All the King's Men (Harvest Book)

Rating:
Summary: A life changing read
Review: This novel works on layers that other novels don't even know exist. Faulkner blew it off, but I suspect few outside the university read Faulkner whereas this book, rich, powerful evocative and beautiful, is what reading is for. It changed my life; it made me realize that self is not "found" but created. No higher praise can I offer.

Rating:
Summary: ZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!
Review: I thought this book could have been alot better. I think he rambled on too much in the beginning. If u want to read this book I suggest Cliff notes. It is so much more to the point than the book itself.

Rating:
Summary: This Novel is Simply a literary Masterpiece.
Review: Robert Penn Warren's deeply moving novel is a amazing masterpiece which transcends time. He created a novel about morals, politics, love, friendship, and finding yourself. This book is one of the top five American novels ever written, capturing the American spirit, and the exploring the everyday values of life. I highly recomend this book. Even if you aren't touched by the characters chances are you will enjoy it anyway.

Rating:
Summary: Remarkable and breathtaking
Review: Warren's novel -- one of the best American novels ever written, I believe -- is beautiful and evocative, but it is only tangentially about politics and Willie Stark. It is instead primarily concerned with history; specifically, the New South and the Old South, one generation versus another, backwoods Jeffersonian agrarianism versus modern political ambition. Willie Stark is certainly an important character; it is with him, after all, that the novel reaches its violent climax. But Jack Burden, tortured former graduate student, keen observer of everyday life, is the true focus of the novel; through the course of the book, we see the world through him, and come away shaking with revelation and uncertainty.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: I can't believe I have never read this book before. A long time ago I read RPW's "Band of Angels" which I liked but forgot the writer until I saw this book right beside it. I was so amazaed at this story and the very rounded characters. I really liked Jack Burden and as the story went on and incidents came to light I was just surprised. Usually I can figure things out before they happen but this book was one thing after another. A few weeks ago I was longing for a good book to read maybe about the south and an old book and presto this book jumped off the shelf to me. (Well, not literally). You can taste this book, the words just want to roll around in your mouth like good food, and you can feel the weather, and feel the sea against your skin, you can see the cotton fields, you feel the gritty red dirt. This book is like a Thanksgiving dinner and I will have to say it's one of the best books I have ever read and I have read about 1,000 or more in my life I'm sure. I like the part when Willie realizes he's a sap and gets up to address the crowd as hicks and rednecks. Then there's that part about how all a man needs is something, something and Coca-Cola. Yeah, I thought Coca-Cola is real big down south and it was good back then before they messed with the formula. You know the old green bottles that you had to pop off and it burned sweet and cold down your throat in that dusty delta bayou. Take this book, read it, let it be your pal.

Rating:
Summary: Slow and tedious
Review: Perhaps it's because the beginning was so slow... I just couldn't get into the characters. I have yet to see the movie but I am tempted to rent it just to see if it might spark more of an interest in the subject. A far better political novel is The Last Hurrah by Edwin O'Connor.

Rating:
Summary: stick with it; it's worth it
Review: I definitely had my doubts while I was reading it, but now in reflection this is probably one of my three favorite novels. If you can withstand the slow first chapter, keep reading - the final chapter is nearly impossible to put down and is undoubtedly one of the most captivating and best-written chapters in American literature. DON'T read this book to learn about the political rise and fall of Willie Stark. Most reviews say that the book is about him, when the book is really about Jack Burden, the narrator. Warren at times is really amazing; his prose in countless paragraphs is as good as or better than any 20th century American novelist. The book is long, and often times slow, but it is a priceless piece of fiction, and I think it would be difficult to find an educated reader who would be disappointed in the end.

Rating:
Summary: Slow start, but finishes strong
Review: I must admit that part of my interest in this book is provincial, as I spent part of my growing years in Louisiana, where the name of Huey P. Long is still familiar. Robert Penn Warren's novel starts off a little slowly, but the action picks up, and Willie Stark is a finely drawn character whose resemblance to the real life Long will not be overlooked by those familiar with Louisiana's political history in this century. Warren captures the FLAVOR of Huey Long's political milieau with his portrait of Willie Stark. This book is surely worth a look if you are interested in seeing the potential benefits and dangers of someone who demanded absolute power to operate in the political sphere.

Rating:
Summary: This is one of the best books I have ever read
Review: Penn Warren was a poet laureate, and word is that it took him 10 years to write this book because he treated each line like a line of poetry. I have read the book three times now, and it is the type of work where I feel I will keep gleaning more wisdom from it as time goes on. Whenever I am feeling overwhelmed and scared about the direction my life might be going in, I re-read passages that somehow capture what is essential about the passage of life through time.

Rating:
Summary: This book is not about politics
Review: "All the Kings Men" is not about politics.
There. I've said it. This book is about love, and personal connection, and truth, but not politics.
This book is about Jack Burden, not Willy Stark.
This book is genius - but this book is not about politics.