All the King's Men
Robert Penn Warren

Rating: +

Review:
I read this book for school and thought it was okay and then re-read it later and liked it more. The politics in this book were very interesting. I don't know for sure how accurate a protrayal they are, but it seemed compelling to me. The plot and the characters are both well written and developed.

If you're not familiar with the book, here's a short summary. A speechwriter (the narrator of the book) is hired by a southern small-time politician to help with his campaign. I think that the speechwriter starts out as a reporter covering a speech by the guy, but I may be confused. The politician is very idealistic and enthusiasticand not entirely saavy about the entire political process. Over time, the politician becomes more succesful and rises up in power. The politician's relationships, both with the speechwriter and with his wife, change over time. But the focus of the book is more on how the narrator changes because of his relationship with this man and what he learns about both politics and human nature/society.

For those who were interested in literature about the south, here is a good book to read. The politics of the south are focused on more than the everyday life of the south, but some of the latter comes through as well.