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Liked It2 of 2 members found this review helpful “I've read this book about 5 times in various times in my life...first time was my 2nd year in high school...and last time was in my 3rd year in College...and I've gotten something new every time. It's one of those books that ANYONE can relate to in some way...” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “This book takes place many years ago around the 1930's, in the time where African Americans had no power and were commonly looked over. The narrator tells the storys of his life as a black man. Through out his adventures he gets in fights, gets false senses of hope, and gives a few speechs,...” see full review » see other reviews » |
Newest Reviews
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“I assigned this novel to the American Literature students I taught in the most recent summer session. I remember first reading this book 6 or more years ago and just falling in love with it. I am always nervous rereading a favorite book as my tastes change, my perspective changes, and sometimes I am disappointed.
jennifer r wrote this review 2 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
This was not at all the case with Invisible Man. Yet again, it pulled me in with its vivid descriptions and intrigue. The reader follows the nameless African American narrator from his time at a segregated college, through the streets of Harlem, to his ultimate home in a basement in New York, where he faces his disenchantment with the outside world. He struggles to own himself while constantly battling the forces attempting to "keep him running."
Ellison wrote mainly short stories, and the novel is certainly episodic, which makes it easier to assign to a class. It also means that even minor characters are fairly well developed.
In teaching the novel, the idea of illusion and vision as illusion was even more pronounced than I recall. The reader comes to question even the smallest action or occurrence as filled with deeper meanings and dark symbolism. A novel largely about race, it is also questioning who "we" are and challenging the reader to remain loyal to his/her own identity regardless of outside forces.
Heartbreaking, hopeful, funny, ironic, this novel meets all my requirements. One of the greatest American novels that, all too often, is not required reading.”“This book takes place many years ago around the 1930's, in the time where African Americans had no power and were commonly looked over. The narrator tells the storys of his life as a black man. Through out his adventures he gets in fights, gets false senses of hope, and gives a few speechs, being a great public speaker. He doesn't seem to be that invisible as never being noticed, it is more in the sense that he was unrespected at these times. I found this an okay book.”
Kevin L wrote this review 4 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I think we would do ourselves a great service if we Americans became more aware of the great characters in our literature. Then at least we would have better reference points for understanding one another than what we currently get from pop stars and other such mass culture idiots. One of the greatest characters in American literature is Ras the Destroyer, from the pages of this book. The set piece in which Ras patrols a rioting Harlem is one of the most extraordinary in twentieth century literature, comparable to the Cyclops episode of Ulysses, or the party scene among New York dilettantes in William Gaddis's 'The Recognitions.' I urge people to read this book for the sheer enjoyment of its exuberantly imagined episodes, and for the quality of Ellison's penetration into the American character, and to not let the thick crust of academic discourse that surrounds it influence or mute their response to it. This book is an American classic and it has too much life not to be read spontaneously for the sheer pleasure it affords.”
Ry R wrote this review 8 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
0 of 1 members found this review helpful“good book, but bad writing”
Peter S wrote this review 10 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
0 of 1 members found this review helpful“This is a slow-moving boring book. It holds values academically, but outside of a classroom, there are far more interesting books to read to learn about racism's detrimental effects.”
Dave B wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | view 1 replies | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“At first it made me very angry at the way people treated each other based on race, I also found myself hating people because of their race but then I reminded myself if I do that then I am no better than them and not every white person is racist”
Venables G wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Fascinating depiction of an African American young man a half-century ago and his evolution through different phases of his life as he comes to realize he is "invisible." Some of the introspective/theoretical narrative is a bit boring, but there are scenes that are positively gripping in their tension and horror.”
Rebecca S wrote this review Thursday, November 5 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This is a really good examination of racism. I like how we never learn the narrator's name, emphasizing how "invisible" he feels.”
jason t wrote this review Wednesday, November 4 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
