Claudius the God

Claudius the God
by Robert Graves
read: 2016

Claudius the God continues the real-life Game-of-Thrones story of I, Claudius, but there's a bit of a tonal shift. Graves' Claudius shows a knack for leadership and public service, but he also plays the comic fool sometimes, especially oblivious to his wife Messalina's infidelities and manipulations. Claudius' relationship with Herod, a major element on the story, also has comic touches.

Throughout the two Claudius novels, the protagonist (and narrator) comes across as sympathetic, while the women of the tale - Messalina, Aggripina, and Lydia, especially - take the blame for many of the evil done in men's names. Graves' work is apparently based on historical information, but I wonder how many of those historical takes are based on outdated notions of a woman's proper place. The idea that Claudius ultimately becomes a tyrant to unselfishly hasten the fall of the empire and the rise of a republican form of government is a bridge too far, for me at least.

Revolutionary Road

Revolutionary Road
by Richard Yates
read: 2016
Time 100 Novels, Guardian 1000 Novels

Revolutionary Road is full of uncomfortable truths for suburbanites like me. Protagonists Frank and April Wheeler aren't living the glamorous life they planned when they first got together, but they have a fine existence by most standards: a nice house in the suburbs, two children, a white collar job for him. They make a decision to become expatriates and live the life of their youthful dreams abroad, only to find life getting in the way of their plans.

Most novels would have a clear moral: either reinforcing the idea that people must follow their dreams, or reinforcing the idea that you should accept the good in the life you already have. Either is a valid life lesson. Yates chooses a third path, however, exposing every path, and for that matter, everyone and everything as irredeemably full of crap. Moving to Europe won't fix the Wheelers' problems, but sticking around won't, either. Nor does it seem that they can find solace in each other - it's not even clear that they like each other. Revolutionary Road is as bleak a portrait of modern life as I can imagine.

Most distressing is the way that many of Frank Wheeler's character flaws resonated with me. There have been times I've found myself telling long, winding stories and realized partway through that I'd already told them and they aren't that clever and everyone in the room knows it. There are real differences between me and Frank, but too many similarities for me to be comfortable with.