Invisible Man (Penguin Modern Classics) by Ellison

The story keeps you interested and the writing is superb. I bought it to figure out why a school board in North Carolina wanted it banned.. That is stll a mystery to me. There was nothing incinerary and it was great literature.

I'm a white guy who just finished reading "Invisible Man." This is a classic work of 20th century American literature. The narrator of the novel, told in first person, is never named. What a concept! After all, he's invisible, right? This young black man starts out in the South and then moves to New York City, circa the 1940s (even the time frame in this book is hard to figure.) The leading character constantly gets into trouble for doing the right thing or just being honest. At times, his adventures seem the stuff of bad acid trips or journeys through an "Alice in Wonderland" kind of world populated by people spouting intellectual sophistry if not outright b.s. He joins "the Brotherhood" whose members are white and black, its politics cynical and pragmatic. This group pays him money to give speeches and be an administrator. But he eventually discovers their true motives. The narrator's only friends are the married white women who throw themselves at him for purposes of stud, his only bad karma in the book. Yet he's certainly a likeable, introspective fellow, a Kafka-esque victim of society.

This is an engaging read with great cultural relevance. I enjoyed the story set against the backdrop of southern Jim Crow and New York City during the Harlem Renaissance. The book is relevant in any discussion of race or contemporary literature.

Extraordinarily relevant, despite being written decades before. Admirable and incredibly human unexpected journey twists keep the story line moving through it's dazzling, horrifying, and wildly exposing themes. Would recommend this book.

From the first page of narrative I was astounded by Ellison's poetic style of writing. Skipping over a word in this book is regrettable. I hear some people refer to Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises" as the best first novel of any American writer. They are sorely mistaken. It's just a shame that Ellison never succeeded in writing a second novel. The man was immensely talented.

My daughter needed to read this for school. I read about twenty five years ago and decided to re-read since I paid for it, lol. A great reminder of how much things have changed and how much they haven't with regards to race relations in our country.

Early in 2014, "This Land", a monthly publication from Tulsa, Oklahoma, featured a lengthy article on Ralph Waldo Ellison and his book "Invisible Man". Our local library did not have a copy; however, I mentioned the name Ellison to three avid readers and they immediately said "Invisible Man, a great book!" I purchased the book and have found Ellison's description of people, locales and situations to be vivid portrayals. His use of words leave nothing to the imagination. I find myself going back into the book to reread certain paragraphs to "see" those images that he so richly describes.

For a "classic" this book is extremely readable and difficult to put down. But be warned, it is painful...the experiences and revelations the narrator endures are difficult to bear.
I have it on Kindle because I was eager to read it whereever, but did get an excellent hardcover copy from Rare Book Cellars.
I suspect I will re-read in years to come.