Helpful Score: 4
I read this novel for a college class and I am so glad I did. The book is a must read and it is a true classic. Once you see beyond the surface of the writer's words to the deeper meanings you experience the complexities and genius of Ralph Ellison.
Not a fast read if you truely want to experience a great piece of literature.
Not a fast read if you truely want to experience a great piece of literature.
A classic in every sense of the word. Very insightful as to the inner thoughts of a black man as he struggles with his thoughts about race and equality. It is important that the reader looks beyond the written word for the "hidden meanings" within.
Helpful Score: 1
What an amazing book... it has stuck with me since reading it well over a year ago. If you critically think into the novel and consider all of the things going on and meanings you can truly see how great and classic Ellison's Invisible Man is. Very powerful.
Helpful Score: 1
Meticulously crafted tale of a young black man's journey to self-awareness in 1930s America; at times seems to be a cross between Kafka's "Metamorphosis" and Homer's "Odyssey".
Helpful Score: 1
Ralph Ellison's nightmare journey across the racial divide tell truths about the nature of bigotry in the U.S.
Invisible Man is certainly a book about race in America, and sadly enough, few of the problems it chronicles have disappeared even now. But Ellison's first novel transcends such a narrow definition. It's also a book about the human race stumbling down the path to identity, challenged and successful to varying degrees. None of us can ever be sure of the truth beyond ourselves, and possibly not even there. The world is a tricky place, and no one knows this better than the invisible man, who leaves us with these chilling, provocative words: "And it is this which frightens me: Who knows but that, on the lower frequencies, I speak for you?" --Melanie Rehak
(amazon.com)
(amazon.com)
Wow. What a book. It's an eye-opener, whether you're white or African-American.
Betrayed by a southern black college, abused by the whites while growing up, and dreaming of the freedom of the north, a journey begins.
In the north, he finds racism just as rampant as the south. He also finds an outlet for his intelligence working as an organizer for an un-named organization. It is his work, and the complexitites of reform organizations, that captured my attention.
Let me insert a note here: Much of this book contains no specifics. Ellison writes as if in another dimension where actual names are unnecessary. For me, this implied the author's disconnect - and makes the story more universal. This aloofness on Ellison's part kept my concentration on the issues, not the geography or politics.
White or black, read this book. It is a classic for a reason.
Betrayed by a southern black college, abused by the whites while growing up, and dreaming of the freedom of the north, a journey begins.
In the north, he finds racism just as rampant as the south. He also finds an outlet for his intelligence working as an organizer for an un-named organization. It is his work, and the complexitites of reform organizations, that captured my attention.
Let me insert a note here: Much of this book contains no specifics. Ellison writes as if in another dimension where actual names are unnecessary. For me, this implied the author's disconnect - and makes the story more universal. This aloofness on Ellison's part kept my concentration on the issues, not the geography or politics.
White or black, read this book. It is a classic for a reason.
Let's remember this is a classic - set aside your modern tastes and just enjoy this really great book - go with the flow - read as the stunning fiction and talented writing it is.
Though I found this book a bit repetitive, I also found it to be a thought provoking commentary on racial inequality. Overall a good read, if you can get past the prologue.
An amazing book and a very fast, but memorable read.
Enjoyed it to bits. :) It's not a classic for no good reason.
How would I like to live in this world as if I were invisible? This is the story, written in the early 50's, of what it was like to be black in a country where black people were invisible.
I had to read it for school, and I couldn't even make it all the way through.
Definitely an interesting piece of literature, however, getting a feel for the tone of the book was hard to do. At times it seemed as it if was a straight ahead, quasi-autobiographical account while at other times it ventured into the surreal. Still a good read, but one that you have to dedicate yourself to trying to take in fully.
A novel about growing up as a black American in the mid-twentieth century, this is an incredibly powerful story. Don't miss it.
First published in 1952 and immediately hailed as a masterpiece, Invisible Man is one of those rare novels that have changed the shape of American literature. For not only does Ralph Ellison's nightmare journey across the racial divide tell unparalleled truths about the nature of bigotry and its effects on the minds of both victims and perpetrators, it gives us an entirely new model of what a novel can be.
As he journeys from the Deep South to the streets and basements of Harlem, from a horrifying "battle royal" where black men are reduced to fighting animals, to a Communist rally where they are elevated to the status of trophies, Ralph Ellison's nameless protagonist ushers readers into a parallel universe that throws our own into harsh and even hilarious relief.
As he journeys from the Deep South to the streets and basements of Harlem, from a horrifying "battle royal" where black men are reduced to fighting animals, to a Communist rally where they are elevated to the status of trophies, Ralph Ellison's nameless protagonist ushers readers into a parallel universe that throws our own into harsh and even hilarious relief.
First published in 1952 and immeditately hailed as a masterpiece, "Invisible Man" is one of those rare novels that have changed the shape of American literature. For not only does Ralph Ellison's nightmare journey across the racial divide tell unparalleled truths about the nature of bigotry and its effects on the minds of both victims and perpetrators, it gives us an entirely new model of what a novel can be.
As he journeys from the Deep South to the streets and basements of Harlem, from a horrifying 'battle royal' where black men are reduced to flighting animals, to a Communist rally where they are elevated to the status of trophies, Ralph Ellison's nameless protagonist ushers reader into a parallel universe that throws our own into harsh and even hiularious relief. Suspenseful and sardonic, narrated in a voice that takes in the symphonic range of the American language, black and white, "Invisible Man" is one of the most audacious and dazzling novels of our century.
As he journeys from the Deep South to the streets and basements of Harlem, from a horrifying 'battle royal' where black men are reduced to flighting animals, to a Communist rally where they are elevated to the status of trophies, Ralph Ellison's nameless protagonist ushers reader into a parallel universe that throws our own into harsh and even hiularious relief. Suspenseful and sardonic, narrated in a voice that takes in the symphonic range of the American language, black and white, "Invisible Man" is one of the most audacious and dazzling novels of our century.
1952 classic tracing racism and bigotry.
This is a debut novel by Ralph Ellison about what it's like to grow up as a black man in mid-century America. It has many experiences that show how blacks are treated just because they are black. This book should not be confused with H.G. Wells book where the invisible man was actually invisible. Race is what will keep this black man in his permanent underclass status thus denying him his humanity. It is a powerful read and should not be missed.
excellent classic
