The house that Jack built

Politics. That's what the book was about. On the inside, on the campaign trail, with some good, some bad and some ugly, but mostly shades of grey. A bit like the Thick of It then, but with not quite so much ingenious swearing. Who's using who, who's the player and who's being played? And does it matter if they know it and are ok with it? Can you be a pimp and a prostitute too? The world has fallen apart in the dust and ruin of the Depression and who's going to sort it out?

All the King's Men – that's who. I wasn't sure what to expect from Robert Penn Warren's Pulitzer Prize winner. And what I got was politics. Which I'm ok with. Focusing on the life of Jack Burden, political aide and advisor to Governor Willie Stark in the South of the U.S. The other characters – and they're a close-knit bunch make up the supporting cast to Stark's hardworking cynic with a popular touch and Burden's philosophical perspective. Equally loved and loathed by the cast and the population at large, Stark casts a large shadow over all of their lives.

It takes a Tarantinoeqsue approach with a beginning, middle and end, but not necessarily in that order, working through Jack's life and how it intertwined with Stark's. A healthy streak of moralism runs throughout, not in a judgemental sense, but simply saying that all actions have consequences. And there are lots of consequences, for there are few completely innocent parties, and ultimately the action all comes to a devastating and surprising climax.

The narrative is strong, as is the narrator's voice, coming at things from the perspective of an observer as befits a journalist and historian, which is what Jack is. But the book's real strength, for me at least, is the author's language. Rich, vivid descriptions, layering adjectives on thick, sometimes half a dozen at a time, helped to bring this world vividly to life. It might have been a slow starter, getting into the language and the heart of the book, but it was a richly rewarding one and worth persevering with. Should it have won the prize? I can certainly see why it did and can have no complaints, it's got that scope and power that I feel is often looked upon favourably and it does what it does well.

Book number: 35
Title: All the King's Men
Author: Robert Penn Warren
Category: Pulitzer Prize winners