The story follows Peter Reaney, a successful, high-flying London talent agent who seemingly has it all: the clothes, the car, the career, and—as the title suggests—an effortless magnetism. He is the architect of other people's fame, a man who spends his days manipulating the desires of the public.
Today, the work is often viewed as a precursor to the "sad boy" or "flawed anti-hero" tropes seen in shows like Mad Men . Peter Reaney is, in many ways, the British cousin of Don Draper—a man who can sell a fantasy to everyone except himself. The Man Who Had Power Over Women
When Gordon Williams’ novel first hit shelves, it was both a bestseller and a lightning rod for criticism. It arrived just as the "Summer of Love" was fading into the gritty, paranoid 1970s. The story follows Peter Reaney, a successful, high-flying