Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
The novel is a poignant exploration of a young African-American man's journey through life, where he grapples with issues of race, identity, and individuality in mid-20th-century America. The protagonist, who remains unnamed throughout the story, considers himself socially invisible due to his race. The narrative follows his experiences from the South to the North, from being a student to a worker, and his involvement in the Brotherhood, a political organization. The book is a profound critique of societal norms and racial prejudice, highlighting the protagonist's struggle to assert his identity in a world that refuses to see him.
The 29th greatest book of all time
- Published
- 1952
- Nationality
- American
- Type
- Fiction
- Pages
- 200-600
- Words
- 95,000
- Original Language
- English
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This book is on the following lists:
- 5th on The Ideal Library (Book)
- 5th on As if You Don't Have Enough to Read, Fiction Edition (New York Times)
- 7th on For The Love of Books (For The Love of Books)
- 8th on The Best Southern Novels of All Time (Oxford American)
- 8th on 100 Best Novels in English Since 1900 (Counterpunch)
- 9th on Harvard Book Store Staff's Favorite 100 Books (Harvard Book Store)
- 12th on Our Users' Favorite Books of All Time (The Greatest Books Users)
- 16th on Koen Book Distributors Top 100 Books of the Past Century (themodernnovel.com)
- 18th on 20th Century's Greatest Hits: 100 English-Language Books of Fiction (Larry McCaffery)
- 19th on The Modern Library | 100 Best Novels (Modern Library)
- 20th on D. G. Myers’ 50 Greatest English Language Novels (D. G. Myers)
- 24th on Radcliffe's 100 Best Novels (Radcliffe Publishing Course)
- 26th on The 100 Greatest Novels (greatbooksguide.com)
- 26th on Entertainment Weekly's Top 100 Novels (Entertainment Weekly)
- 28th on The Greatest Books of All Time (Reader's Digest)
- 29th on 100 Best Books (Montana State University)
- 32nd on The Top 10: The Greatest Books of All Time (The Top 10 (Book))
- 34th on The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Greatest Novels of All Time (The Novel 100)
- 43rd on In Which These Are the 100 Greatest Novels (ThisRecording.com)
- 178th on The Complete 500: OCLC (OCLC)
- 25 Books by Black Authors You Should Read This February (Oprah Daily)
- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon (The Western Canon (Book) by Harold Bloom)
- Best Books (Fiction, Prose) : Experts Choose Their Favourites (The Book "Best Books")
- The Booklist Century: 100 Books, 100 Years (BookList)
- The Great American Novels (The Atlantic)
- The Modern Library: The Two Hundred Best Novels in English Since 1950 (The Modern Library (Book))
- Books That Shaped America (Library of Congress)
- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read (The Guardian)
- TIME Magazine All Time 100 Novels (TIME Magazine)
- The Well-Educated Mind (Book)
- National Book Award - Fiction (National Book Foundation)
- The 75 Best Books of the Past 75 Years (Parade Magazine)
- The College Board: 101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers (The College Board, an American not-for-profit organization)
- Top 100 Works in World Literature (Norwegian Book Clubs, with the Norwegian Nobel Institute)
- Donald Barthelme’s Reading List (Believer Mag)
- The 80 Books Every Man Should Read (Esquire)
- 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime (Amazon.com (USA))
- The 100 Greatest American Novels, 1893 – 1993 (Jeff O'Neal at Bookriot.com)
- The Book of Great Books: A Guide to 100 World Classics (Book)
- From Zero to Well-Read in 100 Books (Jeff O'Neal at Bookriot.com)
- How to Read and Why (Harold Bloom)
- Select 100 (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee)
- The Dream of the Great American Novel (Book)
- The Great American Read (PBS)
- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (The Book)
- The New York Public Library's Books of the Century (New York Public Library)
- 222 Best Books of All Time That Deserve a Spot on Your Bookshelf, With Picks from Bestselling Authors and Indie Booksellers (Parade)
- 12 Novels Considered the Greatest Book Ever Written (Encyclopedia Britannica)
- A Century of Reading (Lithub)