we were all taught in high school english that there are good writers and good storytellers. a defining quality is that a storyteller had to rely on their narrative to be effective and a writer could get by on their use of language alone. never before have i seen a better example of this tenet than with All the King's Men. virtually every facet of the story itself is unremarkable, considerably cliche even. but the manner in which Warren describes these people and events is truly breathtaking. truly.

what compelled me to finally read this was the recently released movie based on the work. i've long been critical of film adaptations of exceptional novels. it's kind of like re-making the mona lisa using legos. it's fine as a wintry weekend time-spoiler but not exactly something you should subject others to. the flaw in this particular treatment is amplified by the fact that this art works because of how it is presented. it doesn't need someone to come in and fix it or re-do it because i can say with one thousand percent certainty, and this without having seen the film, there is no way they are going to improve upon what is already there. although, if your goal in life is to take great things and make them mediocre, plug away hollywood. plug away.