Ever wonder who you are when no one’s watching? Or, maybe more disturbingly—who’s watching when you think you’re alone?
That’s the unsettling premise of The Voyeur’s Motel by Gay Talese, a book that turned out to be an absolute page-turner for our book club. It’s the true(ish?) story of a man who turned his roadside motel into a secret observation deck, spying on guests for decades, leaving behind pages upon pages of meticulous notes about their private moments.
And boy, did we have things to say about it.
The Tea (Or Should We Say… Peep Show?)
Our group found this book as fascinating as it was unsettling. It sparked some heated discussions on ethics, morals, and the blurry line between truth and embellishment. Was the voyeur telling the whole truth? Did he really leave out porn and sex toys to see what guests would do? Did he actually witness a murder? Or was he a little too eager to write himself into the action? Even Talese himself starts questioning the reliability of his subject by the end.
We may not have loved the book, but we devoured it. It’s the kind of read you don’t necessarily want to revisit, but you can’t help but keep turning the pages once you start.
Join Us for More Wild Reads
If you like books that push boundaries, make you squirm, and leave you with plenty to debate over drinks—this is the kind of book club for you. Come read with us, argue with us, and maybe help us pick the next book that’ll leave us questioning our own moral compasses.
