"Published in 1946 and the winner of a Pulitzer, this novel is narrated by Jack Burden, a journalist and political lackey who serves Willie Stark -- a Louisiana political boss modeled on Huey Long. Jack looks back on his life, and considers the woman he loved, Anne Stanton, who has become one of Stark's mistresses, as he moves forward through a thicket of political intrigue, blackmail, betrayals, suicide and assassination. The story revolves around knowledge -- partial versus complete, subjective versus objective -- and what people do or fail to do based on their imperfect piece of the picture. My favorite line: "Goodbye, Anne; and I forgive you for everything I did to you.""
David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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Review Analysis of All the King's Men
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book?
- thoughtful
Time/era of story
- 1930's-1950's
Political/social activism
Yes
Plotlet:
- general liberal/left wing activism
- fighting government corruption
Life of a profession:
- politician
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Job/Profession/Status story
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- journalist
Age:
- 40's-50's
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- politician/elected ruler
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- an above average amount
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Deep South
Misc setting
- fancy mansion
Style
Person
- mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
