Good literature of love-blind person manipulated by a bad spouse?

[fajfall]

Or like Adeline Yen-Mah in Falling Leaves wrote of her father besotted with his mean new wife, to him 'even her farts were fragrant'.

I know a man who can see no wrong in his useless wife, even though she does nothing for him, sleeps all day and wastes his money. He on the other hand dotes on his wife's every whim and doesn't even realise that his wife does nothing in return. Yet he speaks harshly to other people so he only lets her walk over him. It's like he's under a witche's spell but I'd rather reference literature or true historical examples of people who have been so completely blinded by love that they don't see a single fault in their spouse.

[actioncando]

Hmm. Madame Bovary and East of Eden come to mind. It could be argued that Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises is about a manipulative woman that destroys men, but just as many people will argue that she is the hero of the novel. I recently finished reading the novel Hausfrau which is about a woman that repeatedly cheats on her husband, but he can hardly be called a saint.

[YesNo]

If you are also looking for historical examples and not just literature, you might consider what happens between genders in pair-bonding species biologically. The only book I've read about this topic is a survey by Alexander and Young, "The Chemistry Between Us".

[Danik 2016]

I just remembered Lady Mackbeth, the great manipulator.

[desiresjab]

Of Human Bondage had a very manipulative woman. I don't remember if they were married.

[desiresjab]

And I Claudius for sure. Livia ruled by the side of Augustus for decades.

[ennison]

Yes Lady Macbeth the over-manipulator who loses control of her creature. Men! Such bastards eh!