52 in 52 Week 45: All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren

1st Edition Cover

I am not a big fan of "Southern Fiction," but this is an exception. Warren was a poet first (former Poet Laureate of the United States), and it comes through in his writing, smooth as butter without the slow southern words that become very tedious for me. It won the Pulitzer Prize in 1947 and is worthy of that distinction. The movie doesn't come close to capturing its beauty because the internal thoughts of the narrator, Jack Burden, do not translate onto the screen. 

 This is more than a political novel about a character, Willy Stark (based on a real character, Huey P. Long, governor of Louisiana and U.S. Senator in the 1930's). It is also about the narrator, Jack Burden. There is a story within the story. Very insightful. 

I especially enjoyed the narration by Michael Emerson ("Ben" from the TV show, LOST). He hits all the right notes, not making it so "Southern" that it becomes inaccessible for people outside that region (and culture).