Reviews

All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren

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apfaff1994's review against another edition

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5.0

Wow.

haligon_ian's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

octavia_cade's review against another edition

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challenging reflective slow-paced

5.0

This is a meandering, labyrinthine piece of very humane cynicism. It chronicles the political career of Willie Stark, through the eyes of his journalist friend (or maybe friend) Jack Burden, and it's basically a long, slow journey through compromise and corruption during the Depression in the American South. So few of the characters are actually likeable, and yet nearly all of them have their appealing side, or their admirable traits. It's not really the sort of book I'd typically go for, but its reputation precedes it and I'd read one of Warren's earlier books (Night Rider, his first novel) and found it compelling but flawed, so I was prepared to give it a go.

If this book has flaws I can't spot them. Yes, it wanders from the point. Yes, it's often slow. But the characterisation! The characterisation is outstanding and elevates everything else. It excuses the pacing; it positively encourages the wandering. These are all fully realised people, no matter their gender or political affiliation or flaws, and I can't point to a single one of them and say "this feels false or overdone or under-observed" because none of them do. It's an excruciatingly well-observed study of human beings and human behaviour, and it might have taken me the best part of a week to slog through, but it was worth it.

It's a masterclass in character, it really is.

nicoleryan00's review against another edition

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5.0

phenomenal.. but that could have just been the professor I had a crush on.. no, second though-it's just a killer read.

teokajlibroj's review against another edition

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2.0

I really wanted to like this book. I love politics and history so I thought I would really enjoy it, but instead it was a complete disappointment. The parts about Willie Stark could make a good book, but unfortunately they make up hardly any of the book.

Instead the book focuses on the narrator, Jack Burden, which completely ruins the book. He has absolutely no personality, hobbies, interests or personal qualities at all. He mopes around like a moody teenager for most of the book.

The writing is also over the top, the author spends far too much time showing off and over describing everything. He spends whole pages describing trivial things like a road or the weather. He's like a student adding unneeded details just to add to the word count.

kcrouth's review against another edition

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5.0

Wow! This is one of the best books I've ever read. All the King's Men is a book about politics in the early 20th century, but it is also about so much more. It is about relationships, self worth, choices and consequences, means and ends, love and hate, destiny and chaos. I loved Robert Penn Warren's writing style. He uses rich detailed creative descriptions, which require a lot of words, but at the same time invite and compel the reader to devour each and every one of them. This story is a saga which approaches the scale, complexity, and depth of Steinbeck's East of Eden. I loved this book. It really is one of the best I've read. 5 stars.