All the King's Men

By: Robert Penn Warren

Narrated by: Michael Emerson

Length: 20 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

Robert Penn Warren, America's first Poet Laureate, penned one of the most widely read works in American literature with the Pulitzer Prize-winning All the King's Men. An unrivaled novel of American politics, Warren's masterpiece is a classic tale every bit as relevant today as it was upon its release more than 50 years ago.

The fictionalized account of Louisiana's colorful and notorious governor, Huey Pierce Long, All the King's Men follows the startling rise and fall of Willie Stark, a country lawyer in the Deep South of the 1930s. Beset by political enemies, Stark seeks aid from his right-hand man, Jack Burden, who will bear witness to the cataclysmic unfolding of this very American tragedy.

©1946 Robert Penn Warren; 1974 Robert Penn Warren (P)2005 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Finalist, Literary Fiction, 2007

"The definitive novel about American politics." (The New York Times)
"Mr. Warren has employed vivid characterization and strong language combined with subtle overtones to write a vital, compelling narrative." (Booklist)
"Michael Emerson's performance brings the characters to life with verve and personality....Through a mix of understatement and intensity, Emerson clearly conveys the political turmoil underlying the book; his performance perfectly complements the story, which is as timely as it was 60 years ago....Emerson's reading does justice to a great work." (AudioFile)

Beautiful Work of Literature

I did not want this book to end. Penn Warren's story of a politician propels the narrative, but his style and deep thought slow

it down. I read several passages over and over because the image he painted was so clear. And his description of our plight as human beings made me think quite deeply about many things.

Perfect Book

This is one of very few books that I would consider perfect--beautifully wrought and an amazing story. All the King's Men is in my top 3 novels which I have read so far. I loved how everything was tied together in the end. It made for a happy and rewarding ending after much loss and sorrow.

**I listened to this unabridged audiobook while reading Polk's restored texted of All The King's Men. There were some skipped paragraphs in the audiobook, but after following along with the text I found the audiobook to be virtually the same.

Muddled story with muddled themes

It’s hard to believe that this book won a Pulitzer. The book isn’t bad; in fact it is good. But the story is a bit scattered, the writing is repetitive and can be reductive (especially for female characters), and the author leans much too heavily on certain descriptions and phrases.

However, once you strip away the uneven writing and incoherent philosophy, there is an interesting story and slivers of eternal truths. It is certainly worth a read.

The performance was just ok: flat and too often monotone. There was little differentiation between characters, and characters often sounded different than they were described. Again, not a bad job, merely an ok one.

A complex story

Narration was outstanding. This was a complex story that requires close listening to follow, with multiple characters and a few time switches. The best part was the depth and vivid descriptions of people and environments. Sadly, such rich writing is hard to find in this video age.

LONG ON THE MEN, SHORT ON THE KING

This well written novel is based on the life of Huey Long. I had intended to read it long ago, but never got to it. Decided that the time was right when Donald Trump, another populist, announced that he was running for President, The book was very well written but it concentrated too much on the people around "The Kingfish" rather than the King himself. Robert Penn Warren does a great job of character development, no wonder he won the Pulitzer for the work.

When you can't save the boss from himself

I find myself doing much coincidental reading as, while listening to "All The King's Men", I am likewise reading "Gentleman Boss: the life and times of Chester A. Arthur." And though set about 50 years apart, both reveal the power of the political machines that operated on both the national and local levels throughout the 19th and 20th Centuries and the persistence of corruption endemic in the spoils system of electoral politics.

I had read "Kingfish", a biography of Hughie P. Long, a number of years back and had heard references to "All the King's Men" in other works. But it was its placement on the Modern Library Top 100 List of 20th Century novels that finally prompted me to download it.

First, what a magnificent story! Robert Penn Warren is an amazing writer who beautifully describes the people and place meant to depression and pre-war era Louisiana though Pen never mentions the actual state where the story takes place.

Micheal Emerson's narration as political fixer Jack Burden was as perfect a fit as could be imagined. Likewise, I imagine John Goodman playing the role of Willie Stark in a virtual reprisal of his portrayal of Kingfish.

Willie Stark is a populist lawyer who has a heart for common people. A farmer with a High School and a little college education where he met his school teacher wife, Willie taught himself the law with a drive to serve the people prompted by the partial collapse of a shoddily built high school killed a number of children.

Originally bent on educating the dirt poor masses to his electoral chagrin, Willie transforms into a loud, theatrical tough talking lout promising to kick the crap out of those folks in the Capitol who want to keep he and them out of the political process. His charisma is infectious and it fuels his rise to take on the machine for the good of the people. But power is seductive and Willie discovers the inevitability of machinery and its corrupting and destructive inclination.

While populism has always played a role in American politics and the promise to "drain the swamp" a powerful rallying cry, the truth is that the battle between experts and the uninformed masses as portrayed in this 1946 novel is as true today.

A must read for students of political science masquerading as a Southern Gothic novel.

Deserves every accolade.

Good lord, could that man write! I can't remember ever read such lyrical prose. Absolutely beautiful. And the reading was excellent. Spot on!

Really enjoyed it!

I really didn't know what to expect but it was awesome. The story was interesting and the narration was great.

Top notch audiobook!

Superb performance from Michael Emerson for this classical literature based in the south. Well worth the credit and listening time!

Stunningly good human and political novel

I listened to this book mainly for the recollection of it as a great political novel. Yeah I found the narrator and the main characters more interesting than Willie stark. Robert Penn Warren is both a great novelist and great poet. Even though there is a slightly dated quality about the book when encountered in 2016, I heartily recommend it for its graceful imaginative writing and insights into human nature and interaction. The narrator captures the sense of the writing, the place, and the characters wonderfully.