The Manipulated Man [Paperback]

Esther Vilar (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 9, 2005

Esther Vilar's classic polemic about the relationship between the sexes caused a sensation. Vilar's perceptive and often very funny look at the battle between the sexes has earned her death threats. But Vilar's intention is not misogynous: she maintains that only if women and men look at their place in society with honesty, will there be any hope for change.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A provocative, runaway bestseller. (Newsweek )

No one escapes her icy scrutiny. (The New York Times )

Extraordinary... A vigorous answer to Women's Lib. (The London Times )

Language Notes

Text: English, German (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 155 pages
• Publisher: Pinter & Martin Ltd; 2nd edition (May 9, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0953096424
• ISBN-13: 978-0953096428
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,480,228 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

76 of 79 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant eye-opener, December 19, 2002

By 

Peter Kubiak (Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The manipulated man (Hardcover)

This is one of the most enlightening books I've ever read. Esther Vilar is one of the few women who dare to criticize their own sex and the way feminism is going. But she makes clear that she *does* want women to be emancipated - as long as they are willing to accept responsibilities the way men do. Vilar is able to explain why discrimination against women in the professional world is women's own fault: the pay cheque of a man who is prepared to support his wife for years is more valuable and necessary than the pay cheque of a woman who won't support a man and who insists on a money-earning husband.

Quote: "The 'woman with a family' - the woman who supports a healthy man and his children all her life - is practically unknown in the professional world. Who should be held responsible for this situation: employer or woman?" (to be found in the last but one chapter, the one about Women's Lib)

It may seem impolite when I say it, but it's a plain fact that most women only marry men who want to earn money and that women - at the same time - have the nerve to say that no man wants to stay at home anyway...

It's also a plain fact that Esther Vilar has been the victim of censorship (however "unofficial" censorship it may be): in the most important Western country, the U.S., The Manipulated Man has been removed from many libraries, most of her other work is not even sold in English. TV stations, magazines and papers in most Western countries constantly ignore everything Esther Vilar writes and says. Coincidence? Besides, there are many people on the Internet who claim that they've read her books, but deliberately tell lies about her books: e.g. they say that Vilar is old-fashioned and that she wants women to stay at home - a simple lie. Some anonymous people even insult Vilar's fans, using offensive words - the main characteristic of those haters is their unability to discuss the real *contents* of Vilar's books and to give reasons for their opinions...

...and so I really wonder how much time will pass until everyone finally realizes that *both* men and women can benefit from this book. I like the text on the back of the cover which says: "[...] But Vilar's intention is not misogynous. She maintains that only if men and women look at their place in society with honesty, will there be any hope for change."

62 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly Strong., September 1, 2005

By 

Bernard Chapin "Ora Et Labora!" (CHICAGO! USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Manipulated Man (Paperback)

I first heard about this book while reading Fitzgerald's Sexploitation. It was so old that I did not even bother to put it on my wish list. Then, as the years went by, I talked to more and more men who treasured The Manipulated Man. One fellow even went so far as to pdf the initial edition and distribute it among to his friends. As a result of the accolades, I realized that I had to read the work for myself. All I can say is that I'm surprised it turned out to be as good as it is. Yes, it is too severe in some of its observations, but not as much as Sexploitation was. Villar, even when she overstates, makes far more accurate points about men and women than our media ever do. There is more truth in this slim volume than in all of the collected episodes of Oprah Winfrey. That women favor a material existence devoted to enhancing their own security and accentuating pleasure seems to be undeniable based on my life experience. It is a reality of which Villar makes us completely aware. Also, men really do evaluate women from an equal perspective which is the cause of considerable unhappiness to us. It is inconceivable, from our vantage point, that there are women out there who actually prefer shopping to sex, but that is no doubt often the case.

On just about every second page of this book, the author makes a profound insight. Therefore, I encourage you to take the time to read it. As you do, I'm sure you will wonder, just as did I, about the amount the hell Villar must have caught given the year in which it was originally released. Nothing as potent or virile, in regards to the social transcendence of women, ever before appeared. To Esther Villar, as a man, I say thank you. We are heavily in your debt.

79 of 86 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everyone should read this., September 10, 2000

By 

[e-mail] (Cupertino, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The manipulated man; (Hardcover)

Of course, people have all kinds of different tastes, but I really think that just about everyone could benefit from reading this. This book is concerned with some of the most basic misconceptions upon which our culture is based, and which can and should be reformed. Vilar says a lot of things that are rather clear and simple, but that almost everyone is afraid to admit. She exaggerates a lot of things, and many of the things that she says are definitely not true about everybody. An important fact to bear in mind is that the book itself is dedicated to the men and women who are different from the ones described in the book. So the author herself is obviously aware that there are many exceptions to the generalizations that she makes. She herself, I assume, is such an exception. But the things that she says are true about most people.

In some places it seems like she is deliberately trying to provoke women's anger, rather than proving a point. Nevertheless, you should read this book because, as far as I know, there is no other like it. At first you might think that this book is anti-feminist, but actually the author has a lot in common with feminists. Both attack traditional gender roles and both are extremely contemptuous of inequality between men and women. The difference is that a feminist believes that men have the better end of the deal, whereas Vilar believes the opposite. I tend to agree with Vilar. She clearly and incisively describes the relationships of most of the couples that I know.

Some people are probably offended just from reading the title and a short description of the book. I urge you to approach the book with an open mind and consider the arguments presented within calmly and rationally. The effect of the book on some people is probably actually rather devastating. But of course, people can only improve themselves by recognizing and accepting their own faults.

This book, for some reason, is difficult to find in the United States. I bought my copy from amazon.uk.