All the King's Men Group Discussion

[imthefoolonthehill]

I am currently reading this book... any thoughts or opinions? (I haven't finished it yet so plz don't give away plot)

[Robert E Lee]

I am currently reading this book... any thoughts or opinions? (I haven't finished it yet so plz don't give away plot)

This is Lee's brother.

I read it during Spring Break. Very good book but it gets sort of melodramatic in the end, and the reasons behind the Kingfish's assassination don't click with me. Maybe because I am cynical and paranoid as hell.

Anyways, I didn't buy the reasons behind the assassination.

Warren's philosophical musings annoy me quite a bit too. Are you reading the restored version? I read the original version where the Gov'ner is called Willie Stark, not Willie Talos.

You do know, however, that it is based on Huey Long? I doubt the accuracy though.

I would give the book *** 1/2 out of *****.

I am currently reading William James's Varieties of Religious Experience.

[imthefoolonthehill]

I am reading an old copy where he is called Willie Stark.

Anyways, I am wondering how many of you on this website have read this book.

I love the book.

I hate the plot (or lack thereof).

However, I absolutely love the style and tone of the writing. I wish I could find more authors who wrote like Robert Warren wrote (writes?). Does anyone know any other books by him, or any authors who write like he does?

(I also love the characters of All the Kings Men)

[nebish]

Like Faulkner, I reckon the best of the novel is the Cass Mastern journal section.
Jack Burden the narrator is a nasty piece of work - neither he nor his creator registers what a shallow self-justifying opportunist he is. In fact, most characters in the novel are unengaging.
As for the plot resolution, I agree with above posts - not the work of a great novelist (or perhaps, great novelists can make you overlook tritebess and melodrama..viz Dickens, Faulkner).

[chasestalling]

I am currently reading this book... any thoughts or opinions? (I haven't finished it yet so plz don't give away plot)

the books starts in the second person and that was unheard of in english literature.

americans have always done this to the brits, and they've come to realize that the english that they've exported to the world over is no longer theirs to lord over.

frankly, i don't think they care, but it makes for a good paper topic. so have at it.

[Sonofjohn]

Has anyone read All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren? If so might you voice your opinion of the novel?

[Pecksie]

I haven't read it yet, but the movie has tempted me to buy it (haven't done that, either). Would you say the movie is good in relation to the book, or what? (I know that books are almost always better than the movies based on them, for the simple reason that you cannot condense 300+ pages in two hours, but then there are good and bad adaptations...)

[Emil Miller]

I haven't read it yet, but the movie has tempted me to buy it (haven't done that, either). Would you say the movie is good in relation to the book, or what? (I know that books are almost always better than the movies based on them, for the simple reason that you cannot condense 300+ pages in two hours, but then there are good and bad adaptations...)

Pecksie, I hope you are referring to the movie starring Broderick Crawford and not some ghastly ill-informed and liberal distorted remake starring some little creep like Tom Cruise or Bruce Willis, I don't follow the ridiculous peregrinations of the Wall Street controlled Hollywood of today. I haven't read the book either but it seems that it is a very powerful representation of the life and political rise of Huey Long, State Governor of Louisana during the depression of the 1930s (and, incidentally, there is another one well on its way). The movie is very close to the facts concerning Long's rise to power but is marred by an overly dramatic ending when a policeman calmly walks up the steps of the State Capitol firing a machine gun.

[Sonofjohn]

I have read the book, and am quite disappointed many others have not. The book is based on, as said above, Huey Long's rise to power. Although the book for some only goes as deep as politics, the book has much insight to offer. It is more of an inner conflict and battle of philosophy than the movie shows. It is extremely well written and rises above any other book I have read in English. Robert Penn Warren, the author of the book, was a scholar that attended the school Huey Long created, LSU. Warren as far as I am aware, was never directly close to Long but studied him quite closely, and was alive during the period Long rose to power.

The book does discuss interesting conflicts and even goes as far as to question god and the purpose of life. I would surely recommend it, but only if you are willing to study the book deeply. It is not only a novel of politics, romance, and human relations, but a novel that can and does for some change their view of life.

If you do indeed read the novel, I will be happy to discuss it with you, as I have yet to grasp the entire thing.

[*Classic*Charm*]

Pecksie, I hope you are referring to the movie starring Broderick Crawford and not some ghastly ill-informed and liberal distorted remake starring some little creep like Tom Cruise or Bruce Willis, I don't follow the ridiculous peregrinations of the Wall Street controlled Hollywood of today. I haven't read the book either but it seems that it is a very powerful representation of the life and political rise of Huey Long, State Governor of Louisana during the depression of the 1930s (and, incidentally, there is another one well on its way). The movie is very close to the facts concerning Long's rise to power but is marred by an overly dramatic ending when a policeman calmly walks up the steps of the State Capitol firing a machine gun.

Pecksie may have been referring to the 2006 version starring Sean Penn, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Anthony Hopkins, et al (It had quite an impressive cast). I haven't read the book, but I've seen that version of the film and really enjoyed it. Actually, I didn't know it was based on a book.

[Sonofjohn]

Pecksie may have been referring to the 2006 version starring Sean Penn, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Anthony Hopkins, et al (It had quite an impressive cast). I haven't read the book, but I've seen that version of the film and really enjoyed it. Actually, I didn't know it was based on a book.

There was also a version of the film, that came earlier, black and white. I saw the movie as well. It was ok, but didn't do the book the justice it deserves.

[Pecksie]

Pecksie may have been referring to the 2006 version starring Sean Penn, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Anthony Hopkins, et al (It had quite an impressive cast). I haven't read the book, but I've seen that version of the film and really enjoyed it. Actually, I didn't know it was based on a book.

Yes, that's actually the one I saw... Actually I was drawn towards the TV set (which I usually don't approach) by the presence of Jude Law but then the movie hooked me... Later I found out that it was based on a book and thought it would make an interesting read --- it has great reviews as far as I've seen. But, like I said, I haven't yet read it.

[papayahed]

There was also a version of the film, that came earlier, black and white. I saw the movie as well. It was ok, but didn't do the book the justice it deserves.

I read the book and saw the film in high school but really don't remember either. I've been trying to reread the book since I moved to LA but haven't been able to get going on it. (Coincidently I just met a politician who seemed to have just walked out of the pages of the book)

[Scheherazade]

Some of us would like to read All the King's Men during the next couple of weeks. If you would like to join us, get your copies ready asap, please!

From wikipedia:

All the King's Men is a novel by Robert Penn Warren, first published in 1946. The novel was inspired by the biography of Louisiana governor Huey Long; its title is drawn from the nursery rhyme Humpty Dumpty (see below). In 1947 Warren won the Pulitzer Prize for All the King's Men. It was adapted for film in 1949 and 2006; the 1949 version won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

[Dark Muse]

I would like to read this book, but I do not know if I can squeeze it in since I just started reading The Handmaid's Tale.

What is the deadline to have the book finnished by for the discussion?