Nightmare Alley

9 hrs. 50 min.

Classics

Language Russian

Author William Gresham

Narrator Vladimir Rybalchenko

Description

First time in Russian—a classic American noir novel, previously adapted for film once in Hollywood’s Golden Age with Tyrone Power and Joan Blondell in the lead roles. And now a new film version is being released worldwide: directed by Guillermo del Toro (“Pan’s Labyrinth,” “The Shape of Water,” “The Devil’s Backbone,” “Hellboy”). The film stars Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Willem Dafoe, Ron Perlman, Rooney Mara, Toni Collette, and others. Stan Carlisle works in the traveling sideshow “Ten in One.” He is young, talented, and ambitious, and, with a subtle understanding of human nature, he shows signs of a successful mentalist—“a mind reader.” And soon Stan performs on prestigious stages with his own act, and he marries a beautiful assistant, while his séances become extremely popular among the upper circles of society. But even while preparing the most grandiose con of his career, he can’t rid himself of the image of the “alley of nightmares” that has haunted him since childhood… “The notorious American Dream, Gresham-style, is turned inside out. His hero limps through the dark of a nightmare alley, hoping—until the end, and we hope with him—that the path won’t end in a dead end and that light will appear ahead” (Los Angeles Times).