Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
A bit wordy at times and the first third was slow but I'm glad I stuck with it.
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The best thing about this novel is the narration. The narrator's voice is unique and compelling, really unlike anything I've ever read before. His view of the world is dark but so poetic that it was easy to get lost in the book.
This novel is known for being one of the first American political novels. To me, it was less about politics than the human condition. It shows how one man devolves as he gets deeper into politics, sacrificing even his family to get what he wants.
There were a few too many tangents in here. At points, the poetry and reminiscing got old and I wanted to hear more about the conniving and threatening and backstabbing Willie Stark and his opponents were up to.
For a really powerful, titillating political drama, watch House of Cards. Kevin Spacey = Willie Stark x Satan + 1,000,000.
This novel is known for being one of the first American political novels. To me, it was less about politics than the human condition. It shows how one man devolves as he gets deeper into politics, sacrificing even his family to get what he wants.
There were a few too many tangents in here. At points, the poetry and reminiscing got old and I wanted to hear more about the conniving and threatening and backstabbing Willie Stark and his opponents were up to.
For a really powerful, titillating political drama, watch House of Cards. Kevin Spacey = Willie Stark x Satan + 1,000,000.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It had its moments, but I am left somewhat disliking it. Maybe I just didn't get it, but I didn't like the characters, especially the narrator and I didn't feel like I knew any of them. The writing/narrator came to grate on me b/c some of his descriptions and metaphors stuck, but I didn't connect with the majority. I could see some of the philosophizing in it, but I feel like that just got buried in the way time jumps around, with some scenes (that often most interested me) skipped and some included in great detail.
For the most part, I wasn't interested in Jack Burden. I didn't like him, and the more he explored his life the more I disliked him and strangely I felt I knew him less. He often seemed emotionless, just existing and seeming disconnected from events around him, as if he had no beliefs and no opinion about his actions or the events around him. His description could be lengthy but often without saying much. Some of his monologues grabbed me, but for the most part his long winded metaphors just didn't click. Beyond any moral disagreements I had with him, I felt I couldn't understand him.
Willie Stark was the character that interested me the most, but I also felt that I didn't know him personally and that I couldn't follow the feeling behind the changes in his character.
There were some parts that stood out and left an impression, but on the whole I came away with a negative impression.
For the most part, I wasn't interested in Jack Burden. I didn't like him, and the more he explored his life the more I disliked him and strangely I felt I knew him less. He often seemed emotionless, just existing and seeming disconnected from events around him, as if he had no beliefs and no opinion about his actions or the events around him. His description could be lengthy but often without saying much. Some of his monologues grabbed me, but for the most part his long winded metaphors just didn't click. Beyond any moral disagreements I had with him, I felt I couldn't understand him.
Spoiler
Where did that seething contempt for his wife Lois come from? Why did he simply up and abandon his thesis? His feelings and actions just did not jive with my impression of the character and I was left feeling unconvinced by the character.Willie Stark was the character that interested me the most, but I also felt that I didn't know him personally and that I couldn't follow the feeling behind the changes in his character.
There were some parts that stood out and left an impression, but on the whole I came away with a negative impression.
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I am not usually one to be impressed by sheer beauty of writing, by aesthetics of prose, but RPW's writing is gorgeous. (Okay, he wrote one of my all-time favorite poems, so I should have known that his way with words would come through in this novel.) All the King's Men oozes with a sense of place—but in the rhythm of the language itself more than in any explicit description. You can practically hear the narrator telling you his story in a low, slow drawl, and that's probably why it took me so long to read: you have to listen and mull over every sentence. There is quite a bit of plot action for a book that is so slow and meandering. The story is effective if not hugely memorable, and the characters are a bit problematic (is RPW sexist or is it just the narrator?), but that doesn't stop me from recommending it. This is a book you want to live in for a long, long time—and you will.
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don't know how this book ended up on my to-read list. Years ago I wanted to read classics that we hadn't gotten to in school, so likely added it then. To my surprise this is a recent book! Maybe I just recognized the author's name and figured it must be a classic.
The good - the author can write. He can really turn a phrase. The storyline is moderately interesting. You follow a noble-hearted man who wants to change the world, becomes a different person when he has access to power, and you see a bit of his downfall.
The bad - man is this book long. So so long. Unnecessarily long. We explored so many different stories that were unrelated to the content we're presently exploring. The reader is not better informed by reading all these side stories. I should have put the book down because I was so frustrated with it, I definitely forced myself to finish it.
I'm not sure who I would recommend this to. The language is off-putting. The storyline is "meh" and relies on a lot of tropes. Maybe the storyline was revolutionary at the time, who knows, but now it seems fairly standard. We take side journeys that don't help the storyline at all and just add to the book's length.
The good - the author can write. He can really turn a phrase. The storyline is moderately interesting. You follow a noble-hearted man who wants to change the world, becomes a different person when he has access to power, and you see a bit of his downfall.
The bad - man is this book long. So so long. Unnecessarily long. We explored so many different stories that were unrelated to the content we're presently exploring. The reader is not better informed by reading all these side stories. I should have put the book down because I was so frustrated with it, I definitely forced myself to finish it.
I'm not sure who I would recommend this to. The language is off-putting. The storyline is "meh" and relies on a lot of tropes. Maybe the storyline was revolutionary at the time, who knows, but now it seems fairly standard. We take side journeys that don't help the storyline at all and just add to the book's length.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Trafficking
challenging
reflective
slow-paced