All the King's Men

All the King's Men
By Robert Penn Warren
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1947
         On a (probably) rainy day in early 2006, I was browsing in Chop Suey Books. This was something I did on days when I didn't have a class, had finished all of my homework, and was bored. So, a lot. My book collection grew exponentially during the two-year period where I lived within easy walking distance of that establishment, and I am still trying to make a dent in that stack. Anyhow, I was looking at the used fiction books when I overheard this sliver of conversation between the store's owner and a customer:
Owner-That is quite an impressive haul.
Customer-  Yeah, I'm planning on reading all the books that won the Pulitzer, but I really don't want to read All the King's Men.
          So...first I would like to say cheers to this stranger for planting, in the back of my mind, the desire to tackle this project. And now, jeers for giving me an apprehension about this book. I don't know how suggestible I am (at work a coworker told me she needed the candy bar I was holding, and this was something I didn't question, so the issue of my suggestibility is probably something best left unanswered), but that comment had a fairly profound impact. I know that in the summer of 2006, I had a list of the books I intended to read on an index card. There were 8 titles on that list. As of the beginning of 2011  All the Kings Men was still unread. Jeers indeed. I know there were plenty of times when my finger ran over the books on my shelf, and if it paused on the spine, I would hear the echo of "...I don't want to read All the King's Men..." In my head, this book became a chore, like mowing the lawn on a way too hot day, or going to the dentist. 
          One thing that worried me was Robert Penn Warren. Warren is not really remembered for his fiction. I could be mistaken, but I don't think he published any other novels in his career. Instead, he is known primarily for shaping the way English literature was taught in colleges and high schools more so than any figure that I know of. Warren established, with others, the New Criticism. This was a way of looking at works of fiction and poetry that completely divorced them from context or intent. New Criticism focused on a close reading of what was on the page. Perhaps it is not altogether unimportant, considering the subject matter of the novel, that the adoption of New Criticism was very political. Teachers could use this approach to look at works in as non-controversial a way as possible. Not that I require that every book I read be riddled with controversy, but in my head this was a bit of a warning sign that the king wanted to surround himself with milquetoast bores, and the real victim would be me, the reader and sucker who put cash on the table to get a copy.
             And when I started, I hate to say it, but I had the hardest time getting into it. Part of that was probably my fault. I was reading on a bus ride from VA to Manhattan. And while I was reading the opening paragraphs, there was a television right over my head that kept going in and out. When it was in, it was the Chipmunks movie. When it was out, it was the Chipmunks movie without sound. 
             Since reading it in a non-bus, non-Chipmunks setting, I have to let everyone know, lest they are unsure how I feel about it: This book was awesome.          
             The novel is about a powerful governor, Willie Stark, as seen through the eyes of Jack Burden, a man who Stark has hired to uncover the secrets of his political enemies. The bulk of the story revolves around the discoveries that Jack makes while working for Willie, and how corruption breeds corruption. The novel is also about how heroes are not real, but only imperfect people with undiscovered imperfections. Jack loves Willie and admires him because of qualities he saw in him years before the idea of power or influence were factors, but as he investigates for Willie his whole cult of hero-worship comes tumbling down.
             I have been reading a lot lately. Aside from pleasure novels, I usually do a lot of reading for work, and so I have become acquainted with a significant number of characters. At a certain saturation point, it is hard to care or empathize with some characters unless they are compellingly drawn. Warren draws characters that are compelling, and then some. The secrets that Jack Burden reveals, in the course of his investigations for Stark, bring about shocking reveals, stories of betrayal, corruption, and murder. And while I could generally guess what the reveals would be the page before they occur, in this case reading the words provided a certain nod of approval for Robert Penn Warren for so completely defying my expectations.
              To the random customer in Chop Suey all those years ago: First, how is your project of reading the Pulitzers going? So so for me. Second, whatever reservations you have involving this book (there was a regrettable film adaptation with Sean Penn and Jude Law and actually a lot of other notable actors that did nothing to make me want to pick this up), it is time to set them aside. If for no other reason, it will be good to strike it off your list.

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