Book :: Invisible Man

Invisible Man
By: Ralph Ellison
Pages: 581
Published: 1947
Genre(s): African American
American
Historical Fiction
Award(s): National Book Award (1953)
Rating: (16)

#15

640 points

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Invisible Man is a milestone in American literature, a book that has continued to engage readers since its appearance in 1952. A first novel by an unknown writer, it remained on the bestseller list for sixteen weeks, won the National Book Award for fiction, and established Ralph Ellison as one of the key writers of the century. The nameless narrator of the novel describes growing up in a black...

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Reviews

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Polilla-Lynn Polilla-Lynn

This is a book that I will likely remember for a long time, although I am not sure what to say about it, other than it's about: - a Black man living underground in Harlem in a type of basement room lighted with strings of lights; - his relating about his early life in the South and about moving North; - his struggle for work and problems that arose; - the racial issues he saw and fought against; - his involvement in a "brotherhood" movement; - his becoming disillusioned, angry, desperate; - his philosophying and the thought-provoking statements that make the reader think... What else can I say? It's a great read.

Mar 30th, 2022

bdubransky bdubransky

Jul 11th, 2019

Trappalapp Trappalapp

Great mesh of sociopolitical philosophy and a gripping story.

Feb 28th, 2019

Hammer2665 Hammer2665

Jul 24th, 2017

justinwolfe82 justinwolfe82

I've read this twice now, and definitely appreciated it more the second time around. A great story and a great commentary on the social/political situation of the time.

Jun 4th, 2017

forline forline

read this twice--once out loud to my son!

Sep 9th, 2016

mlindblad mlindblad

May 28th, 2016

bryanoz bryanoz

Jun 5th, 2015

bryanoz bryanoz

Jun 5th, 2015

jwk jwk

Oct 17th, 2014

Caro60 Caro60

This book challenged me in a way that not many books have. It made me think, to try and understand what it would be like to be a black american and left me speechless at the cruelty of it at times. Even more confronting was the relationships between so called brothers and also between other black americans. For those of you who care to see things from a very different perspective this is a wonderful book.

Oct 15th, 2014

krisxtina krisxtina

Jul 22nd, 2014

Hazel8 Hazel8

Fabulous science fiction book for any time. It is amusing and heralds a warning for using science without conscience or caution.

Oct 1st, 2013

Keith Keith

Jul 30th, 2013

matthewrparks matthewrparks

There are innumerable books out there regarding the Civil Rights movement, race riots, etc. but this is without a doubt the best. Following the life and journeys of a black man trying to make it in a Jim Crow America, it is perhaps one of the best portrayals of the struggles of an African-American before the progression in racial equality that we have today.

Feb 25th, 2013

sharkbait sharkbait

Feb 23rd, 2013

Invisible Man appears on these lists...

18th on The 20th Centrury's Greatest Hits by American Book Review

25th on The Novel 100 by Daniel S. Bert

19th on 100 Best Novels by Modern Library

24th on Rival 100 Best Novels by Radcliffe

6th on Top 100 Books by Newsweek

16th on 100 Books of the Past Century by Koen Books

9th on Top 100 Books by Harvard Book Store