Invisible Man

Book, 1952

Premise - The life of a young, unnamed black man in the early 20th century. From the blatant, violent racism of the black collegiate south, to the systematic economic and social injustices in Harlem, New York, the man realizes that wherever he travels, he will still be an invisible man. As his societal identity disappears, his own self-assurance becomes stronger.


Review - I have been reading a lot of books this year - well, specifically, I have been listening to a lot of audiobooks - and this is definitely one of the best. In the audiobook category, to me this is second only to Life of Pi, which earlier this year became my new favorite book. With Invisible Man though, never have I listened to an audiobook read with so much passion, force, and... speed. It was probably around 19 hours, but read with such a fast-paced voice, that I wonder how long it would be if read at a normal pace. But the speed was important! The audiobook was anxiety-inducing. My heart raced. It felt somewhat nightmarish, and that was part of the point. Even though the events and the world were realistic, something about it always felt like a dream, or a nightmare, in a way that I read others describe as Kafka-esque, which is quite accurate.

I knew nothing going into this book except that it was a social commentary on black men. I didn't even know if it was fiction or non-fiction, just an important book. Once it became apparent, about two sentences in, that I was indeed reading a fictional novel, my interest automatically increased. I have that bias towards fiction. Yet still, when it comes to books that offer social commentary, I couldn't help but fear that this novel was going to be long and slow in relation to plot. Powerful ideas, slow storytelling, was my prediction. But I was wrong! I think one of my favorite things about this novel was how it offered just SO MUCH PLOT. I was on edge!!!

The book was written in the 1950's. I never got a clear sense of when exactly it took place, but I would have guessed 1920's or 1930's. That said, it feels so far ahead of its time. It's that, and the issues that were relevant then are still 100% relevant now. This is a book about police brutality, Black Lives Matter vs. All Lives Matter (despite the movement not yet having that name), structural racism and how it overlaps with class systems, homelessness, and the invisibility of black issues. Scary how 80 years later things are exactly the same, even if we'd like to think otherwise. The best way they are able to articulate this is when our protagonist moves from the deep south into Harlem, New York. The deep south is overtly racist. Harlem exists in an integrated society, up North, but that just makes the racism better disguised. You could say that about the United States now, where we no longer have segregated schools, or Jim Crow laws, but that just makes racist issues more invisible to the privileged eye.

I loved this novel, and most importantly, I loved the main character. I know I'm not black, so there will always be that part of me that can't relate, but I felt so OVERWHELMINGLY similar to the protagonist at times. I think it was the fact that he has a lot of academic intelligence, but is more naive about street-smarts. Once he's kicked out of school and practically homeless, he's not savvy about navigating the much more abrasive sides of Harlem. He feels like the only sane person in the entire novel, taking things at a logical face value, and everyone around him feels manipulative or crazy. There's a humor to it, but it's a frightening humor.

The last thing I want to talk about is the importance of the Brotherhood. The Brotherhood fights for an equal society, and takes on the protagonist as one of its public speakers. He is led to think that the Brotherhood is on his side, but right from the start, you get the feeling that race is STILL an invisible issue, even among these liberal extremists. As the novel progresses, the Brotherhood feels somewhat cult-y, and I just loved the way it functions in the plot. There's really no one our protagonist can trust.

There's also such a rich amount of allusions, metaphors, and symbols. The white paint at the paint factory, or the sunglasses that turn him into Rinehart... I could read this over and over again and find new literary devices to appreciate. A truly spectacular novel (95/100).

Quote - “I do not know if all cops are poets, but I know that all cops carry guns with triggers.”
THIS QUOTE BLEW ME AWAY AND I'M STILL THINKING ABOUT IT

“Sometimes the difference between individual and organized indignation is the difference between criminal and political action.” 

“For, like almost everyone else in our country, I started out with my share of optimism. I believed in hard work and progress and action, but now, after first being 'for' society and then 'against' it, I assign myself no rank or any limit, and such an attitude is very much against the trend of the times. But my world has become one of infinite possibilities. What a phrase - still it's a good phrase and a good view of life, and a man shouldn't accept any other; that much I've learned underground. Until some gang succeeds in putting the world in a strait jacket, its definition is possibility.”

“Whence all this passion towards conformity anyway? Diversity is the word. Let man keep his many parts and you will have no tyrant states. Why, if they follow this conformity business, they'll end up by forcing me, an invisible man, to become white, which is not a color but the lack of one. Must I strive towards colorlessness? But seriously and without snobbery, think of what the world would lose if that should happen. America is woven of many strands. I would recognize them and let it so remain. Our fate is to become one, and yet many — This is not prophecy, but description.”

I YAM WHAT I AM

If you enjoyed this book, I'd recommend Get Out or Fight Club!

Written by Ralph Ellison
Published by Random House