adeleighpenguin's review against another edition
5.0
So unrelenting, cruel, and nihilistic that I found myself needing to take several days’ break on more than one occasion. Haven’t felt this way about a novel since Mcteague. Fascinating that prose like this was ever published in the 40s, not surprised at all that it was promptly censored for nearly 80 years after the fact.
Necessary read for fans of horror and noir in general. Tosches’ introduction was awesome. Like, can you believe that Gresham’s ex-wife later married C.S. Lewis? Insane! Very interesting throughout the novel as well to see Gresham’s trouble with finding a belief system to cling to parsed out, one by one. The general thesis presented on the train is obviously pretty indicative of where he landed, considering…
I’m personally a Nightmare Alley (2021) apologist, even if it is overlong—and that’s without all of the drawn-out clergyman stuff goin on here! Keep meaning to watch the original adaptation. Hope it’s a bummer!
Necessary read for fans of horror and noir in general. Tosches’ introduction was awesome. Like, can you believe that Gresham’s ex-wife later married C.S. Lewis? Insane! Very interesting throughout the novel as well to see Gresham’s trouble with finding a belief system to cling to parsed out, one by one. The general thesis presented on the train is obviously pretty indicative of where he landed, considering…
I’m personally a Nightmare Alley (2021) apologist, even if it is overlong—and that’s without all of the drawn-out clergyman stuff goin on here! Keep meaning to watch the original adaptation. Hope it’s a bummer!
erinsbookshelves's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
anaisdai30's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
madguru's review against another edition
2.0
A very dated book that provided the scaffolding for a 2021 movie I quite enjoyed (to say the movie was based on this book would be quite a stretch).
lenadesouza's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The best crazy, alcoholic, depressed people are all communists.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Sexual violence
samsortasucks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Addiction, and Abortion
Minor: Gore
bronwynmb's review against another edition
4.0
I wasn’t sure if I liked this until I got to the very end. I liked the early parts, the sideshow, but the middle dragged for me. The last page, the last paragraph really, made me appreciate it more. Which isn’t fair, the story is great and disturbing, but that last bit just pulled it all together. (I feel misled by the introduction and how Dr Ritter is described. I expected more.)
thedocument's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5