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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
I found the writing excellent! I especially loved the first part which was set at the circus. I liked the middle, but it fell off at the end for me. Very dark read.
challenging
dark
medium-paced
"Nightmare Alley" is a 40s noir that seems like it was created in a lab just for me: A small-time hustler joins a traveling carny, "accidentally" murders his lover's husband, finds a new calling as an itinerant sham preacher, and chooses one of the world's richest men as his next mark. All that and yet--this is kind of boring!
Fear is the key to human nature.The plot, prose, and characterization were sufficient for this book to earn 4 stars, but the masterful ending bumps it up. I highly recommend the audiobook: Peter Berkrot is a fantastic narrator.
The Great Stanton's rise and fall, from doing magic tricks at a traveling carnival to being a highly sought after "mentalist", to becoming the leader of a Spiritualist Church, scamming his way at every step. He finally teams up with a dubious pyschologist, who grabs him right by the cojones and leads him astray, with promises of sex and money, of course. And it all ends badly.
It reminded me of *Addie Pray*, in that I felt quite skeevy following along with a scammer like Stanton Carlisle. He was an even worse person than Addie Pray and her father, a generally unlikable guy who treated everyone around him like crap until the tables were turned on him. Really, not many likable characters in this whole book, save the real carnies like Molly and Veena.
But I really enjoyed the vernacular. There were some amazing turns of phrase and some old timey words and phrases I had to look up. Really good stuff. But I have to admit, I liked the movie better. The beginning was pretty close to the book, but when he and Molly left for the big time, it was handled quite differently and, to be honest, I liked it better. So it is more like a 3.5 star book that went on just a bit too long.
It reminded me of *Addie Pray*, in that I felt quite skeevy following along with a scammer like Stanton Carlisle. He was an even worse person than Addie Pray and her father, a generally unlikable guy who treated everyone around him like crap until the tables were turned on him. Really, not many likable characters in this whole book, save the real carnies like Molly and Veena.
But I really enjoyed the vernacular. There were some amazing turns of phrase and some old timey words and phrases I had to look up. Really good stuff. But I have to admit, I liked the movie better. The beginning was pretty close to the book, but when he and Molly left for the big time, it was handled quite differently and, to be honest, I liked it better. So it is more like a 3.5 star book that went on just a bit too long.
4.5/5. Equal parts horrifying and compelling, this novel is a classic. I enjoyed every part of the rollercoaster and I highly recommend it.
After watching the truly classic adaptation of 1947 and the just ok recent one by Guillermo Del Toro all in the last couple of months I thought it was time to finally read the original novel. Absolutely love the way all the chapters get introduced by a Tarot card.
Without wanting to spoil any details, reading this novel it becomes obvious that Del Toro's version is not so much a new adaptation of the book but a remake of the first film. Virtually all the digressions and omissions are carried over. One even wonders whether he had actually read the book as nothing new from it is added (regretfully) and the very few times he adds something that is neither in the book nor the 1947 film (e.g. the fate of Stanton's father) it is to its detriment.
Without wanting to spoil any details, reading this novel it becomes obvious that Del Toro's version is not so much a new adaptation of the book but a remake of the first film. Virtually all the digressions and omissions are carried over. One even wonders whether he had actually read the book as nothing new from it is added (regretfully) and the very few times he adds something that is neither in the book nor the 1947 film (e.g. the fate of Stanton's father) it is to its detriment.
‘man comes into the world a blind, groping mite. he knows hunger and the fear of noise and of falling. his life is spent in flight— flight from hunger and from the thunderbolt of destiny. from his moment of birth he begins to fall through the whistling air of time: down, down into a chasm of darkness...’
nightmare alley is based around carnivals, freak shows and seances. these settings are some of my favourites within any genre, but i especially found this book to be fascinating. i am used to viewing these settings in the context of horror, or even just disturbing literature such as ‘geek love’ by katherine dunn, but this is an allegory of the struggles in the great depression era of america.
stan carlisle, a falsified medium, uses all of his time and energy to become rich from the scamming of people from higher echelons of society. he attempts to swindle them, stealing their money through made-up ghosts, spirits and horoscope readings - all in an effort to achieve the american dream. he begins by working in the carnival and breaks away from it when an incident with a drunken man occurs, vowing to never act the way that he did.
however, life is not always that simple. he becomes stuck in a nightmare alley; running from footsteps behind him towards the light that is the ‘american dream’, yet always encountering obstacles along the way. the light is a mirage; it will never be reached. this is an expertly crafted novel that, by the final page, comes full circle. it’s easy to see how the great depression spiralled out of control, and how hope for the average american citizen was thwarted as the rich got richer and the poor were left behind. fantastic novel, i cannot recommend it enough.
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot