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super_mort's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
tyler_dickson's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A captivating, brutal look at one man’s quest to reach the big time. Stan Carlisle will do whatever it takes—even if he has to leave a few bodies behind.
William Lindsay Gresham’s writing is crisp and beautiful in all the right spots. He paints this picture of a world where everyone has an angle, everyone wants something, and the only person that matters is the one in the mirror. A perfect noir story.
Stan Carlisle is one of literature’s finest characters. It’s a rare feat for an author to be able to generate sympathy for a character who spends most of their time scamming and tricking people. Gresham spends so much time meticulously building his character and providing little detail after little detail that reveals why Stan has ended up on this path.
The other characters, in particular the female ones, are also well-developed with their own motivations and abilities independent from Stan. Between Molly, Zeena, and Dr. Lilith Ritter, I don’t know if many noirs could ever compare to this set of women characters.
Perhaps the biggest strength of the book is the depiction of carny and spiritualist life. Gresham was deeply interested in spiritualism and wrote at length about fairs and spook shows. From page one, you’re dropped into a world of tricks and schemes, and Gresham has all the knowledge necessary to explain what’s happening. He will explain each trick and plausibly create new tricks for Stan to pull off on his rise to the top. There are so many rich details in the small moments that no other author would know or care about explaining.
Dare I say, this is one of the finest tales of American life ever produced. Stan Carlisle is the embodiment of everything wrong with the ruthless, desperate pursuit of the American dream. He steps on toes, abuses people, burns every bridge he can, and even kills to reach the top, and the best part about Gresham’s narrative is that the only thing waiting for him at the top is an even bigger fish.
READ THIS BOOK
William Lindsay Gresham’s writing is crisp and beautiful in all the right spots. He paints this picture of a world where everyone has an angle, everyone wants something, and the only person that matters is the one in the mirror. A perfect noir story.
Stan Carlisle is one of literature’s finest characters. It’s a rare feat for an author to be able to generate sympathy for a character who spends most of their time scamming and tricking people. Gresham spends so much time meticulously building his character and providing little detail after little detail that reveals why Stan has ended up on this path.
The other characters, in particular the female ones, are also well-developed with their own motivations and abilities independent from Stan. Between Molly, Zeena, and Dr. Lilith Ritter, I don’t know if many noirs could ever compare to this set of women characters.
Perhaps the biggest strength of the book is the depiction of carny and spiritualist life. Gresham was deeply interested in spiritualism and wrote at length about fairs and spook shows. From page one, you’re dropped into a world of tricks and schemes, and Gresham has all the knowledge necessary to explain what’s happening. He will explain each trick and plausibly create new tricks for Stan to pull off on his rise to the top. There are so many rich details in the small moments that no other author would know or care about explaining.
Dare I say, this is one of the finest tales of American life ever produced. Stan Carlisle is the embodiment of everything wrong with the ruthless, desperate pursuit of the American dream. He steps on toes, abuses people, burns every bridge he can, and even kills to reach the top, and the best part about Gresham’s narrative is that the only thing waiting for him at the top is an even bigger fish.
READ THIS BOOK
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Violence
Minor: Animal death and Death
peebee's review against another edition
5.0
Strange to see the phrases "There's a fella that knows his onions" "The ol' Soup and Fish" and "come in my face" in the same story. Weird how when the author isn't worried about going blue, the language from back then is all more or less the same as it is now. Although learning "poontang" precedes Vietnam was a bit of a surprise. Kind of sucks that our grandparents generation had all the same swear words, and used them, just not in public, but also didn't think awesome phrases like "wouldn't know whether to shit or spit nickels" were too corny to use. Sucks for us, I mean, I don't feel like going back and editing the previous sentence for clarity.
silvia_gio's review against another edition
4.0
Almost five stars.
This is an ugly tale of greed, unbridled deceit and the basest impulses of the human heart
It tracks the progress of Stan as he grows from a young boy dreams of wealth to a con artist always on the hunt for the ultimate trick. Stan isnt the only trickster, he learns his con from a fortune teller, partners up with a naive young woman, but ultimately is fooled most of all. Recurring themes of freudian analysis, parental trauma, alcoholismand the recurring tarot decks. Stan is haunted by a nightmare, the titular alley. It's the story of a man who is all ego and no heart. You want to feel sorry for him; he had a terrible childhood, but he just plain does not deserve it. He uses and abuses others just as he was used and abused as a child, forcing others to provide him services in exchange for a display of affection. The fall is sudden and swift once you pass the obvious turning point. In rapid succession, he goes from neophyte carny to vaudeville mentalist to highly polished practitioner of the seance racket. Which is to say he convinces the gullible wealthy he can connect them with deceased loved ones. Inevitably, he flies too close to the sun and undergoes a breathtakingly brutal fall from grace.
Along the way, there are carny freaks and geeks and rich men with desperations of thejr own to sate.
Set in the world of the American carnivals it follows the rise and fall of a sideshow magician with an unrelenting bleakness. Gresham creates a world of life on the margins and the people who inhabit it. The life itself is captured with lots of details and characters, described very vividly in every chapter.
The ending comes back around ties the noose around the main characters neck with a surprising con.
Highly recommended to readers not turned off by the dark, depraved, gut wrenchingly cruel side of life.
This is an ugly tale of greed, unbridled deceit and the basest impulses of the human heart
It tracks the progress of Stan as he grows from a young boy dreams of wealth to a con artist always on the hunt for the ultimate trick. Stan isnt the only trickster, he learns his con from a fortune teller, partners up with a naive young woman, but ultimately is fooled most of all. Recurring themes of freudian analysis, parental trauma, alcoholismand the recurring tarot decks. Stan is haunted by a nightmare, the titular alley. It's the story of a man who is all ego and no heart. You want to feel sorry for him; he had a terrible childhood, but he just plain does not deserve it. He uses and abuses others just as he was used and abused as a child, forcing others to provide him services in exchange for a display of affection. The fall is sudden and swift once you pass the obvious turning point. In rapid succession, he goes from neophyte carny to vaudeville mentalist to highly polished practitioner of the seance racket. Which is to say he convinces the gullible wealthy he can connect them with deceased loved ones. Inevitably, he flies too close to the sun and undergoes a breathtakingly brutal fall from grace.
Along the way, there are carny freaks and geeks and rich men with desperations of thejr own to sate.
Set in the world of the American carnivals it follows the rise and fall of a sideshow magician with an unrelenting bleakness. Gresham creates a world of life on the margins and the people who inhabit it. The life itself is captured with lots of details and characters, described very vividly in every chapter.
The ending comes back around ties the noose around the main characters neck with a surprising con.
Highly recommended to readers not turned off by the dark, depraved, gut wrenchingly cruel side of life.
audreyvhall's review against another edition
dark
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
slimewitch's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
klayperson's review against another edition
5.0
Like I suspect a great many, I came to read this one AFTER seeing the movie (2017 not 1947). That being said, while they closely bear resemblance (minus the ending details, which interestingly differ though reaching the same final bit of degradation) the book is far more the grittier noir vs the more vivid fantastical grotesque that del Toro leans into. Definitely worth the read if a fan of the film.
captainfez's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
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
meganharperartist's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5