Seduced the Greene Way: The Art of Seduction

April 6th, 2005 | Books, Reviews, Seduction

‘The Art of Seduction’ by Robert Greene reviewed by Faraaz Mahomed

Seduction is an art form not easily mastered. For some, it pays to be sexy and charming. For others, being sincere works wonders. For most, though, there is no secret formula, no magic, one-size-fits-all pickup line. Instead, we’re told to ‘just be yourself’ and ‘trust that they’ll like you for you’. And Santa Claus really does exist.

For skeptics like myself there is a new and rather compelling answer to this age-old dilemma. With chapters like ‘Choose the Right Victim’ and ‘Send Mixed Signals’, Robert Greene’s ‘The Art of Seduction’ seems like the first book of its kind written in my language. Seduction, according to Greene, doesn’t consist of fanciful ideas like honesty and trust but, instead, strategy. It provides an intriguing look into the human mind, and it isn’t pretty.

Greene speaks of relationships as though they are battles, to be won and lost, he analyses the past conquests of some of the most seductive people in history, interspersing these with details of great generals like Napoleon (Correct me if I’m wrong but, seductive he was not) and his approach to relationships. The book, quite refreshingly, not only discusses manipulation, but actually advocates it! As if one needs more reason to go out and grab this psychological masterpiece.

The book lets us in on the author’s theory of the nine types of lovers, leaving the reader to decipher their own place and category. He points out the strengths of each, encouraging the audience to capitalise on their own mystery or charisma. One can’t help asking though, what of the weaknesses of each? For someone who possesses neither mystery nor charisma (or anything else for that matter), it need only appear that you do. Finally, self-help without any self-righteousness. Shameless.

Greene, whose other books include the ‘48 Laws of Power’, wastes no time in removing the romance from seduction and relationships. His business-like tone may not appeal to everyone and there seems to be very little room for failure within his ‘scheme’. His 24 steps come with pearls of wisdom from the likes of Sigmund Freud and William Shakespeare, the guy who lusted after his mother and the guy who wrote Romeo and Juliet. But maybe it is this very simplistic view of human nature that we need. In the era of Oprah and Sex and the City, maybe all we really need to be told is that the age-old traditions of lying and manipulating really weren’t that bad after all.

I may be wrong but I don’t remember a single use of the word ‘love’ in ‘The Art of Seduction’. The author doesn’t seem to equate one with the other. If seduction is the goal rather than the tool, what happens when it’s over? Perhaps Greene has too many women on his hands to really address this question. I never thought I’d say this, but he may just be too cynical. Still, ‘The Art of Seduction’ is likely to be one of the most provocative and honest books you’ll ever encounter in the genre. I’m off to find me a victim….

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