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For those of you interested in the personage of F. from Beautiful Losers:

I'm reading Claudius the God, a marvellous historical novel by Robert Graves. (It's the sequel to I, Claudius, and the two books were made into an acclaimed television series.) Claudius the God is the story of the 1st-century Roman emperor Claudius, written as autobiography.

Claudius goes substantially into the career of his friend Herod Agrippa, the Jewish king, grandson of Herod the Great and a delightful character. Not until I was far into the book did it strike me how much Herod Agrippa - if not as a historical figure, then at least as the creation of Robert Graves - resembles F. in character (as I remember F., because I last read Beautiful Losers some years ago):

- strange, independent, elusive
- seemingly self-assured
- witty
- fond of maxims
- resourceful
- passionate
- a sort of self-appointed teacher to his friend
- full of craft and guile
- arrogant, self-obsessed
- ambiguously skeptical and zealous in religious matters
- planning violent revolutions
- plotting behind his friend's back
- yet genuinely fond of his friend
- ending miserably, falling from grace

Perhaps Herod was a tad more apt to enjoy life than F., and more lighthearted. In any case, for a 'second experience' of F., or to study and compare F.'s character, or if you can't get enough of F., be sure to get a copy of Claudius the God!

Courtois

The TV adaptation "I Claudius" was so brilliant that we recently bought the video set. I must watch it again, and look out for the 2nd book.

How interesting, Courtois.

I always thought that part of the success of Cohen was the fact that he based his work on tradition - whatever tradition it is. It seems to me that it is a very Jewish thing to built on traditions. And another part is the very original Cohen magic touch, how it render all this with his special gift. Another part is that layers of meanings : one could say "it is a work of today" at first meaning, in a deep meaning, one could say "it is work of yesterday as well" at a deeper meaning "ageless work, it is". I just LOove that.

Hm. Glad you posted that, Courtois. It hadn't struck me - but it has been a long time since I read the books or saw the tv adaptation (which was excellent).

You have inspired me to read the books again.