Invisible Man

Invisible Man

by Ralph Ellison

5 mentors recommend this 480 pages

Invisible Man is the story of a young black man from the South who does not fully understand racism in the world. Filled with hope about his future, he goes to college, but gets expelled for showing one of the white benefactors the real and seamy side of black existence. He moves to Harlem and becomes an orator for the Communist party, known as the Brotherhood. In his position, he is both threatened and praised, swept up in a world he does not fully understand. As he works for the organization,

ISBN: 9780679600152

🎯 Who Recommends This Book 5

D

Dan Barreiro

Media & Journalism

"Riveting time capsule material."

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"Riveting time capsule material. Literary giant Ellison on the blues, on race, on his powerful book, Invisible Man."

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Jacqueline Novogratz

Jacqueline Novogratz

Activism & Nonprofits

"I read it as a 22-year-old, and it made me think deeply about how society doesn’t “see” so many of its members."

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Samantha Power

Samantha Power

Politics & Government

"A few weeks ago, @vulture asked me to describe 10 books that have impacted me along the way. List just out: Chinua Achebe, Dorothy Day, Éilís Ní Dhuibhne, Ralph Ellison, Bernard Malamud, Doris Kearns Goodwin, & more:"

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Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou

Author

"When I first read Invisible Man, it was as if somebody turned a bright light on in a dark corridor."

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