Considered by Cortazar to be his first socially committed novel, A Manual for Manuel marks a new phase in Cortazar's literary development. In its unique blend of fantasy and fact, this novel attempts to share something of the anguish he felt when he read of the growing violence and tortures happening in Latin America, and particularly, in Argentina. Cortazar had met many young Argentineans living as exiles in Paris. It was from these tragic encounters with his fellow countrymen that A Manual for Manuel was born. As evidence of his personal commitment for social justice, Cortazar donated the profit from this book to organizations aiding the families of political prisoners in Argentina.