THE VOYEUR’S MOTEL By Gay Talese


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+

22 thoughts on “THE VOYEUR’S MOTEL By Gay Talese

  1. Cap'n Bob

    I read something about this a long time ago! You’re right, it’s a lot more interesting than yesterday’s choice!

    Reply
  2. Deb

    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!”

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      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.

      Reply
  3. Bill Crider

    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.

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    1. george Post author

      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.

      Reply
      1. george Post author

        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.

    1. george Post author

      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!

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  4. Jeff Meyerson

    Add me to the Deb side too. This isn’t Talese’s first voyage to the sleazy side. I won’t be reading this,

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      1. george Post author

        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.

  5. Patti Abbott

    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.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      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.

      Reply
  6. Art Scott

    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?

    Reply

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