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)

Just wow!

I’ve been meaning to read this novel for years, as it is the favorite book of several people I respect. The writing and narration are so beautiful as to be haunting.

Fantastic, but a little too Long.

Robert Penn Warren was something of a god among men during his career. He was both a novelist and a poet, and he was literally great at both. This is his masterpiece. It is the story of Huey Long, the governor of Louisiana during the 1930s, and a PR man named Jack Burden. Long is given the name Willie Stark. The actual governor's election slogan was "Every man a king," which might give you something of an idea of what a master of political rhetoric he was. He was a mercurial man, a mighty politician, loved by many and scorned by many for the corruption of his administration. The twin stories of Jack and Willie are brilliantly intertwined. Michael Emerson is a truly wonderful narrator. His ability to convey all the characters of this rich story is remarkable. His Southern accents are perfect. His portrayal of Willie as a man of profound gifts is just magnificent: we are lucky to be able to listen to such a performance.
The stories of Willie Stark and Jack Burden are a bit too long (sorry for the pun), and a sub-plot involving the history of Cass Mastern et al is really a distraction. Jack's mother is a perfect southern archetype: from the hills of Arkansas to New Orleans society by way of both her fragile beauty and her steely wiles with men, Jack shows us a picture of his mother that is poignant and startling. Warren creates a panoply of actors who are fully ranged from low-life slimy craven Southern politicians to the intellectual and incorruptible Judge Irwin, to the triangular relationship among Jack, and Adam and Anne Stanton. This book is really way too wonderful to depict it with credibility in a brief review; I could go on for pages, but I'll spare you. The two most important women in Willie's life, his wife Lucy and his white-hot political assistant Sadie Burke: both of them are in their own ways tormented by Willie's gigantic appetites. Warren's gifts are so many that it's arbitrary to list just a few. His ability to show us what politics really was like at the time, so full of human ambition, frailty, corruption, double- and triple-dealing; it is like having a front row seat to one of the greatest dramas of the twentieth century. Many Northerners know little about the real South; listening to Warren's work and Emerson's amazing performance provides us with the absolute best in learning by being entertained. You have to commit a number of hours to this book, but it is one of the most worthwhile commitments you can make. I can't imagine any Audible reader not loving this book. Really.

It ain't that simple

I find it really difficult to characterize this book because it is so complex and textured, probing the ever present ambiguities of good and evil in our motivations and actions and rejecting all the simplistic drivel which allows us to choose sides so easily both in politics and in life. Penn Warren makes it clear that nothing is that simple, though it may not make much difference since our hearts usually drive us to make our choices and live with them and perhaps justify them later.

While I recognize that this is a brilliant book, I gave the story four stars because I actually found the first person, central character's struggle a little tiresome by the end. I think I might have tolerated it somewhat better if I were still thirty seven. On the other hand, watching through his eyes as Willie Stark/Huey P. Long carries all before him toward his inevitable destiny is fascinating and completely absorbing. He comes across as an American original and anything but simple.

As noted by most other reviewers, Michael Emerson's rendering of the book is brilliant throughout. One of the really great audible book performances I have heard.

THE Great American Novel

This is a fabulous novel of life and love even more than it is of politics or the south or an era.

Apparently some feel that the language and morals in the book is offensive; I strenuously disagree. This is moral artistry of the highest order, with a richness of portrait and reflection on its themes that is superb and subtle.

Wonderfully written, excellently narrated, this is a great book that is greatly underrated.

Amazing and unique use of language but tedious

I love Warren's writing and his beautiful turn of phrase, but dammit, this book needed a more judicious editing. If you can stand long passages that are incredibly well-written, but ultimately do little to move the story, then this might be for you. I found myself, for the first time, longing for an abridged version (and I've made it through some very tedious audiobooks). The two-hour sequence describing Jack's unconsummated love with Ann did me in. Just too much.

Not really about politics

I had always ween ATKM on lists of the best American political novels, but in re-reading it 30 years later if found it more southern gothic with politics in the background. You think of Huey Long of course, but his life and the political implications of it were much more significant than that of Willy Stark. Michael Emerson's read is creditable, given the richness of the southern accents he is empowered to convey. I was mildly disappointed overall.

A new favorite

I'm amazed when I read a book that's 4 generation old and the language and issues feel like they could have been written today.

This book was different than any book I have read in that I had to really struggle to like the main characters. I love books that show the good and bad in characters and still have you rooting for them to choose good.

The author deserves every award he received. Snot only were there great characters and a great plot, but his style and tone were fantastic. I'm not a fan of the overuse of metaphors and words for the sake of words. The author was never ambiguous, and just when you though he was going too far, he knew when to cut it off and move on.

The narrators slight accent and fantastic timing made the story even better.

Overwritten

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I had difficulty listening to the performer's female lines. They all sounded the same, with a Blanch Dubois aspect. I would have liked to know more about the main character's decline into politics as usual.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Edited it.

What aspect of Michael Emerson’s performance would you have changed?

Female voices need to be altered to suit the character. Now they all sound alike.

Was All the King's Men worth the listening time?

3/4 as much time would have been better. Tighter construction keeps the reader focused on the "big idea."

Calling it a work of art doesn't do it justice

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I can't express in words just how good this is. The combination of Warren's writing and Emerson's narration work in concert to create one of the best written stories I've ever read. Warren's writing style and his ability to paint a picture with words is beyond description.

This will definitely join "The Stand" as one of the books that I re-read every few years.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The way that Warren described the character's childhood on the beach was simply beautiful.

Any additional comments?

Do yourself a favor and read this. It is a as good as anything that I've ever read.

Hypocrisy of American politics, the corruption of

"All the King’s Men" by Robert Penn Warren tells the story of Willie Stark - a southern country lawyer who beat the system and became Governor.

Stark began as "Cousin Willie from the country". His first entry into public life was to fight against a back-room deal that handed a school construction project to an undeserving contractor - a deal that resulted in the deaths and injury of dozens of children when a fire escape collapsed a couple years later. Willie continued his fight against the political establishment and eventually became governor. But, as he accumulated more power, he lost the idealism of his youth. Eventually, he became known to all his associates as "The Boss".

Willie was charismatic and popular because he championed the common man. But he was also brutal and would not hesitate to destroy his enemies. He often resorted to bullying, bribery, and blackmail to accomplish his goals and maintain his power. He built and presided over his own political machine.

Eventually, Willie encounters problems against which he is powerless.

But "All the King's Men" is not just the story of Willie Stark. It is as at least as much about Jack Burden - Stark's friend and right-hand man and the narrator of Warren's novel. Like Willie, Burden abandons his ideals as he carries out Willie's plans - ignoring the consequences of his actions.

And the book is very much about the consequences of actions. Neither man has trouble rationalizing his choices. Stark believes that the ends justify the means - that it is ok to accumulate power by any means necessary because he is doing good with that power. He is convinced there is only evil in the world, so he must use that evil as a tool to make good. Stark is not a bad man. But, in his quest to do good, he ends up causing bad things.

Burton, in contrast adopts a nihilistic attitude in which he ignores any results of his action. He lives much of his life through Willie and abandons his own sense of responsibility.

Even many of the minor characters in the novel compromise their principles at least once - invariably with negative unintended results.

This is a novel about the corruption of power and the hypocrisy inherent in American politics and the consequence of using the end to justify the means and the limits of that power once obtained. Although written in 1947 and chronicling a fictional southern state governor (presumably based on Louisiana governor Huey Long), one can find parallels in the current administration.