Head To Toe: A Novel & Up Against It: A Screenplay For The Beatles [Paperback]

Joe Orton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 21, 1998

Here, together for the first time in one volume, are Joe Orton's earliest and last published works. Head to Toe is the saga of Gombold, who strays onto the head of a creature some hundred miles high and begins making his way through the giant's nether regions and on toward his toes. En route, he falls into the clutches of a dominating and gender-bending policewoman; finds himself in an assassination squad whose target is the prime minister; and finally enlists in an apocalyptic war between the Left and Right Buttocks. Up Against It is a screenplay commissioned by the Beatles in 1967, in which, as Orton described it, "The boys have been caught in flagrante, become involved in dubious political activity, dressed as women, committed murder, been put in prison, and committed adultery." The two works, which mirror each other in many ways, combine elements of satire, eroticism, and nightmare with Orton's characteristic glee.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A cross between Gulliver and Alice, Orton's unwitting hero, Gombold, begins his journey when he wanders onto the head of a giant, hundreds of miles tall. The trip of the title, and back again, takes long enough for the host-creature to age, long enough for Gombold to have assorted adventures with assorted companions. Mostly he gets into trouble running afoul of unknown conventions, a frequent experience in such an odd landscape. Here plants talk, governments are run by large, trivial-minded women, men are occupied with war and revolution and Gombold spends many years imprisoned in a privy. Gargantuan body parts contribute an oddly gruesome, mildly distasteful humor to Gombold's travels, but on the whole his journey is a grim one, leaving him as bewildered at the end as he was at the beginning of his quest. Those who know of Orton's plays, including What the Butler Saw, and his violent death at the hands of his male lover, will recognize familiar satiric, scatological and erotic themes in this novel, which is powered by an unflagging, risk-taking imagination and the kind of energy associated with major literary talent.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Originally published in England in 1971, this novel is a fable reminiscent of Gulliver's Travels and Alice in Wonderland. It recounts the adventures of Gombold, a parasite living on a dying giant, as he experiences various degrees of adversity and degradation. Unfortunately, Orton lacks Swift's focused wit or Dodgson's gift for creating a fantastic yet coherent world. Sexual ambiguity, misogyny, and political violence abound, but Orton's position on these issues is unclear, the targets of his satire vague and confused. Given the circumstances of Orton's death (a British playwright, he was murdered in 1967), the recent publication of his diaries, and the newly released film, Prick Up Your Ears, there is sure to be some cult interest in this work. However, its publication in this country will have little effect on Orton's reputation. Recommended only because of popular demand. William Gargan, Brooklyn Coll. Lib., CUNY
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 462 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (March 21, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306808366
• ISBN-13: 978-0306808364
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,324,266 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Head to toe and cover to cover!, June 11, 2001

By 

"flymars" (Kannapolis, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Head To Toe: A Novel & Up Against It: A Screenplay For The Beatles (Paperback)

Head to toe is the story of Gombold, a man who drops onto the head of Atlas and makes his way to the toes. On the way he is arrested and imprisoned repeatedly, assasinates an official, becomes confused as to his own gender, and finally enlists in the war between the left and right buttocks. There is alot of symbolism and wonderfully amusing word usage. The Washington times called it a bizarre combination of Gulliver's Travels and Alice in Wonderland. Up Against it is a screenplay written for the Beatles. The author, Joe Orton, was murdered in 1967 by his lover at the peak of his career. There are many parallels between the two stories in this book, which were Orton's first and last ever published.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars good seller severly dissapointed in book, March 14, 2010

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paint "paint" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Head to Toe (Hardcover)

This book was published after he was dead and couldn't stop them. I read a good review of this book. Either I couldn't understand this book or that guy was a liar. This guys plays are the greatest though. I absolutely love his plays. The best.

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another little warning...., June 19, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Head To Toe: A Novel & Up Against It: A Screenplay For The Beatles (Paperback)

Not for the kiddies! Some inappropriate material for young'uns. Otherwise very good. Not for reading aloud though.