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Wednesday, June 2, 2010

All the King's Men - One of My Favorites.

I've recently finished re-reading one of my favorite novels - All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren. 

I first read this book as part of a high school English class. I still have the copy I bought for that class, complete with all of my underlinings, notes to myself, comments, and questions. 

Though I know it cannot happen, every time I read it I hope it will end differently.  But this will never be.  Jack will do as Jack has done.  He will love and loose and live.  Willie Stark will strive and strive and strive and fall.  Adam will keep his high ideals, but only by destroying them in one final desperate act.  Anne will live to regret.  Sadie will never really be loved.  Sugarboy will st-st-stu-stutter and idolize the great speaker.  Judge Irwin will hide the truth and his shame.  The Scholarly Attorney will let his goodness dribble away. 

There is always something.  And the past never goes away.

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