This republished 1946 novel is a fantastic slice of carnival noir following carny worker Stan Carlyle who is young, clever and ambitious and quick to learn from the other carnival acts. Initially teaming up with a beautiful but vulnerable woman as part of a double act in which he mesmerises her, Stan soon leaves his circus days behind him, becoming a successful spiritualist who exploits the weak and the wealthy. It's great to see this fantastic novel get a new lease of life with republication as it is great fun.

A very dark and intriguing book and as always so much better than the movie adaptation. I enjoyed reading this but did not enjoy the Movie.

Nightmare Alley was originally published in 1946 and is considered a classic noir novel. Set in depression era USA, Stan works in the carnival and moves up in the world to becomes fake Spiritualist. The novel follows his rise and fall as well as highlighting the seedy underbelly of the entertainment industry at that time.
This novel has recently been made into a movie which was nominated for four Academy Awards. The moody, dark tone of the storyline is engaging but it was tough reading at times.

I wanted to read this so I could compare how it translated to screen. The story has all the elements of what I want to read about. A carnival and it’s people (never cease to fascinate me along with everyone else!) and clairvoyancy.

The opening scene involves a geek, this one created for show by using his alcohol dependency against him. We also meet the protagonist Stanton Carlisle who joins the carnival as a magician. He meets the clairvoyant Zeena who reads cards and her partner Pete who is a mentalist. Pete has lost his mojo but Zeena sticks with him despite having a bit of an on/off thing with Stanton. Stanton becomes frustrated over not having her enough and it shows in his performances. Eventually he lures Pete to sleep using drink though ends up inadvertently killing him. This goes undetected since Pete was well known for his drink problem.

Stanton begins working with Zeena on her mind reading act. This is when he realises the opportunity to make much more money by swindling the rich. He moves away from carnival life and for a while he is winning. His successes aren’t enough however and with his greatest challenge, he enlists the help of a psychologist.

It’s a story where pride comes before a fall. It left me feeling a mixture of pity and acceptance of the inevitable outcome that swindling can cause. Karma comes to mind.

This was book was really great!! I enjoyed it a lot, loved the characters and the world building. The story was so dark and full of intrigue.

I snatched up a copy of this book when I saw it offered through NetGalley UK as an e-galley. I have recently read several books about C.S. Lewis and Joy Donaldson; William Gresham was Joy's husband before she left for England and Lewis. I like to read in "flights" so thought this would be a good way to round out the story. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book, nor do I recommend it. Overly long, obtuse, often disgusting, and sometimes confusing, this book was only very slightly redeemed by its ending.

Thanks to NetGalley UK for the opportunity to read this e-galley.

This was different in the way of it been set in the old days, I really liked it as the writing style and language etc was old school, a good thriller mystery too and so it was a pleasant surprise to enjoy it!

Well thank goodness that is over, there are too many hours of my life that i will never get back as a result of this book. I would have another look through in search of the horror if I did not have to watch the paint dry in my room.

Essentially the book is a long, rambling tale of a pyramid of cons created by Stan and implemented with the help of his partner Molly. Somewhere along the line (and no I cannot remember where) his psychologist becomes involved in the con. There are lines of cross and double cross each less interesting that the last.

This author is off my list forever

Nightmare Alley tells the story of Stan Carlisle and his life in a carnival or carnie for short. He is destined to become a con artist and pulls off some great ‘cons’ in his role of a spiritualist, after buying himself a mail-order divinity degree. Stan takes up with Molly who also works in the carnival but their relationship flounders when Molly becomes reluctant to continue cheating their clients and Stan takes to the drink as his plans crumble around him.

I loved Gresham’s writing style and I also really enjoyed the other carnival characters or freaks as they were unfortunately referred to. This was a book unlike any other I’ve read and I would like to watch the movie to see how they compare. Definitely worth a read.

I did enjoy this, but I found that the style of storytelling was unfortunately not for me. I think it’s a mystical, descriptive and complex piece of work and I did actually share it with my partner who was OBSESSED

I always welcome the chance to read a noir novel, but this one felt dated. The story centres on Stanton Carlisle, a fairground chancer who makes a career out of fake spiritualism, exploiting people's gullibility for his own gain. He is amoral and misogynistic, until he finds his nemesis in the obligatory femme fatale.

The fairground setting of the first half of the novel is one that no longer really resonates in this day and age. The second half, focussing on the fakery that underlies the spiritualist trade, was more interesting and still happens today. As things unravel for Stanton, the psychology applied to linking his past with his current character and decisions is very much of its time and feels simplistic and hackneyed today, when even a trashy police procedural is likely to have a more nuanced explanation for its villain's motivations.

I thought this was not a novel that has aged well.

A dark storyline filled with sad, vulnerable individuals being preyed upon by the dregs of the earth. A twist for the ending. Well worth reading. It’s also been made into a film which is quite watchable.

(3.5 stars rounded up)
I really wanted to read the original work that the film of the same name is based on but this one was a struggle for me to really get into. I love books that embrace the dark side of the traditional American carnival and enjoy novels like ‘Geek Love’ by Katherine Dunn and studying the works of Diane Arbus. So I thought I knew what to expect going into this novel, however the tone is very heavy and sometimes the internal thoughts of the MC became difficult to follow.
The general plot line has a strong basis by focusing on Stan who is a downtrodden but intelligent man. He goes from being a carny to a showman mentalist to a renowned spiritualist, in effect working an manipulative angle in the depression era New York. One of the more complex characters that I have encountered in these ‘classic’ novels, however personally this didn’t counteract the heaviness I felt getting through this novel which was a shame.

This was a good story, I was intrigued as to what was gonna happen and I'm glad I picked it up! Want to read more from this author

A vintage noir set in a carnival during the depression era; Stan Carlisle is clever and ambitious and when he joins the carnival he has a greater plan in place He plays a mentalist on stage and as he becomes more successful it seems that the world is truly his for the taking but will anything stop him.

This was a dark thriller that brought the carnival scene to life; I was gripped with Stan's journey from the start of his ambitious plans to his successful career and then the fall. It was a dark and twisted read that I greatly enjoyed.

Thank you to the Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

Full of mystery and intrigue and very dark. Highly readable and kept my interest throughout. Brilliant characterisation and loved the ending.

I found this book difficult to read due to the subject matter. It makes one think about the type of individuals that prey on others.

For some reason, it made me think of American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis.

Would like to read more by this author.

So dark but electrifyingly creepy.
I did enjoy this read, I like the setting and the concept. I love horror films i could see this rolling through my head but the difference was that i was in the book and felt the hairs on the back of my neck constantly as it felt that real.

Unfortunately I gave this one up. I couldn’t relate to the characters and ultimately decided to abandon it less that half way through.

Unfortunately this book was not for me. Other readers may enjoy it more, but I could not get into it and ultimately did not finish it.