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All The King's Men Hardcover – January 1, 2005

by Robert Penn Warren (Author)

2,993 ratings

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When All the King's Men was first published in 1946, Sinclair Lewis pronounced it "massive, impressive...one of our few national galleries of character." Diana Trilling, reviewing it for the Nation, wrote, "For sheer virtuosity, for the sustained drive of its prose, for the speed and the evenness of its pacing, for its precision of language...I doubt indeed whether it can be matched in American fiction." The Washington Post declared, "If the game of naming the Great American Novel is still being played anywhere, Warren's All the King's Men would easily make the final rounds." Set in the 1930s, this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel traces the rise and fall of demagogue Willie Stark, a fictional character who resembles the real-life Huey "Kingfish" Long of Louisiana. Stark begins his political career as an idealistic man of the people but soon becomes corrupted by success and caught between dreams of service and an insatiable lust for power. As relevant today as it was more than fifty years ago, All the King's Men is one of the classics of American literature.

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When All the King's Men was first published in 1946, Sinclair Lewis pronounced it "massive, impressive...one of our few national galleries of character." Diana Trilling, reviewing it for the Nation, wrote, "For sheer virtuosity, for the sustained drive of its prose, for the speed and the evenness of its pacing, for its precision of language...I doubt indeed whether it can be matched in American fiction." The Washington Post declared, "If the game of naming the Great American Novel is still being played anywhere, Warren's All the King's Men would easily make the final rounds."
Set in the 1930s, this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel traces the rise and fall of demagogue Willie Stark, a fictional character who resembles the real-life Huey "Kingfish" Long of Louisiana. Stark begins his political career as an idealistic man of the people but soon becomes corrupted by success and caught between dreams of service and an insatiable lust for power. As relevant today as it was more than fifty years ago, All the King's Men is one of the classics of American literature.

From the Back Cover

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize

"The definitive novel about American politics."--The New York Times

"Over the course of more than two centuries of vivid political history, there is perhaps only one full-blooded American novel of politics that plunges deep into the hearts of its characters and therefore into the hearts of its readers, thus rising to the top ranks of American fiction. That is Robert Penn Warren's lush All the King's Men."--Los Angeles Times Book Review

"It's a measure of the enduring worth of All the King's Men that Willie Stark has entered our collective literary consciousness, in the company of Captain Ahab, Huck Finn, Jay Gatsby, Holden Caulfield, Rabbit Angstrom, and very few others."--Joyce Carol Oates, The New York Review of Books

"For sheer virtuosity, for the sustained drive of its prose, for the speed and the evenness of its pacing, for its precision of language...I doubt indeed whether it can be matched in American fiction."--The Nation

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 1, 2005
Edition ‏ : ‎ Reissue
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 661 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 015101163X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0151011636
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.05 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1.25 x 9.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,538,242 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #104 in Political Fiction (Books)
- #4,109 in TV, Movie & Game Tie-In Fiction

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Robert Penn Warren

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Robert Penn Warren (April 24, 1905 – September 15, 1989) was an American poet, novelist, and literary critic and was one of the founders of New Criticism. He was also a charter member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers. He founded the influential literary journal The Southern Review with Cleanth Brooks in 1935. He received the 1947 Pulitzer Prize for the Novel for his novel All the King's Men (1946) and the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1958 and 1979. He is the only person to have won Pulitzer Prizes for both fiction and poetry.

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo by Ephemera [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

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Customers say

Customers praise the book's detailed prose and find it worth the time to read, appreciating its deep insights into life and the human condition. They value the character development, with one review noting how it captures the flawed narrator's character perfectly. The book explores themes of morality and human nature, with one customer highlighting its examination of the ethics of truth. While many find it a slow read, opinions about readability are mixed.

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Writing quality Readability Thought provoking Character development Morality Human nature Ease of reading Read pace

136 customers mention "Writing quality"107 positive29 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, noting its detailed prose and poetic force.

"...Despite being nearly a century old, Warren’s prose still hits the marks...." Read more

"...A bit wordy in places, but hard to skip over because the words paint a picture you can’t help but keep looking at. Contemplative and rewarding read." Read more

"...pleasant, don’t worry, because Robert Penn Warren’s lyrical prose is absolutely masterful, being breathtakingly beautiful and often hilariously witty..." Read more

"Although beautifully written I found myself drifting and ultimately struggled to finish." Read more

121 customers mention "Readability"110 positive11 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as an extraordinary tome that is worth the long read.

"Penn Warren's All the Kings Men is an extremely involved read...." Read more

"...Surprisingly better and more tender than I expected...." Read more

"...absolutely masterful, being breathtakingly beautiful and often hilariously witty, making ALL THE KING’S MEN an enjoyable page-turner that you can..." Read more

"...It entertains, it instructs, and it stays with you after you’ve read it...." Read more

57 customers mention "Thought provoking"51 positive6 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking and deeply insightful, describing it as a contemplative treatise of life with many lessons to be learned.

"...Contemplative and rewarding read." Read more

"...Still, his psychological journey is convincing and somehow inspiring, and there is no shortage of profound philosophy here, even if it tends to be..." Read more

"...Jack is the most introspective, analytical, and observant person you will ever (not) meet...." Read more

"...What make the novel astonishing are the workings of Jack's consciousness and the prose that Warren uses to describe that consciousness...." Read more

26 customers mention "Character development"26 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, with one customer noting how the narrator's character is captured perfectly, and another mentioning how the characters pop off the page.

"...vivid, and unique image of his characters and their setting. That's all well and goo, and really very impressive...." Read more

"...(which is flawless, of course), or the magnificent and dazzling array of characters, and their epic tortures, or the stupefying command of literary..." Read more

"...plot, some of the most beautiful sentences I've ever read, and great characters. Here's a good paragraph:..." Read more

"Rich language. Complex characters...." Read more

9 customers mention "Morality"9 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's moral themes, with one review highlighting its exploration of idealism and corruption, while another notes its examination of truth and ethics.

"...Huey Long - it is a brilliantly written novel which questions such things as the ethics of truth. It is a novel of ideas...." Read more

"...A novel about morality, compromises, and the fact that people come up with reasons for all kinds of behavior...." Read more

"...to examine relationships between the past and the present, idealism and corruption, and what leads people in their rise and fall (or vice versa)..." Read more

"To simply say that this is a great novel would be a gross understatement...." Read more

8 customers mention "Human nature"8 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's exploration of human nature, with one review highlighting how it examines the impacts of choices and the unforeseen consequences of actions.

"...Jack through this novel grows into a responsible person. I called the novel flawed in the title to this review for a few reasons...." Read more

"I cared about the story and its characters. A lot happens, the telling is thorough and reflection on the events deepens. It feels real...." Read more

"...author illustrates the dangers of blind ambition and unforeseen consequences in our actions...." Read more

"...How it took a well meaning politician and how he becomes what he started fight against...." Read more

19 customers mention "Ease of reading"9 positive10 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's readability, with some finding it easy to read, while others describe it as tedious and laborious.

"...If you find this tome laborious, I recommend to get past that and keep reading...." Read more

"...It entertains, it instructs, and it stays with you after you’ve read it...." Read more

"...a lot on unnecessary details, that bores the reader or story movement is extremely slow...." Read more

"...Enganging enough for the advanced high school student, this would be an excellent present for the teenager leaving home for college beacuse of the..." Read more

12 customers mention "Read pace"4 positive8 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with several noting it is a slow read that drags at times.

"...book five stars because the vernacular, while beautiful, slowed down the pace of reading...." Read more

"...The delivery of the written word is amazing...perfect pitch and speed and style...." Read more

"...Fascinating, although it is not a fast read! I partcularly enjoyed the author's vision that zooms in and pans out like a movie camera." Read more

"A definite classic. A little slow moving at times, and lacked the big payoff at the end that I was expecting..." Read more

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Jason Adams
A dilettante’s introspection
Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2025
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It is no accident that the story of a Huey P. Long-esque politician is narrated by a member of the privileged class. As today, with the Sturm and Drang of MAGA. The established political class look upon demagogues who can appeal to the masses as some sort of mystery. In this case, Willie Stark leverages some innate magic to connect with the vast unwashed electorate to drive a progressive agenda. We ride along with Jack Burden, a dilettante who fell into the newspaper business after failing up from a life of tennis courts, expensive colleges, and dinners with a breathtaking view. While Willie Stark overshadows the thing, most of the narrative serves to highlight how broken Jack Burden is and how Willie is himself broken morally as he is swallowed by the political machine. By the end of our tale the champion of the people is destroyed on the rocks of his own corruption, while our narrator sees redemption in the loss of his fortune, only to reveal he may get back into the political game.
Despite being nearly a century old, Warren’s prose still hits the marks. It takes some getting used to his style, but within a few chapters he had me hooked. Most intriguing was his use of flashbacks to layer nuance on events from previous chapters that had seemed unremarkable. As Jack Burden learns the many truths beneath the tangled lies of the political morass, we all feel a bit of redemption.

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Bryan A. Pfleeger
Flawed Work of American Genius
Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2002
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Penn Warren's All the Kings Men is an extremely involved read. The book focuses not so much on American politics and the myth of the demagogue politician but rather on one man's journey into himself into finding his place in the world. The book also provides the basis for one man's understanding of the meaning of responsibility for his actions.
That said, a lot of the critical focus of this novel has been placed on the character of Willie (Stark) Talos the fictional governor who starts out as a simple man of the people and evolves into a Machiavellian powerhouse who demands that the ends justify the means for all his actions. The book has been called the ultimate political novel or even a novel about the rise and fall of an American dictator. This rather general review barely scratches the surface of Penn Warrens attention.
In its most basic aspect, this is a novel which deals literally with one of the King's men. In this case that man is Jack Burden. Jack, for the most part, is an observer of the world around him. This is his most basic take on life. He observes and basically floats through his existence as a sort of thinking yes man for his political leader. He will do anything that his boss tells him and he will feel very little, if any responsibility for his actions. This view of life gradually changes through his interaction with Willie (Stark) Talos and the immediate circle of people around the governor. Jack through this novel grows into a responsible person.
I called the novel flawed in the title to this review for a few reasons. The first is the narrative style. Jack is a first person narrator and an observer of life. As such everything (and I mean everything) gets described. This has a great tendency to slow the novel almost to a crawl at some points. The flip side of this, however, is that Penn Warren creates prose that almost has the feel of a painting in its description. The novelist forces his reader to view the entire world through the narrators eyes. There is very little direct narration and ore than a little of Warren's personal philosophy involved in reading this.
The second point that has been called a flaw is the placement of the Cass Mastern episode. This however is a centralpart of the novel. It is also the portion of the novel that William Faulker thought to be the best writing of the book. The episode runs nearly fifty pages and contributes nothing to the existing narrative structure. First looks however can be deceiving. This section of the novel provides a model for Burden's eventual change into a more responsible person.
On the whole this was probably one of the most difficult books that I've read in quite a while. At times one wants to scream in frustration but with some patience the careful reader is left with a feeling of great accomplishment and the feeling of having read something truly great and uniquely American.

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qrnow
Quite a story.
Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2025
Verified Purchase
I can see why some deem this an American classic. I thought it was going to be all about politics. In the end, it wasn’t just - all about politics.

It was about the struggle of just living here, in this place, and trying to make sense of it all.

Finished it in two days. The audible reader was excellent and placed inflections and emphasis in places where you might not even have expected them to be placed.

Surprisingly better and more tender than I expected. A bit wordy in places, but hard to skip over because the words paint a picture you can’t help but keep looking at. Contemplative and rewarding read.

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kanondonkie
What a book!!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 7, 2020
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The Pulitzer prize was well deserved. This is a beautifully crafted novel about power and corruption in America

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PABLITO
Un chef-d'œuvre
Reviewed in France on February 17, 2020
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Le roman est un chef-d'œuvre. Admirablement écrit, il suit le passage d'un homme politique de l'intégrité à la corruption. Les personnages sont nombreux, dont le narrateur, un journaliste passé au service du gouverneur et chargé de réaliser ses basses œuvres. La plupart des figures évoluent, mais certaines demeurent immuables, comme le chirurgien qui, à la fin, est à l'origine d'un événement tragique. Les hommes dominent dans le roman, mais deux personnages féminins intéressants paraissent en bonne place.
L'ouvrage est proche de la tragédie. Le message dont il est porteur est plutôt pessimiste, voire cynique. Nés dans le péché, nous ne pouvons que tendre vers le mal. Mais puisque nous sommes tous aussi mauvais, pourquoi nous sentir coupables? Le moteur de l'histoire n'étant jamais qu'une impulsion électrique, faut-il que nous soyons tenus pour responsables de nos actes?
PS-Le chapitre 7, avec sa description si délicate et pudique d'un amour pur, est un chef-d'œuvre dans le chef-d'œuvre!

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Zufrieden GE
Fantastic. A classic. Relevent to our time.
Reviewed in Germany on December 29, 2024
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Fantastic. A classic. Relevent to our time.

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Arjun
... showcases Robert Penn Warren's considerable narrative skill at its best. Warren uses a complex narrative structure filtered through ...
Reviewed in India on April 10, 2018
Verified Purchase
This story of the rise and fall of an American politician in the 1930s showcases Robert Penn Warren's considerable narrative skill at its best. Warren uses a complex narrative structure filtered through the eyes of a disturbed narrator that not only lays bare the reality of the protagonist but compels us to question the political system itself that creates a man like Willie Stark.
Warren's language is nuanced and intense without being pretentious or ponderous. It is not however a light read and best suited for a time when you are prepared for a degree of intellectual involvement. It is nevertheless well worth the effort you put in it. You can also check out the 1949 film version which won Broderick Crawford an Oscar.

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Saul Montoro
EXTRAORDINARIA
Reviewed in Mexico on September 17, 2020
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Una GRAN novela que se disfruta desde el primer capítulo hasta el final, además de tener una actualidad asombrosa.

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All The King's Men Hardcover – January 1, 2005

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Top reviews from the United States

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5.0 out of 5 stars A dilettante’s introspection

4.0 out of 5 stars Flawed Work of American Genius

5.0 out of 5 stars Quite a story.

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars What a book!!

5.0 out of 5 stars Un chef-d'œuvre

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic. A classic. Relevent to our time.

5.0 out of 5 stars ... showcases Robert Penn Warren's considerable narrative skill at its best. Warren uses a complex narrative structure filtered through ...

5.0 out of 5 stars EXTRAORDINARIA

A dilettante’s introspection

Flawed Work of American Genius

Quite a story.

What a book!!

Un chef-d'œuvre

Fantastic. A classic. Relevent to our time.

... showcases Robert Penn Warren's considerable narrative skill at its best. Warren uses a complex narrative structure filtered through ...

EXTRAORDINARIA