I’ve never encountered more impactful opening and closing chapters. At first, the term “prescient” crossed my mind. However, it’s not that Ellison accurately predicted the future in his depictions of racial injustice. Instead, it’s disconcerting to realize that our present has failed to break free from the shackles of the past. Despite all the so-called “progress” we claim to have made, we still reside in a nation where the atrocities Ellison described continue to occur, targeting the same people and for the same abhorrent reasons. The most disturbing aspect of this is the way Ellison was acutely aware of his invisibility and the likelihood that he would remain unseen, especially by those in power. This is because white people have yet to truly learn to care. But as he suggests in the final pages, and I believe prophetically, the past that America created for Black people is the future that awaits America itself—hate inevitably begets more hate.

All of this casts a new light on the old refrain “I don’t see color.” Well, it’s time to start seeing it! As genuine, empathetic human beings with the ability to observe and the will to take action.

As a side note, this work felt to me as if it was inspired by Kafka, in its artful chaos, and it was every bit as masterful.

Certainly, it’s not a pleasant read; in fact, it’s rather disheartening. But it’s a reality that white people in this country must come to terms with, must SEE clearly, and must work to make a thing of the past.

This book, alas, seems to be timeless.

Some books you wish were out of date, with their concerns consigned to the dustbin of history.

There are those in denial who think the "race issue" is settled, that the grievances of black Americans and all minorities are resolved.

But then you encounter a passage like this in Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, published over 60 years ago, and it's as eerily familiar as today's front-page news.

Outrage persists. When black people are mistreated under suspicious circumstances, the outcry resurfaces.

The polarized forces take sides, and again, Ellison wrote the same things we keep hearing.

It's hard to know where to begin a review of this book. It's so dense and powerful that it leaves one in a state of stunned humility.

I had read it before, more than 30 years ago as a young man, and it impressed me greatly.

With life experience, it now outstrips my former admiration. It's a powder-keg American masterwork, savage, earnest, and heartbreaking.

Ellison poses a powerful question: Why should a man be obligated to a society that doesn't recognize his legitimacy, equality, or even his existence?

This question was relevant in Ellison's time and still is for black Americans.

It can also be asked by the bottom 99 percent of all citizens who are being cheated in this political economy.

If the system is rigged, why should they participate? Civil disobedience is spurred by injustice.

Sometimes, when things become intolerable, the disobedience is no longer civil.

We all want order, but when problems are ignored or obfuscated, we become cornered beasts.

Ellison ponders the idea of the "dispossessed" who will eventually take possession.

I wrote earlier that this book has grown in my esteem, realizing the irony since one of its major themes is white validation.

The younger "invisible man" seeks this validation, as do those around him.

He wants to be seen as a "credit to his race," as if the race as a whole is unworthy.

The book powerfully denounces this condition and attitude, condemning both white control and the black community's acquiescence.

As the invisible man progresses, he meets various characters who have settled for their positions.

He realizes that the more he sacrifices, the more others benefit, and the system remains unchanged.

From Dr. Bledsoe to Brother Westrum, he encounters black men who are reluctant to give up their niches.

His mentors remind him that he could become the "new Booker T Washington," but he abhors this idea.

Ellison was not a practitioner of simple dialectic; he was a first-rate artist and writer.

His invisible man is not passive but neutered by forces he can't control.

Throughout the book, the invisible man ponders his grandfather's words and sees them as a form of wisdom.

Some readers criticize the protagonist's passivity, but I see it differently.

He is a construct of society, gradually becoming self-aware.

By assuming the role of the "invisible man," he mocks society and the system.

Ellison takes the idea of the "outsider" to its extreme, asking why we resist and don't try to see him.

There are many evocative moments in the book, such as the description of eating a hot buttered yam.

In the Monopolated Light and Power Co., Ellison creates a great villain, symbolizing white power.

Invisible Man has become one of my favorite novels, perhaps cracking my top ten.

It's a joy to read, with beautiful sentences that have an incantatory quality.

The novel is a wearing and humbling experience, and re-reading it after life experiences pays dividends.

(KR@KY 2016)

Ralph Ellison's classic is not only of great importance but also highly enjoyable.

It holds significance due to its unwavering candor regarding the African American experience. Moreover, it is a work of simply beautiful writing. Ellison has a distinct style of constructing his sentences and paragraphs that evokes a sense of lyricism similar to that of a spiritual.

Simultaneously, it possesses a hard-edged and angry tone, which is entirely fitting within the context of the story and the era in which it was penned.

The main character remains unnamed throughout. At the start of his tale, he is a naive young man. As seen in one of the early scenes, he spends a significant portion of the novel being buffeted by both physical blows and emotional doubts. Despite即将 graduating from a Southern negro college, his true education about the world commences only when he travels to New York City, specifically Harlem.

He is a young man in the process of self-discovery, amidst racial tensions, lies, hopes, and dreams. And the tendency of others to push him in various directions persists. His story incites anger within me at the way people exploit and condescend merely to make history at the expense of others. I suspect this is precisely what Ellison intended.

The novel concludes with a gut-wrenching epilogue in which the main character剖析 his life and what he has written. Through this, both he and the reader begin to truly perceive his world, and wonder whether he will conform, rebel, or remain invisible.

I am glad I read this, even though it was neither a quick nor an easy read. I alternated between the printed word and the audiobook narrated by Joe Morton. Morton is highly skilled, but I found that I needed to see the words to fully absorb and appreciate them.

Invisible Man is an incredibly exciting and absorbing read that is filled to the brim with profound existential thought.

It takes the reader on a wild and crazy ride as our protagonist finds himself constantly getting into and then out of one excruciating situation after another. However, what really sets this book apart is Ellison's remarkable perceptions of what it truly means to be human. His concepts, which are amplified by extensive symbolism, kept my mind racing in deep contemplation.

While it is a chronicle of the black experience in 1930's America, this book is about so much more than just race. It has a universal message that speaks to everyone. Ellison was able to connect with this white reader not as a black man, but as an individual human spirit.

The question of how we maintain our identity in a world of stereotypes, a world that rewards conformity, is a central theme. The protagonist bounces back and forth between standing up for personal principles and conforming to various group ideals (Black, White, Communist). Ideally, there is a balance, but as Ellison so vividly demonstrates, that balance may be extremely difficult to achieve. And if achieved, it may still be unsatisfying, especially if we view the world with cold objectivity.

A unique identity requires a self-directed purpose, which often leads to conflict. If we avoid conflict by simply adopting a group or societal purpose, we risk losing our individual direction. As Ellison so aptly puts it, "to lose your direction is to lose your face." Ellison's final answer is to accept individual diversity, something that society often struggles with.

In conclusion, Invisible Man is a truly wonderful and fulfilling book that everyone should take the time to read. It will make you think, it will make you feel, and it will leave a lasting impression.

An astounding read - actually, a 'listen' (audiobook) - about the evolution of a southern black student into a leader in the civil rights movement.

The writing is truly breathtaking. It is marvellous and in some places, it even has a hallucinatory quality. It feels very much like jazz, flowing and improvising. It reminded me a great deal of beat writing, and of course, it was a product of that age. It fuses symbolism with realism in a unique way. Although it has a 'novelistic' and traditionally plotted structure, the novel is also highly innovative, stylized, experimental, and intellectual. It is purposeful in explicating an emerging ideology (social, political, personal) and its roots and causes. And the words! The WORDS. The SENTENCES. The PARAGRAPHS. The prose and imagery are simply stunning, dramatic, and powerful, sweeping you up in the events it describes. You ride the wave of this writing and let it teach you.

The titular main character, who is never named but for whom name, identity, self-awareness, and perception of self by others are so central, and the first-person narration work together to personalize what is essentially a political creed. You go on a journey (literal, intellectual, emotional, spiritual) with this character. He is always walking, always moving, giving the book incredible energy and physicality. It's not all cerebral despite the narrative style and thematic focus. You go with him and grow with him. He is a 19-year-old student from a privileged position in an all-black university in the southern U.S., but he is still concerned with defining his own future in a world that is arrayed against him. Half the time, he doesn't seem to fully understand the forces that hold him down and keep him out. This realization only dawns on him slowly as he is thrust into a broader world and experiences a series of harrowing scenes.

He stumbles into involvement in the early civil rights movement in Harlem with a vague belief that he is destined for greatness. At the same time, the reader sees how he is being used and how the politics of the group he falls in with will ultimately fail to lead to black liberation. The characters Jack and Todd Clifton add depth and power to the story.

For a reader like me in 2016, in the era of Black Lives Matter and the clear failure of neo-liberalism, the lessons in this book are profoundly disturbing and painful. The politics, worldview, and especially the violence in the book feel so important, still, now. These battles are still being fought. This book is unforgettable and essential reading.

Wow, after indulging in a plethora of light-hearted materials recently, this book truly took me by surprise and left a profound impact.

I was immediately captivated from the very first paragraph, sensing that I was in the capable hands of a literary master. The narrative of an invisible man in society was not only fluid but also vibrant, resembling the rhythm and energy of jazz. This makes perfect sense considering that Ralph Emerson Ellison was also a jazz musician.

Although I don't claim to fully understand the complex dynamics of being an African American male in society, I could still empathize with the concept of gradually fading into invisibility while attempting to conform to the expectations imposed by society. The note his grandfather gives him in his dream, which states "To Whom It May Concern, Keep This Nigger-Boy Running", can be applicable to anyone who feels like a puppet, dancing ever faster to someone else's tune.

The book begins and ends with our unnamed protagonist living in a cellar, constantly reminding me of Dostoevsky's "Notes from Underground". I found this book to be refreshingly honest and of great significance, offering valuable insights into the human condition and the challenges of navigating through society.

**"Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison: A Masterpiece of Complexity and Depth**

"Invisible Man" (1952) by Ralph Ellison is a book that invites countless interpretations, starting from its title and never ceasing to offer itself for our understanding. It is not simply a book of allegories or philosophies. There is a plot that grips us, it is a novel filled with events that unfold in a story replete with twists and turns. Beginning in the hot South of the US and culminating in the bustling New York, it is still philosophy in its raw state, emerging from the讲述 of daily life, motivated by the brilliance of depth and detail with which the explanation of that讲述 is filled.

The main character, a black man in the 1920s/1930s in the US whose name we never learn, is initially presented in a traditional coming-of-age novel format. But gradually, we realize how little traditional it is. Marked by chapters or scenes of the character's growing life, almost hermetically sealed, in a diary-like tone that clashes with moments of action and spectacle. However, the spectacle is not used to promote heroism or anti-heroism, generating true anti-climaxes that ultimately contribute to the core of the book, the invisibility of the character. The invisibility starts within the character, with the most immediate reading sense being the effects it has on his behavior. But throughout the entire book, and especially at the end - the flight and fall into a hole - it ends up reflecting on all of us, on what we are in the face of society.

At times, especially in the first half, we are led to think of autobiography or memories. But as the events unfold, we understand that this is only a part of the background. Ellison gave several interviews and wrote, emphasizing that it was not an autobiography. But it was not necessary, as it was enough to pay attention to the psychological and existential references of Dostoyevsky, the gothic and fantastic of Faulkner, or the allegorical and pastoral of Twain. The讲述 moves between confessional realism, aggravated by the use of the first person, and the mythological fantasy that borders on surrealism. This initially raised objections in me, but on turning the last page, it becomes clear that they are vital for the full understanding of the dimension of invisibility. It is a book that speaks of humanity in great depth, using a truly penetrating descriptive tone of the character's interior. However, none of this involves grand philosophical tirades or even great events. In the banality of daily life, the fantastic happens, but it is only on the surface, as it quickly turns into vulgarity through repetition between the past, present, and potential future.

Surprisingly, an American book from 1952 manages to assert itself with such a contemporary premise, and at the same time, one that is adverse to the very culture of the US, the art of failing. In a world and culture so focused on success, only winning matters, and failure is never an option. We have created shame and dishonor for those who fail because failure is the symbol of impossibility, incapacity, and incompetence, a space reserved for losers. However, Ellison presents a character in a coming-of-age novel as a new and empowered man through education, but who fails at every turn. Yet, he is not presented as a loser, as it is from these failures in his relationship with the world that he grows internally and learns to know himself. In a way, we can read a direct relationship here with Dostoyevsky's "Notes from Underground" (1864), regarding its opposition to the perfect world promised by Communism through the presentation of an existentialist world that bases the condition of what makes us human beings.

"Invisible Man" is a masterful novel, and yet, it is the author's first. But if that is not enough to impress us, it is also the only one. Ralph Ellison published this work at the age of 39, after 7 years completely dedicated to its writing. He would spend the remaining 42 years of his life working on a second novel that he never published, leaving behind more than 2,000 pages. Charles R. Johnson would eventually collect 400 pages and publish the book "Juneteenth". Compared to other authors, not speaking of prolific or record-breaking ones, it makes us wonder why? This question does not only arise in literature but in all creative areas, and the most consensual conclusion is: "that probably the author said everything he had to say". In fact, going back to Dostoyevsky, the ideas of his five most important novels - "Notes from Underground", "Crime and Punishment", "The Idiot", "Demons", "The Brothers Karamazov" - could perhaps also have all been synthesized into one great novel.

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison holds a prominent place, being featured on three highly significant reading lists: the All-TIME 100 Novels, 1,000 Novels Everyone Must Read, and the 100 Best Novels of the Modern Library. However, despite the consensus among the literary luminaries as seen in these lists, this particular reader has struggled to fully appreciate the novel.

There are several reasons for this. One is the Marxist influence that can be detected within the text, or perhaps even worse, what the reader perceives as the strong odor of communist philosophy. The reader has participated in the Romanian Revolution and has a copy of Newsweek with Ceausescu's death on the cover to prove it. They see the fight in 1989 as a means to depose the dictator and dismantle the communist regime, while the characters in Invisible Man seem overly passionate about the Marxist doctrine, which the reader finds objectionable.

Another aspect that makes the novel uncomfortable for this reader is the use of terms like "brother" and "comrade," which bring back memories of the communist era in Romania. The reader knows the effects of the Marxist "plague" and has a hard time sympathizing with the characters' activities. Additionally, the reader believes that there are parallels between the oppressed in the novel and those who have suffered under Marxism in real life.

Critics have also talked about the "Kafkaesque" vision in the novel, and the reader can relate to this as they have lived in an atmosphere similar to that described in Kafka's works. The reader also draws parallels between the discrimination faced by African Americans and the situation in their own country, where there is still a long way to go in terms of equality.

Overall, while Invisible Man may be a highly regarded novel, it fails to resonate with this particular reader due to their personal experiences and political views.

I read this a long time ago, and really, I only remember how impressed I was with it. It seems that I should probably reread it to refresh my memory and gain a deeper understanding.

Update: I have placed an order for it, so I'm looking forward to getting my hands on it again.

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Previous review: The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo

Random review: The Portable Faulkner

Next review: Living with Music also by Ralph Ellison

Previous library review: The Brothers K

Next library review: The Reluctant Fundamentalist

Before I delved into this book, I had high expectations. I thought it would be one of those captivating reads that would have me迫不及待 to pen a review as soon as I finished. I even imagined kicking my boyfriend off his computer right away so I could share my thoughts. However, as I was reading, I began to realize that things might not turn out that way. And indeed, hours after finishing, the very idea of writing a review is making me rather uneasy. It's as if I'd rather take a long walk in the middle of the night, in the cold, than sit down and write about this book.

The story isn't necessarily bad. The problem is that I already had a good idea of what it was about before I started reading. So, in a sense, it was just a matter of finally hearing the story directly from Ellison's own hand. Frankly, it turns out that all the versions I had heard previously – whether second-hand from people who had already read the book or from things I had read in essays and literary criticism – were actually better than the book itself. Or perhaps it's just that the whole "Who am I?" issue didn't have the impact on me that it should have. Am I really that jaded?

This doesn't mean I felt nothing while reading. There were moments when I was angry, and I understand that was Ellison's intention. But the story itself felt clunky and disjointed, and it didn't flow as smoothly as I thought it should. This makes me think that Ellison wrote this book only to make a point, and in doing so, (in my opinion) he actually diminished the power of his point. This is an important book, especially in the context of social conflict, racism, the Civil Rights movement, and literature. I never thought I would say this, but I actually felt that it was... dated.

Still, I'm glad I read it. I just wish I could be more enthusiastic about it.

Invisible Man remains as potent and graceful today as it was when I initially perused it during my school days. Now that I have gained a bit more maturity, my understanding of it has deepened. Reading it as an outsider looking back on my homeland, I understand it better. As a member of the minority in my chosen home, my comprehension is enhanced. However, paradoxically, as a human, I understand it less and less.

Less because I am unable to fathom the reality that led to the situation in which Ralph Ellison's unnamed protagonist finds the world. The concept of slavery, Jim Crow, and all that it entails compels me to question the human race. Why did such atrocities occur? How could humanity descend to such depths? To what end?

It is not a pleasant sensation. Because when we look back at history, it becomes evident that, in fact, and contrary to what we might wish to believe, slavery, Jim Crow, and segregation were the norm. Humans have been vicious and brutal towards everyone who does not belong to their tribe, whether that tribe is based on race, religion, creed, nation, gender, sexual orientation, political views, the size of one's nose, the size of one's breast, or any other trait, physical, mental, or metaphysical, in which two humans might differ.

Invisible Man does not restore my faith in the human race; instead, it shatters it and forces me to venture out and strive to rebuild it on my own. To surround myself with like-minded individuals. To attempt to do good in the world. To live an abnormal life.

I had no expectations going into this.

To be honest, I truly did not anticipate anything that transpired in this story.

The way it was told was simply beautiful, with a unique charm that immediately captured my attention.

Moreover, it was extremely profound, delving into deep themes and emotions that made me think long and hard.

This was by no means an easy book to read. It presented challenges and required me to engage with it on a deeper level.

However, despite its difficulties, it was still incredibly compelling and entertaining.

I found myself completely immersed in the story, unable to put the book down until I had reached the very end.

It was a truly remarkable reading experience that I will not soon forget.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for something different and thought-provoking.