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meadforddude 's review for:
Nightmare Alley
by William Lindsay Gresham
Fascinating to finally sit down with this after having seen both adaptations of it (and in advance of watching the "Vision in Darkness and Light" version). Many of the changes made in both adaptation are wise excisions, even if they're absolutely dynamite on the page, and the Del Toro one in particular adds some extremely clever shadings to the climactic portion of the narrative (specifically the Ezra Grindle stuff).
Gresham's writing is drenched in a haunting kind of bone-deep despair that makes it easy to see why this novel has captured the imaginations of so many over the years. There's a wisdom in everything here to a certain extent, even if the fatalism can become occasionally overbearing. I did enjoy the way Gresham worked to incorporate the perspectives of several non-Stanton characters throughout, and it's one of the few undeniable advantages to experiencing the story in this particular format.
Mostly, though, I have a newfound appreciation for the 2021 film, which I honestly haven't been able to stop thinking about since I saw it last December.
Gresham's writing is drenched in a haunting kind of bone-deep despair that makes it easy to see why this novel has captured the imaginations of so many over the years. There's a wisdom in everything here to a certain extent, even if the fatalism can become occasionally overbearing. I did enjoy the way Gresham worked to incorporate the perspectives of several non-Stanton characters throughout, and it's one of the few undeniable advantages to experiencing the story in this particular format.
Mostly, though, I have a newfound appreciation for the 2021 film, which I honestly haven't been able to stop thinking about since I saw it last December.