Big premiere at Newmag: TV presentation of the book “All the King’s Men” took place (photos, video in Armenian)

The real prototype of the main character Willie Stark is Louisiana populist governor Hugh Long. His political career was interrupted in 1935 when he was killed by a relative of a political rival. Eleven years after Long's assassination, “All the King's Men” novel is published. The author had a completely different opinion about the main character of his novel than the society. “Hitler and Stalin were not directly influential. People from their surroundings made them influential. My literary hero is exactly like that. The people around him created him and his authority.” 

 

The book was translated into Armenian by Karlen Dallakyan in 1976. “The Soviet Union translated the novel, screened it as the best description of the manners of that time,” emphasizes the head of Newmag publishing house Artak Aleksanyan, who has also done the editorial and annotational work of the novel. “Not many people in Armenia knew about this book, it is one of the best novels of the 20th century. We decided to publish it in 2018, as soon as we established Newmag. In the 1976 version, the translator adapted the novel to the Soviet environment. For example, it is written that someone orders gin and sugar water, that’s the same as gin tonic. Soda and bread cutlets- cola and hamburgers. All the characters in the book say “boss,” Karlen Dallakyan translated as “director.” We made such changes in the book.”

Warren was often accused of being depressive, of not resisting fate, but the writer saw all the tragic pages of the American people, fought against racist discrimination. Information security specialist Ruben Murdayan advised to republish the book; he also participated in the TV presentation. “The novel suggests that there will be no classic divisions here - antagonist and protagonist, there will be no good and bad characters. In this novel we see everything in development. We see Willie Stark running in the election to scatter votes, not to win. But it was there that he met Jack Barden. Willie Stark and all his men become the king's bodyguards. Willie Stark knew how to talk to the villagers, he said that the people of that town would suck all the taxes from the people, and that he would drive everyone out with an ax. This is exactly what the character prototype Hugh Long said. The ax in their hand is the same as the asphalt of today.”

In his book, Robert Penn Warren describes the splendor and suffering of an official’s political career. Critics call the novel an exceptional work and a Gothic style drama. A populist is a person who is convinced that there are very simple solutions to very difficult situations. He says, “I know the simple solution to these difficult problems, and only I know those solutions.” The others are assholes and cannibals. Tatevik Nalbandyan, the book's publishing editor, was one of the first readers of the book at the time of its first publication. She clearly remembers how the book invaded the Soviet Union in the 1970s and shocked an entire generation. “It is written in a wonderful style and language. He is the representative of the constellation of the best American writers and is frequently compared to Faulkner.”

When the writer died in 1989, he was buried as the last Mohican of a generation of great American writers. The irony, the cynicism with which he tells in that political Sodom and Gomorrah. The thick book, which is read with one breath, amazes with the coincidences of political events and captivates with a beautiful love story, the editor emphasizes. “The philosophy that exists is his judgments about living with dignity, about human responsibility, about the loss of illusions.”

For the Newmag publishing house, "All the King's Men" is not an ordinary choice. The publishing house usually translates contemporary writers, this time republishing classic American literature. The process was carried out with the support of Digitain company, emphasizes the head of strategic projects Ani Mkrtchyan. “This book has nothing to do with business and personal growth. But this book is one of the best masterpieces of the 20th century. We will continue focusing on books on personal growth and business, but there will be similar books as well.”

No dividing lines, no heroes and anti-heroes. “All The King’s Men” is about the destinies of people from birth to death. From political career to love passions. Book which has been screened several times, won three Oscars, became a play, a radio play and even an opera. A legendary novel presented by Newmag with a new cover, a new edition and a new publication.