughter relationship.
This starts in 1976 and really captures the feelings and experiences of someone growing up through the 1970s and 1980s in the UK. There are so many familiar cultural references: from Margaret Thatcher to Mivvi ice lollies.
I listened to this through Audible, and I think the narrator was exactly the right choice. Dido, the main character, starts off as a six year old in 1976. We follow her through a difficult childhood with her single, bohemian, hard and fast living mother, Edie, in a very conservative small town. There are times where I wondered who the adult actually was. There is no doubt that Dido loves her mother no matter how difficult she is, but it's also evident that she is largely responsible for the direction that Dido's life takes. Dido is mainly cared for by the Trevelyans, who she meets on the day she and her mother move in to the house left to Edie in her aunts will. Mrs Trevelyan is clearly disapproving of Edie (as are a lot of people in their small town). Dido attempts to become part of the Trevelyan family, and she does succeed in time.
I loved all of these characters and the way their lives played out, and I think the use of the first person narrative was really effective. A really lovely book.