Invisible Man (1952) by Ralph Ellison

Maybe somewhat ironically, Invisible Man has been one elusive book to me. It was only last year did I learn that there was another Invisible Man besides H.G. Wells sci-fi lore. This one, by black author Ralph Ellison, is an exploration into American racism in 1920's New York.

Our man is black and unnamed, and seemingly loony when we first meet him. He has a story to tell though, and we go along for the ride because we've got nothing better to do (or have heard so much great stuff about the book). What follows is twisted fiction, impossibly surreal, and episodic almost. The first chapter is incredible, as it describes the sweat and blood from an animalistic battle royale where blacks are pitted against blacks for entertainment sake. This chapter, and the final hundred so pages, are riveting.

That's not to say the rest of the book is bad, though. Our man goes finds himself at a Southern university, and shit happens. This is where Ellison is weakest, and maybe intentionally so. There's a lot of setup to symbolism that pays off later, but in the moment, it's slow, and almost turgid. It certainly doesn't help that our man isn't an active protagonist at this point in the story. He listens to various stories, but hardly ever takes initiative. That's okay. Our man gets room for growth.

Really though, Invisible Man is original and brilliant. Ellison's lore is long and colored with many unique characters, some of which aren't developed quite enough. Symbolism is heavy, but hardly ever interferes with the storytelling.

I am haunted by this passage near the end of the book.

...I had no longer to run for or from [them]...but only from their confusion, impatience, and refusal to recognize the beautiful absurdity of their American identity and mine." (559)

Invisible Man has so much to say about identity, and not just identity through race. This idea of fitting in, finding one's place in life isn't exclusive just to our man, but to every man. What makes the final hundred pages so riveting is a Harlem riot centerpiece, which is startling not only on paper, but in context of today. Even though it was written about the 1920's, the book felt urgent in the 1950's, and still does today. Ellison may have passed away in 1994, but I can only imagine his dour thoughts on racial tensions today. Still, Invisible Man lives on, and hopefully sometime sooner rather than later, our nameless man won't feel so invisible.

I can't wait to revisit Invisible Man. There's so much substance in this that begs to be understood.

10/10