Literary Fiction · DarkThe rise of a populist governor, told by his aide
All the King's Men
A Southern populist climbs to the governor's office, seen by the aide who works for him
The novel follows the political rise and governorship of Willie Stark, a charismatic populist in the Depression-era Deep South whose methods combine idealism and corruption. Jack Burden, a former history student and newspaper reporter who becomes Stark's aide, narrates, and the story is interwoven with his own life and his reflections on history and responsibility.
More about this book
Who
Willie Stark, a populist politician who becomes governor; Jack Burden, the narrator; Anne Stanton; her brother Adam, a physician; and Judge Irwin.
World
The Deep South in the 1930s.
What makes it different
Stark was inspired by Huey P. Long, the Louisiana governor and senator who was assassinated in 1935. It won the 1947 Pulitzer Prize for the Novel, the 1949 film won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and the Modern Library ranked it 36th among the twentieth century's greatest novels.
Feel
Rich and talkative, a political story with a lot of reflection in it.
Page count and cover shown for: Selected edition
Behind the book
Stark's character was inspired by Louisiana governor and U.S. senator Huey P. Long, who was assassinated in 1935. Warren stated the book was never intended to be a book about politics.
Source: Wikipedia
Further reading
- All the King's MenWikipedia