The Orton Diaries

Joe Orton - once dubbed "the Oscar Wilde of the welfare state generation" - is here revealed as one of the great diarists of the 20th century. It's true that some of his sexual exploits are detailed quite graphically (and sometimes hilariously) here, but it's his unique perspective and insight which makes the diaries so compelling. When he goes to meet Brian Epstein, or Paul McCartney, or goes to accept his Evening Standard award for Loot as best play of 1966, it's like we're in his head with him. A friend once said of Orton he didn't have a heart, but what was there instead was surprisingly warm and compassionate at times. That really comes across in these diaries. Kenneth Williams features quite a bit in Orton's diaries, as Orton does in Williams' diaries, and it's quite fascinating to cross reference the same events recounted in very different ways by the two men.Of course, what gives the diaries an added frisson is our knowing (which of course Orton couldn't) that they actually chronicle the last few months of Orton's life: the diaries end just days before he was bludgeoned to death by his lover, Kenneth Halliwell. Halliwell left a suicide note saying that all would be explained if one reads the diaries. But the last few entries are missing. What happened to them? Will they ever be found. A tantalising literary mystery.

This is a well presented book. The introduction, footnotes, photographs, etc are very interesting and informative. I highly recommend this book if you are interested in Joe Orton and/or Kenneth Halliwell.Joe Orton really was a very unlikeable character, despite being so talented, and in his diary he is "damned by his own words". I feel much empathy for Kenneth Halliwell. It was a very tragic story and such shame to lose such talent so prematurely (both of them). If anyone is interested there is currently an exhibition at the Islington Museum called "Up Against It", which displays many of Orton/Halliwell’s artifacts including the collage cat screen made by Halliwell and some of the defaced book dust covers that lead to them being imprisoned.

a tad too shocking for me and I am broadminded. I don't want to come out with any spoilers but if there ever was a reason for KH smashing Orton's skull open it was laid out plainly in the diaries. I'd say it was unlikely KH was jealous or resentful of Orton's poaching his ideas enough to do the deed. The ages of Orton's desired prey and the distances he would travel to feed his sickness would more seem like the reason. Orton always wanted to shock but he seemed to sicken more than shock. A sleezy meet in a toilet is one thing but he'd have better to stick to legal aged victims. Personally I'd have knighted KH for hammering the brains out of Orton's skull. A good book to read to get to the real truth as opposed to the bizarre take shown in Prick Up Your Ears.

Highly recommended! Many of the great and well-known post-war diaries (e.g. those of Alan Clark, "Chips" Channon, Harold Nicolson) who written by members of the ruling class. Too many recent diaries by politicians (e.g. Alistair Campbell, Robin Cook etc.) were obviously written with an eye on future publication and have dated very quickly. By contrast, Joe Orton's diaries were written by an exceptionally talented young writer - working class, gay - at the absolute height of his powers. His diary was written in the last eight months (January-August 1967) of his short life and is spontaneous and very funny, and at the same time that he wrote two highly successful plays, as well as revising others. The diary divides into three sections: January-May (London), June-July (Tangier) and July-August (the final days before he was murdered) and even now, more than 40 years later, the observations are still fresh. Of course, the irony is that Orton - highly intelligent and self-aware - did not see that the growing depression of his partner, Kenneth Halliwell, would lead to their deaths.

A candid diary of radical playwright Joe Orton's daily life in swinging 60's London as he pioneered a ground breaking theatrical exposure of Britain's establishment hypocrisy and persecution towards homosexuals.

As a piece of writing this is pretty fascinating -- the diary of playwright Joe Orton from the six months or so leading up to his murder. It's this diary that apparently goaded Orton's lover Kenneth Halliwell into bashing Orton's head in with a hammer in August, 1967, and as a reader, you see it happening, the diary packed with often amusing descriptions of Halliwell's unfolding nervous breakdown juxtiposed with Orton's growing celebrity, success, sociopathic egotism and wild sexual promiscuity. Pretty horrifying the way Orton and Halliwell behaved with underage boys on vacation in Morocco. I give that ZERO STARS. They were clearly a couple of bastards. But as a document, as a piece of writing, it is unusual, biting, funny.

The book is in diary format.After the first couple of chapters I got bored, constantly referring to numerous people I could barely keep track who they all were (despite the notations).I came to realise I really didn't like the character and I think that's why I lost interest. It's raw and quite vulgar in places, of it's time I guess.

Thoroughly enjoyed this romp through the literary/theatrical world of 1960's London. I first became interested in Orton through reading Kenneth Williams' diaries and KW makes a few appearances during the book.That said, it is not a book for the faint-hearted or easily offended. There are many (sometimes lengthy) descriptions of gay liaisons, particularly in the section based in Tangier.Overall, I really enjoyed this book, but was well aware of its content before I bought it.

The Diary entries are funny, eclectic, dishy and take you into the mind of Joe Orton. Equally important, it provides a view into the British theatrical establishment in the early 20th century. The images also tell the story of Orton's life in a way that enrich the text. Very good read!

It did not live up to reviews. Very disappointed and boring.