Gay Talese’s The Voyeur’s Motel is one of the creepiest books I’ve ever read. Decades ago, Gay Talese, the famous non-fiction writer (Honor Thy Father and Thy Neighbor’s Wife, etc.) received a letter from a guy in Colorado saying he owned a motel that allowed him to observe the the people in their motel rooms unbeknownst to them. The man claimed he keeping detailed records of the sexual activities going on in those rooms. Gay Telese flew out to Denver, met the Voyeur (as he called himself), and actually witnessed a sex act performed in one of the motel rooms from the hidden vantage point.
Gay Talese insisted he could not write about the Voyeur’s experiences unless he could use the man’s real name. The Voyeur was reluctant to reveal his true identity to the world for fear of criminal prosecution and law suits. Over the 1980s and 1990s, Telese and the Voyeur kept up a sporadic correspondence. The Voyeur would send Talese his observations and sections of his detailed journal. Finally, Talese gained permission to reveal the Voyeur’s identity and The Voyeur’s Motel is the result. After reading this book, my opinion that Life and Other People are very strange was strongly reinforced. GRADE: B+
I read something about this a long time ago! You’re right, it’s a lot more interesting than yesterday’s choice!
Bob, you would be astonished at what happened at the voyeur’s motel!
I don’t understand the purpose of a book like this. Frankly, I would feel icky reading it. Talese should be ashamed of himself for not turning the guy into the authorities as soon as he learned what he was up to. The whole enterprise sounds grubby. On the other hand, a book about the logical pretzel Talese twisted himself into in order to justify enabling the voyeur for decades, written by someone with unimpeachable credentials (Janet Malcolm perhaps?) might be worth reading.
/Mrs. Grundy says “Harrumph!”
Deb, “icky” is the perfect word to describe much of what happens at the voyeur’s hotel. I haven’t seen a review of Gay Talese’s THE VOYEUR’S MOTEL. A guy at the pool where I frolick daily told me about it. I’m a big Gay Talese fan so I found a copy and read it quickly. It’s a very odd and strange story of how this book came about.
I remember reading something about Talese disavowing the book and then later defending it. The problem was that the voyeur might not have been entirely truthful. I don’t know how things were resolved or even if they were.
Bill, some of the events in THE VOYEUR’S MOTEL are suspect. But the story of an obsessed guy keeping detailed notes on what goes on in those motel rooms is compelling.
Not “compelling”, disgusting. The publisher of this trash-pile should be ashamed. As should the author and the motel owner.
BAH!
Rick, I was sure THE VOYEUR’S MOTEL would earn a “BAH” from you! It is a pretty seedy story. According to Gay Talese, every word is true.
I’m with Deb on this one. Double “Hurrumph!’
Jerry, I have mixed feelings about reading THE VOYEUR’S MOTEL.
Here’s an (abridged?) version of the story – including the guy’s name:
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/04/11/gay-talese-the-voyeurs-motel
Btw his wife helped him …
Really strange – possible only in the USA?
Wolf, what was really strange was that the voyeur’s wife was a active participant in his viewings. Later, his second wife also participated in his “research.” I was flabbergasted!
Add me to the Deb side too. This isn’t Talese’s first voyage to the sleazy side. I won’t be reading this,
I agree. He should have reported it. He’s supporting, if not encouraging sleazy and illegal behavior.
Maggie, Gay Talese defends his decisions on not reporting on the voyeur from the beginning. But Talese’s contention that he just wanted to reveal the man’s “real Name” doesn’t convince me.
Jeff, the story behind THE VOYEUR’S MOTEL is so strange and odd that I was drawn in.
Even the troll on my blog repulses me so you can imagine what the chances are that I will read this. Not that there’s anything wrong with reading any book. BTW: five people have now bought THE EXISTENTIAL CAFE thanks toi your post, George.
Patti, I’m glad to hear people like THE EXISTENTIALIST CAFE. Sarah Bakewell is a terrific writer! The peculiarities of THE VOYEUR’S MOTEL reeled me in. I find it hard to resist strange stories.
I have no problem resisting crap like this.
Rick, THE VOYEUR’S MOTEL just shows how kinky our world really is.
This was all news to me (I don’t get out much), but icky as it may be, it’s hardly surprising that it’s a hot media property (optioned by Spielberg, but since canned when they learned that there’s a documentary already in the can). Have you seen the current promos for the Bates Motel tv show?
Art, I immediately thought of THE BATES MOTEL while reading THE VOYEUR’S MOTEL. Both are bizarre.