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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
All the King's Men is an American classic. First published in 1946 the novel details the life of Jack Burden and his relationship with the meteoric politician, Willie Stark. Set in the 1930s American South the novel is a non-linear retelling of Burden's life, from his boyhood growing up in Burden's Landing to his first meeting with Stark and the conclusion of their relationship. While definitively a piece of political fiction the story, like most political stories, is about the personal relationships of the people at the heart of the drama. Warren's small cast are all connected to one another and their actions damage and ricochet ending in unexpected outcomes.
Given the non-linear nature of the story any sort of summary is difficult, but I will do my best. Jack Burden is a capable but idle man, born of privilege but without ambition. He has wiled away his youth and in college spent some time studying history and the law before dropping out. He worked odd jobs in journalism and politics finding not much satisfaction in either. A cynical, weary Burden meets Willie Stark, then a minor official from a poor, backcountry county.
William Stark enters the story as a teetotaling, straight-edged minor figure. He seeks bond money to build a new school for the county and works hard to keep graft out of the process. He fails and the contract is awarded to a construction outfit with poor performance. The school collapses and Stark is hailed as a hero for warning the community of the problem. Years later Stark's notoriety is parlayed by the rival political machines to turn him into a dummy candidate to steal votes away from a rival. Burden reveals the nature of the scam to Stark, he gets roaring drunk and delivers a firebrand populist speech to the waiting crowd, far different from his normal dull, policy wonk lectures. Stark uses his leverage to sway the election to his opponent and when he fails successfully runs for the governorship himself. Jack Burden is by his side for the journey.
Most associate Willie Stark as an interpretation of Huey Long and the unnamed state as Louisiana. Stark is a cynical populist with a left-wing agenda. Given Stark and Huey Long's reputation I expected to hate Willie when I began with the book, but I found myself incredibly sympathetic to his point of view. Perhaps that is the nature of the opposition to Stark. Warren doesn't criticize Stark through liberal characters, but instead those with a vested interests to maintain the status quo. Jack Burden is a man of privilege and his family and friends find Stark's rough demeanour and treatment of business and the upper-class deplorable. I cannot help but think that many modern leftist readers would end up feeling great sympathy for Stark who in my eyes transformed from assumed villain to tragic hero brought down by his own flaws.
Politics is about relationships and the dynamics between a small group of people. This is ultimately what destroys Willie and, to a lesser extent, Jack Burden. I appreciate that the novel showed how intimately all these people were connected to one another. Another aspect of the story is reconciling one's past. Burden's central mission in the first half of the novel is to investigate the past of a family friend and mentor, Judge Irwin. In the process he explores his own past, his mother's, and Stark's. The theme of the burden of the past is ever-present in the story. Secrets, betrayals and decisions haunt people on and on forever and return as ghosts to those it impacts indirectly.
Reading this novel in 2017 raised some interesting questions. It was a very different form of populism than we are currently used to. At the same time, Stark's strong-arm political methods are becoming increasingly familiar. In light of recent events it is perhaps worthwhile to explore this novel now if you have not already. Regardless it offers a fascinating snapshot into America's past and politics.
Given the non-linear nature of the story any sort of summary is difficult, but I will do my best. Jack Burden is a capable but idle man, born of privilege but without ambition. He has wiled away his youth and in college spent some time studying history and the law before dropping out. He worked odd jobs in journalism and politics finding not much satisfaction in either. A cynical, weary Burden meets Willie Stark, then a minor official from a poor, backcountry county.
William Stark enters the story as a teetotaling, straight-edged minor figure. He seeks bond money to build a new school for the county and works hard to keep graft out of the process. He fails and the contract is awarded to a construction outfit with poor performance. The school collapses and Stark is hailed as a hero for warning the community of the problem. Years later Stark's notoriety is parlayed by the rival political machines to turn him into a dummy candidate to steal votes away from a rival. Burden reveals the nature of the scam to Stark, he gets roaring drunk and delivers a firebrand populist speech to the waiting crowd, far different from his normal dull, policy wonk lectures. Stark uses his leverage to sway the election to his opponent and when he fails successfully runs for the governorship himself. Jack Burden is by his side for the journey.
Most associate Willie Stark as an interpretation of Huey Long and the unnamed state as Louisiana. Stark is a cynical populist with a left-wing agenda. Given Stark and Huey Long's reputation I expected to hate Willie when I began with the book, but I found myself incredibly sympathetic to his point of view. Perhaps that is the nature of the opposition to Stark. Warren doesn't criticize Stark through liberal characters, but instead those with a vested interests to maintain the status quo. Jack Burden is a man of privilege and his family and friends find Stark's rough demeanour and treatment of business and the upper-class deplorable. I cannot help but think that many modern leftist readers would end up feeling great sympathy for Stark who in my eyes transformed from assumed villain to tragic hero brought down by his own flaws.
Politics is about relationships and the dynamics between a small group of people. This is ultimately what destroys Willie and, to a lesser extent, Jack Burden. I appreciate that the novel showed how intimately all these people were connected to one another. Another aspect of the story is reconciling one's past. Burden's central mission in the first half of the novel is to investigate the past of a family friend and mentor, Judge Irwin. In the process he explores his own past, his mother's, and Stark's. The theme of the burden of the past is ever-present in the story. Secrets, betrayals and decisions haunt people on and on forever and return as ghosts to those it impacts indirectly.
Reading this novel in 2017 raised some interesting questions. It was a very different form of populism than we are currently used to. At the same time, Stark's strong-arm political methods are becoming increasingly familiar. In light of recent events it is perhaps worthwhile to explore this novel now if you have not already. Regardless it offers a fascinating snapshot into America's past and politics.
Was described as the greatest political science book ever written, which while the book was alright...was definitely not. Was essentially a long drawn out story with long flashbacks/tangents that seemed unnecessary to the storyline.
This book frustrated the hell out of me while reading it, but is probably the most referenced book I’ve read.
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Sadly, it's possible to read a great book at the wrong time. This is the sense I get with All the King's Men; the power of its writing is lost on my distracted mind. So it goes in life. Maybe I shall revisit at a more opportune time, maybe it will forever be a missed opportunity.
This was another book club pick. It was meant originally for November, to fulfill the "political book" theme that we were going with. However, I was pretty much sick of politics by November (I'm sure most Americans were in the same boat), and just couldn't force myself to devote my free time, my relaxing reading time, to a political theme. We were supposed to meet at the end of November, so I decided to give myself a week or so after the election before starting... then the meeting was postponed until Dec. 4, and I put it off again. I really wish I hadn't procrastinated, because it was really good. (I'm sure someone's saying, "duh, it won a Pulitzer.") I started reading a few days before my book club met, and because I really didn't give myself enough time to read what is a pretty long book, I ended up rushing through it, another regret with this book. I feel like some day I need to devote some real time to re-reading this, maybe in the summer while sitting on the banks of a southern lake.
I know this is a crappy review, but I highly recommend this book - it's less about corrupt politicking and more about Jack Burden, the lawyer-turned-historian-turned-reporter who became Willie Stark's right hand man. Jack Burden is an odd character, a man who at times seems [kinda] driven to do something, and then abruptly does a 180 and burns his bridges. He seems to put more energy into burning bridges than to build them in the first place, and content to just let life happen to him. He views the people around him, especially women, almost as objects who each play one role, and becomes jaded when they find they have other facets or touches of individuality that don't relate to their relationship to him. Again, especially women. Whenever life gets tough and he has to deal with responsibilities, he sleeps for weeks on end. And yet... he's a mostly likable - if highly unreliable - narrator. That may be because he views himself in the same flawed way he views others, but also that he's less than the people who make up his world. It's as if he feels he's not a real person, and even refers to himself as a piece of furniture. He's also an idealist - at least he thinks he is - who chooses to see the world, and the people in it, through a filtered lens. He says what you don't know can't hurt you, and chooses to block out anything but the part of the other characters in the novel that makes them appealing, good, pure, larger than life, or whatever description he's decided to attach to that person. When a character breaks the mold by showing a new facet, it always seems to break Jack a little. This is important, because with a guy like Jack telling the story, you're getting an accurate, but very limited picture, and learning the story along with him feels natural. I think, besides taking the time to really do the novel justice, a good understanding of Jack's nature would have been the top thing I wish I had taken into the book with me. So... yeah, crappy review... but go pick it up anyway. Do not just watch the movie (and definitely don't watch the newer one at all because it's horrible despite the stellar cast).
I know this is a crappy review, but I highly recommend this book - it's less about corrupt politicking and more about Jack Burden, the lawyer-turned-historian-turned-reporter who became Willie Stark's right hand man. Jack Burden is an odd character, a man who at times seems [kinda] driven to do something, and then abruptly does a 180 and burns his bridges. He seems to put more energy into burning bridges than to build them in the first place, and content to just let life happen to him. He views the people around him, especially women, almost as objects who each play one role, and becomes jaded when they find they have other facets or touches of individuality that don't relate to their relationship to him. Again, especially women. Whenever life gets tough and he has to deal with responsibilities, he sleeps for weeks on end. And yet... he's a mostly likable - if highly unreliable - narrator. That may be because he views himself in the same flawed way he views others, but also that he's less than the people who make up his world. It's as if he feels he's not a real person, and even refers to himself as a piece of furniture. He's also an idealist - at least he thinks he is - who chooses to see the world, and the people in it, through a filtered lens. He says what you don't know can't hurt you, and chooses to block out anything but the part of the other characters in the novel that makes them appealing, good, pure, larger than life, or whatever description he's decided to attach to that person. When a character breaks the mold by showing a new facet, it always seems to break Jack a little. This is important, because with a guy like Jack telling the story, you're getting an accurate, but very limited picture, and learning the story along with him feels natural. I think, besides taking the time to really do the novel justice, a good understanding of Jack's nature would have been the top thing I wish I had taken into the book with me. So... yeah, crappy review... but go pick it up anyway. Do not just watch the movie (and definitely don't watch the newer one at all because it's horrible despite the stellar cast).
challenging
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Wonderful story. Wonderful writing. Wonderful, complex, morally grey characters. I really loved this book.
This was a great read. The plot was rich, but even more--the language and writing was phenomenal. I usually tear through books, but I was reading this one for about six months to savor it.