Books

I, Claudius

Historically accurate novel presents itself as an autobiography of Roman emperor Claudius. 

The genius of this book is in its perspective. Even those of us who know and love classical history can have a hard time relating with immediacy to a time when rulers were considered literal gods and grandmothers would consider poisoning their grandchildren to further political ends. 

But the clever, self deprecating, gossipy version of Claudius we’re presented in the book’s first person narration is the perfect mechanism to make us breathe easier in such rarified air. A crippled weirdo doing his best to dodge all those beheadings and cups of poison is infinitely more relatable than the people doling them out. 

Seeing all that political intrigue through the lens of an insider by birth allows it to make sense and give full coverage. But seeing it through the eyes of an outsider by nature lets it feel right and real.

An incredible achievement of historical fiction. Highly recommended.

Jane Eyre

Governess falls in love with the master of the house, and after some hiccups, marries him. 

Jane Eyre slaps. Don’t let the haters tell you otherwise. 

In a lot of ways, it feels like a modern story. We follow Jane as she comes of age, which is itself a touching arc. But the book really hits its stride when Rochester shows up. Their relationship isn’t the usual harlequin slop. We get a deep look into Jane’s nuanced feelings, and Rochester is a complex object for them.

It’s hard to do it justice without giving a bunch of spoilers. Normally I don’t sweat that but some of the twists in the middle were unexpected and fun. The twists at the end were more predictable, but equally gratifying in their way. 

Middlemarch is better, but it’s in a different category. Jane Eyre is the best of these old romances. Better than any Jane Austen stuff. 

Highly recommended if you have the stomach for slightly archaic language and pacing.