Invisible ManNATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER • NATIONAL BESTSELLER • In this deeply compelling novel and epic milestone of American literature, a nameless narrator tells his story from the basement lair of the Invisible Man he imagines himself to be. One of The Atlantic’s Great American Novels of the Past 100 Years He describes growing up in a Black community in the South, attending a Negro college from which he is expelled, moving to New York and becoming the chief spokesman of the Harlem branch of "the Brotherhood," before retreating amid violence and confusion. Originally published in 1952 as the first novel by a then unknown author, it remained on the bestseller list for sixteen weeks and established Ralph Ellison as one of the key writers of the century. The book is a passionate and witty tour de force of style, strongly influenced by T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land, James Joyce, and Dostoevsky. |
Contents
Section 1 | 3 |
Section 2 | 15 |
Section 3 | 34 |
Section 4 | 71 |
Section 5 | 98 |
Section 6 | 109 |
Section 7 | 136 |
Section 8 | 151 |
Section 15 | 296 |
Section 16 | 318 |
Section 17 | 333 |
Section 18 | 356 |
Section 19 | 383 |
Section 20 | 409 |
Section 21 | 423 |
Section 22 | 445 |
Section 9 | 162 |
Section 10 | 172 |
Section 11 | 196 |
Section 12 | 231 |
Section 13 | 251 |
Section 14 | 261 |
Section 23 | 462 |
Section 24 | 479 |
Section 25 | 513 |
Section 26 | 535 |
Section 27 | 572 |
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Common terms and phrases
ain't answer asked become believe beneath better Bledsoe Brother Jack Brotherhood building called chair Clifton close cold coming crowd dark don't door dream dropped eyes face feeling felt fight floor folks followed forward friends give glass hand happened head hear heard hell holding hurried inside invisible It's keep kind knew laughed learned leave light listen live looked mean mind moved never night Norton past Perhaps question reached remember running seemed seen sense shouted side smile someone sound speak stand started steps stood stop street suddenly sure talk tell That's things thought told took tried trying turned understand voice waiting walk watched What's woman young