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)

This classic never gets old

If you could sum up All the King's Men in three words, what would they be?

Intriguing. Captivating. Enthralling.

What other book might you compare All the King's Men to and why?

Ayd Ryan's writings are a great complement to All the King's Men because the political intrigue will get you every time.

Which scene was your favorite?

While the scene in the middle when Jackie Boy is recalling his love affair with Ann Stanton is long -- it is key to the story and in the end becomes a favorite.

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

Yes -- but I don't want to be a spoiler.

Any additional comments?

This is an excellent book -- all it's hype is genuine -- a great political intrigue and worth the hours. Don't miss this classic. Excellent reading -- keeps me coming back and back even though I've spent my designated time listening for the day.

The Most Incrdible Prose from an American Author

I am seldom struck by sentence construction, and the use of simile and metaphor by an author. I usually pay more attention to plot and character development. But the prose in this book is so exquisite, that I found myself listening more to the sentences themselves than the actual story.
Like Harper Lee, and Margaret Mitchell, there is just something about southern American authors. Incredible. Listen.

Strange Tale

Meandering tale of people & politics in 1930s southern U.S. 2 stories really: one of the narrator & another of a populist governor said to be based on Huey Long. (I didn't research him.) In the end seemed nihilistic & pessimistic. Interesting characters, though. Some stereotyped. Others multifaceted. Not gripping. Takes a while to get into.

Classic of southern literature with a performance worthy of that status

Mr Emerson's performance is flawless and engaging. The best book+performance that I have had (so far) with audible.

Rich in content, imagery and storytelling

Magnificent writing. Thoroughly enjoyable. The sidetracks of the story build content for the characters and are expertly tied together for the ending.

Robert Penn Warren

I have need read anything by Robert Penn Warren but I can say that I think this was to be the best work of art I listen/read and I felt apart of every moment.
You don't just hear Jack Burden, you relate. Michael Emerson does a great job Narrating the book.
Can't wait for my next chance to experience this book again.

A captivating performance of my all-time favorite novel

I have loved this novel since I first read it in high school. No book more purely captures human nature and each person's quest for meaning. The narrator Jack Burton takes the reader on a dispassionate tour of the heights and depths of his human passions, from Machiavellian politics to periods of depression to lifelong friendships to falling in love. The audio version provides an added dimension of serenity to the reader's experience with the novel. Though this recording is many hours long, I will listen more than once.

Glad I gave this book a listen !

I probably wouldn’t have heard of this book except for It being one of Ben Shapiro’s book club picks. I’m not sure how well he reviewed it ( or whatever a book club does ) but I thought it was a great listen. The narrator did a great job with the characters. I enjoyed the authors writing style. The book was so much more than I expected based on the description. Great character development. A few surprises along the way. It’s a book with a gratifying end. I’ll absolutely listen to this one again in the future.

Till the end

This book starts out relatively slow. But afterwards it does pick up and has a very good conclusion to this story

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.