Book Review: All the King's Men

“And what we students of history always learn is that the human being is a very complicated contraption and that they are not good or bad but are good and bad and the good comes out of the bad and the bad out of the good, and the devil take the hindmost.” 

We've talked about how the lab scientists like to have book discussions late at night, and how we all like to read each other's favorites, right?  Well, this is a find from one of those. To be honest, I'm rather shocked at myself that I had never even heard of this book (nor of its movies)...sorry.

However, now that I've read it, it is quickly going onto my list of favorites, so I'm quite glad that I did.

Willie Stark is just a country lawyer.  He likes his life, he likes his wife, he likes his family, his friends, and everything else that he has worked for and been blessed with.  Then, a man comes and asks him to run for a minor political office, saying that he's just what is needed--someone down-to-earth, someone for the people, someone out of the system.  When Willie Stark comes to find out that this man was from another campaign, and his only intention was to create someone to steal votes from the other candidate, Stark is livid.  And he vows that he will win.  As time goes on, Willie, the populist darling, is governor of the state (some unnamed Southern state).  But he may not be the same Willie Stark anymore. 

Told from the perspective of Jack Burden, a reporter and historian employed by Willie to do what needs to be done (find the blackmail, basically), this story follows the cesspool of American politics, and what the public never sees, or chooses not to, all the while looking into the more philosophical questions of action and inaction in our lives.

I say that this novel should probably be read by every person who wants to be a force for good in their lives.  And I sort of think it should be required reading material for anyone who wants to vote--especially people who want to vote for either Bernie Sanders or Donald Trump (if they still want to vote for him afterwards, that's fine, but they need to understand what they're actually voting for).

Some say the book is sexist...I don't know.  Sure, the women are archetypes, but so are the men, so yeah.  My coworkers joke that I may one day snap and kill a bunch of people because I was very upset with the character arc of a one character which I eventually admitted was because he was my favorite character, and I kind of identified with him.  Also I just don't think that his actions made sense or were predictable for his character...oh well.  Anyways.  Yeah.

I really enjoyed this book a lot.  No major criticisms (other than that the climax was not the logical progression for that character).  Nothing I can say more.

5 stars and my full recommendation.