Rating: 
Summary: reissue please!
Review: I read this book when it first came out. Unfortunately lost it over the years; would love to have a copy to give to my son & daughter to read as it so clearly explains the "different" worlds that men & women inhabit. Very thought provoking without pointing fingers at either sex for the mess that is created. Isn't it about time to reissue it for the next generation?
Rating:
Summary: A MUST READ FOR EVERY GENERATION
Review: I was part of the innocent pre me-generation of the chrome and fins 50's. I was attending high school in Miami Beach and this book magically found it's way into my life. It was my first awareness that, indeed, male and female existed on two different planets - both one and the same. Then and there, I became determined to know my way around a tool box and to imagine survival without men. Shortly after reading the last page, Mr. Wylie visited our high school and I, awash in adulation escorted him through our school. I have not forgotten his book and I have not forgotten him. And to his honor, I am an artist with a screwdriver.
Rating: 
Summary: Unforgettable
Review: I'm one of these people that forgets a book shortly after I've read it. There are very few that stick in my mind, but The Disappearance by Wylie has remained memorable for over 40 years! In this day and age of blending roles for men and women, plus recent books like "Men Are From Mars, Women From Venus"...Wylie's book shows how dependent we truly are on each other. As I recall, the ladies fared much better, so perhaps the feminists out there will really enjoy reading this book.I've been searching for a copy for years. PLEASE,don't let this one go out of print! All of Wylie's books..Finley Wren, Innocent Ambassadors, Generation of Vipers should once again be on bookshelves. They speak as much to us today as they did years ago.
Rating:
Summary: Unforgettable
Review: I'm one of these people that forgets a book shortly after I've read it. There are very few that stick in my mind, but The Disappearance by Wylie has remained memorable for over 40 years! In this day and age of blending roles for men and women, plus recent books like "Men Are From Mars, Women From Venus"...Wylie's book shows how dependent we truly are on each other. As I recall, the ladies fared much better, so perhaps the feminists out there will really enjoy reading this book. I've been searching for a copy for years. PLEASE,don't let this one go out of print! All of Wylie's books..Finley Wren, Innocent Ambassadors, Generation of Vipers should once again be on bookshelves. They speak as much to us today as they did years ago.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating premise and thoughtful execution
Review: Once again Philip Wylie showed what a great author he was in this hard-to-classify work, Sci-Fi? Fantasy? In an instant, all the women disappear from the men, and all the men disappear from the women -- and two parallel worlds exist. Wylie as usual shows an uncanny ability to zero in on the topics which would (and have) become the most pressing. Even where it's dated it's still entertaining and never condescending. I find it particularly interesting that the Men get into a nuclear war --- and the Women make world peace. It also doesn't avoid many of the philosophical implications of the premise. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Science-fiction literature at it's finest
Review: One of the best, most mature, and imaginative "what if" novels I've ever read in the sci-fi genre. Examines all facets of the human experience during an imcomprehensible event (a separation of the sexes). A book rich in philosphy, speculation, scenarios, and emotion, as it attempts to address the many ideas and attitudes modern man has about himself, and the opposite sex. Well written, intellectually stimulating, and even comes with a happy ending, this is what good science fiction truly is!
Rating:
Summary: FINALLY back in print
Review: One of the most remarkable novels ever written, The Disappearance must have caused a sensation in 1951 when it first appeared. I won't belabor the plot, because others have already recounted it. But its frank analysis of the way in which our society separates men and women, teaches children to be ashamed of their bodies, teaches men and women NOT to fulfill their potentials and destinies but to fill the paths set down by our narrowminded forebears, is every bit as poignant today as it was then.
Wylie's two protagonists -- Bill Gaunt the philosopher and is wife Paula -- a PhD in languages -- are three-dimensional and fascinating. His assessment of the world of men without women disintegrating into lawlessness is frighteningly real. His world of women discovering that very few of their number have been trained in the rudiments of running the society is sobering. And although women have come a long way in that respect since 1951, the glass ceiling still exists. The perception of the "role" of women or men in a particular situation hasn't gone away.
The whole story is told with insight and a wicked sense of humor. Just look at his picture of the wives of the government officials trying to run the government of women. Unfortunately, politicians do not always choose wives for their intelligence but for a host of other attributes and skills that do not help them to cope with the catastrophe. And the showdown between the American and Soviet women will leave you breathless and laughing.
To me, the best example of the way Wylie chose to tell this story is Chapter 13, which does not further the plot at all. Bill Gaunt is asked by the President and a committee of scientists and other thinkers to prepare an essay assessing what it all means. Chapter 13 is that essay. Even the title of the chapter lets impatient readers know that if they skip it, they will lose none of the sense of the story. DON"T SKIP IT!!
Not for the faint of heart, but DEFINITELY for the inquiring mind. Those of us who have already read this one (several times) are pleased it is back in print so we can replace the lop-eared copies we have been reading for years.
Note to Hollywood: Wouldn't this make a fascinating subject for a movie? Probably not. Its subtleties and interweaving of plots and events would go beyond Hollywood's ability to translate it without succumbing to the temptation to mess with it. So I guess we'll just have to read it again.
One cautionary note: Be aware that the novel does have one bit of baggage that is left over from the time it was written. Its Cold War politics may seem out of place today, but it carries the story forward. Aside from that small anachronism (from our point of view), the novel could have been written yesterday.
If you've never heard of this one, give it a chance. You'll be as amazed as I was.
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Summary: Wylie touches all social issues before they became issues
Review: Philip Wylie examines all today's social issues in this book. Sexual equality, alcohol/substance abuse, gay/lesbian issues, and the political turmoil of the era. William P. Gaunt, main character, examines his world when women disappear as does his wife from the alternate realm without men. It is must reading to enlighten yourself on the issues of today from a time when they were developing. My copy has shown its age, the book I've read most often since first buying a copy. It is tattered and I am searching for a replacement.
Rating:
Summary: Feminists would love it; men hating feminists would love it.
Review: Plot: all the women in the world disappear. Consequences, men have different responses. Some try to get the women back. A work of fantasy with implications which extend to our time. Wylie, the inventor of "Momism" knew the whole story. Too bad it's hard to get the book. It's an oldie but a goodie.
Rating:
Summary: This is one of the most memorable books I've ever read.
Review: The Disappearance is one of the most thought-provoking books I've ever read. It clarifies the differences and similarities between men and women. With a few minor adjustments, it is as appropriate today as when it was written. I regret that I loaned it to a friend and it was never returned. I'd love to find another copy.
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