All the King's Men (Harvest Book)

Rating:
Summary: WORST BOOK I EVER READ!
Review: This had to be the most boring book I have read in my entire life! We had to read it for school, and a majority of the class ended up just reading the cliff's notes. I do not recommend this book to anyone, except to this one pig-like girl I know. Anyway, I never want to see this book ever again. I'm going to have nightmares about it! A warning to all: Never read this book unless you have to!

Rating:
Summary: Arguably the great American novel
Review: There never has been and never again will be a book like ATKM. It is, arguably, THE great American novel. Unfortunately, some view this work as a retelling of the Huey Long story but, of course, it is far more than that, for in Willie Stark, Warren has created a character both more complex and more sympathetic than Long. How greatful we all should be that Warren abandoned his play, Proud Flesh, and chose the novel format instead. I doubt the play, if produced, would ever have been successfully transformed into a novel, while the novel has generated numerous plays and a successful screenplay. With the exception of the Cass Mastern episode, which tends to drag, this work is up there with the very greatest fiction in the English language.

Rating:
Summary: What a treat, one of the Greats
Review: I feel like a cheerleader: was this book great or what? I was just awed by it, great characters, both flawed and glorious, great story line, great setting, really great writing (it was awesomely devastating to read, time after time, sentences that I could never craft to be their equal in power and economy), and great theme (pick one that's most relevant for you, they fairly ooze off the pages). For me, the pertinent theme was what Jack's ancestor discovered: that you can't step on the fine spider web of existence without shaking everyone else's footing. If absolute power corrupts absolutely, it doesn't just affect the Willie Starks of the world, it affects us all. I love it because with this book Penn says: Here is where we are in American culture, and I don't have any answers. That's for all of you to figure out. I love his teaching that isn't undercut by what could have been a lot of ineffectual preaching.

Rating:
Summary: Rich political tale
Review: A rich political tale following the path of a small town lawyer to the governor's manson. The realistic portrial of the main characters kept me interested through this long book. An American classic!

Rating:
Summary: Great themes, great plot, great characters
Review: Okay...So it's huge with tiny print but if you read it the eye doctor bills are definitely worth it! On the surface it is great story of politics and power and you can definitly see this book as the model for Primary Colors...The only part that bothered me was the end...i didn't like how Jack married Anne...Oh well, nothings perfect...One recommendation: Check out the Cliff Notes...They really give some interesting insights into the various "Triangle Relationships"...Read this book!

Rating:
Summary: A devastating yet reassuring novel¿literally life-changing.
Review: I read this book initially during my junior year of high school, and I believe that it was the first (and perhaps only) literary work to instantly change my entire outlook on life. While the first chapter seems tedious, as so many reviewers have commented, I think that this shows the readers' inability to immediately access and appreciate Warren's distinctive prose, rather than a flaw in the writing. As I read on and became more involved in the characters, I realized how Jack Burden's rambling observations on human existence held even greater importance than the politically-charged plotline. Warren perfectly captures the mortal struggle to find meaning and order in the vast chaos of reality. This is the kind of novel best read slowly and carefully, so as to digest its themes and elegant style with the thoroughness they deserve.

Rating:
Summary: Exciting, Enlightening, Horrifying. . .A Masterpiece
Review: This book started off slow, but you have to stick in there in order to get up to speed, just like taking off in a sport's car. By the time I was less than half-way through, I did not want to put it down! Jack Burden follows the political career of Willie Stark from start to finish, and in doing so surprises the reader at every turn. Almost a dictator, Willie rose from essentially nothing to essentially everything in a matter of years, possessing strength and power only known to those who can manipulate and have people completely under their control at the mention of a threat. The novel explores two arenas of life: political and philosophical. Jack Burden is the narrator, and since most of the book is his story as much as it is Willie's, he has a lot to say on life, and makes some great points throughout the novel. Politically, the book explores the dimensions and evils of the political scene and the thirst for power among political leaders. One of the main issues to be brought up (in the mind of the reader) is: does power corrupt? Willie's story does a good deal in explaining that question. The reader himself shall decide in the end. Though at times Jack Burden's descriptions were too drawn out, the book as a whole is a masterpiece. Recommended for all, especially those interested in politics. If one is not interested in politics, they will be by the end of the book (myself included). The book is exciting in its action and detail of events, enlightening in areas of philosophy, yet horrifying in the aspect that anyone can rise to political power and virtually become a dictator within a democratic society. The title of the book seems to echo the words of an ancient nursery rhyme, Humpty-Dumpty. Change the name to Willie Stark, pack more "men" into the story-line, and you have a modern-day example of the strength, yet fragility, of political power. A great novel.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book About Politics
Review: This books has to be one of the greatest books written of all time,great story telling and fantastic writing.A great book for pleasure or an assignment.

Rating:
Summary: My top choice for a desert island
Review: This book is beautiful and true on so many levels, from the precise minutiae of southern life and language to the rise and fall of a populist dictator to human nature itself ("Man is conceived in sin and born in corruption and he passeth from the stink of the didie to the stench of the shroud..."). Jack Burden is an existentialist hero, and his story is one of medieval ideals in a film-noir age. It's also a very readable novel that breaks my heart every time.

Rating:
Summary: Extremely unappreciated
Review: This is definately one of the most underrated books of all time. Many will believe that this book is about politics, but it is about life. Robert Penn Warren creates Jack Burden, a character who is more like a spectator then one who actually lives life. The writing style is wonderful, and some of the lines in this novel are extremely well written and created. I highly recommend this book to anyone who can survive the first chapter, it is definately worth it. Many themes can also be drawn from this book, a book that you will be thinking about long after you have finsihed.