A review by bzappas
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Of all the books I’ve read, this one has kept its place as my favorite novel (yes, there are a few speeches that may extend a few pages; feel free to scan those, but do not let this stop you from enjoying this incredible piece of literature). It’s kind of a black Gulliver’s travels in 1940’s America. With the overall style like a Dostoevsky novel set in New York, following communist and Nation of Islam characters trying to influence the protagonist, a “ginger skinned” black man, to start a revolution. A coming of age story of a “black man”, the story of a “man”. A man trying to find himself in a world where he doesn’t have a place to fit in, where everyone wants to label him, where everyone wants to tell him his place. But will he find his own path? Will he ever make a “name” for himself? So he goes underground, hides in a manhole under the city and writes his manifesto of life, love, politics, religion, and race. In the end, does his skin color matter? Does it define who he is inside? The invisible man will be clearly seen. 
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