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glassesgirl79's review against another edition
5.0
The first time I read this book, I was completely blown away. Never before had I read a book which was so true it was scary. "Invisible Life" managed to do what most books hadn't done before, tell what it feels like to come to terms with your sexuality realistically. By this, I mean that most of the times I read books in which the character was gay, the author would sugar coat the issue or worse, spend most of the book debating about the pros and cons of "coming out".
However what E. Lynn Harris has managed to do it create a character who realizes that he is gay and from that point on learns to accept this. Harris doesn't try to take the easy way out in this story by having him tell everyone and they just accept it and move on. Instead, Harris places his character in a situation in which he could either deny who he is or accept himself.
From reading this book, I learned a lot of things. Mainly, I realized that life is hard for everyone, no matter if you're straight or gay. Also, I learned that before you make peace with yourself, you have to learn to accept yourself for who you are.So, for anyone who liked this book as much as I did, I recommend that you read all of E. Lynn Harris' books: Just As I Am, Abide With Me, If This World Was Mine, and This Too Shall Pass.
However what E. Lynn Harris has managed to do it create a character who realizes that he is gay and from that point on learns to accept this. Harris doesn't try to take the easy way out in this story by having him tell everyone and they just accept it and move on. Instead, Harris places his character in a situation in which he could either deny who he is or accept himself.
From reading this book, I learned a lot of things. Mainly, I realized that life is hard for everyone, no matter if you're straight or gay. Also, I learned that before you make peace with yourself, you have to learn to accept yourself for who you are.So, for anyone who liked this book as much as I did, I recommend that you read all of E. Lynn Harris' books: Just As I Am, Abide With Me, If This World Was Mine, and This Too Shall Pass.
late_stranger's review against another edition
This is such a weird book I don't think I can even rate it. The crude pro/con list is that the writing and characters are really compelling (enough to make me go out of my way to seek out the sequel) but also the writing is underdeveloped and the story is like, pretty signficantly gay-but-homophobic (gay-but-biphobic? It's honestly unclear to me if the main character is gay but dealing with comphet or actually bisexual but dealing with internalised homophobia; he legitimately identifies with a split-attraction model at one point which I truly did not expect in a novel from the early 90s). Anyway, this feels 50% like guilty-pleasure trash that I'm excited about continuing with and 50% a queer classic I feel obligated to like. Yes, those are mutually exclusive opinions. Yes, I have both. Idek man, I can't really recommend it but I also really want someone to talk to about what the fuck is going on here.
Also the summary on goodreads sucks?? idek. if anyone wants to borrow my copy lmk.
Also the summary on goodreads sucks?? idek. if anyone wants to borrow my copy lmk.
abetterbradley's review against another edition
2.0
In February I set a goal to read more African-American lit. I don't think that a book should be labeled "black" or "gay" or "woman's" because the label might turn people off of what might be a really great story.
Invisible Life isn't a great story. But I still enjoyed it. It's about an African-American guy coming to terms with his bisexuality during the early 80's. The book touches on serious subjects but it's written in a way where it seems frothy and fluffy. Some days I can appreciate that, other days not so much. And I really hated the ending. It wasn't really an ending at all, it just sorta stopped because this is the first book of a trilogy. I wasn't emotionally involved with the characters so it's doubtful that I'll pick up book two. But, then again, I might need something to read next February.
Invisible Life isn't a great story. But I still enjoyed it. It's about an African-American guy coming to terms with his bisexuality during the early 80's. The book touches on serious subjects but it's written in a way where it seems frothy and fluffy. Some days I can appreciate that, other days not so much. And I really hated the ending. It wasn't really an ending at all, it just sorta stopped because this is the first book of a trilogy. I wasn't emotionally involved with the characters so it's doubtful that I'll pick up book two. But, then again, I might need something to read next February.
ladyminda's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars - Rounded up for Goodreads.
I had a difficult time rating this book. The story is groundbreaking for the time period and moves the reader to feel sympathy for the protagonist, Raymond, because he is a closeted gay man who is "living the invisible life" which is certainly detrimental to the well-being of any human. The struggle with the book for me likely comes from the fact that I first read it a couple of years ago and it seemed dated. This caused me to struggle to connect with the narrative in the way that I had hoped I would.
There seemed to be a dismissal of bisexuality and an acceptance of dishonesty toward women. In addition to that, I did not find the book to particularly well written. There were instances where the word choice left the door open for miscommunication and there were many times when the author seemed to be "info dumping." It was a miss for me which was disappointing.
I had a difficult time rating this book. The story is groundbreaking for the time period and moves the reader to feel sympathy for the protagonist, Raymond, because he is a closeted gay man who is "living the invisible life" which is certainly detrimental to the well-being of any human. The struggle with the book for me likely comes from the fact that I first read it a couple of years ago and it seemed dated. This caused me to struggle to connect with the narrative in the way that I had hoped I would.
There seemed to be a dismissal of bisexuality and an acceptance of dishonesty toward women. In addition to that, I did not find the book to particularly well written. There were instances where the word choice left the door open for miscommunication and there were many times when the author seemed to be "info dumping." It was a miss for me which was disappointing.
bettyboop25's review against another edition
4.0
This book was good, I liked the topic and I finished the book in a day. I enjoyed the book a lot, but at times it seemed as though the book was simple at times. Sometimes, overly simple. The topic explored in this book should not be taken lightly, and I feel that this is exactly what E. Lynn Harris did.
theinstantreader's review
5.0
Heartfelt. Insightful. Stunning. Are some words that describe this book.It was enjoyable and I look forward to others by this author.
kennethwade's review
3.0
Invisible Life follows the lives of several black men in the 1990s, most of whom are queer and closeted. Because of this, the story deals heavily with homophobia (external and internal), identity struggles, and AIDS. It also discusses the ways that the women in their lives are affected by their actions.
This book is pretty outdated on its ideas of sexuality (and particularly bisexuality) at times, and I couldn’t tell if the author was commenting on that or falling victim to it.
The main character, Raymond, is incredibly selfish. He drags people along with no concern for how it might affect them, so long as *he* is happy. He is very inconsistent, acting immaturely on whims and impulses. Again, I couldn’t tell if the author was condoning or reprimanding this behavior.
I think this book is very much like a time capsule, representative of how it felt to be a black queer man in the 1990s. However, I’m not sure how much cultural value it holds in 2018 because of its outdated portrayals of sexuality and masculinity.
That being said, I did find it both interesting and entertaining. Watching Raymond’s life unfold was something akin to a Shakespearean tragedy. There are two more books in this series, but as of now I have no interest in continuing. Maybe I’ll try one of Harris’ other books?
3 out of 5 stars
This book is pretty outdated on its ideas of sexuality (and particularly bisexuality) at times, and I couldn’t tell if the author was commenting on that or falling victim to it.
The main character, Raymond, is incredibly selfish. He drags people along with no concern for how it might affect them, so long as *he* is happy. He is very inconsistent, acting immaturely on whims and impulses. Again, I couldn’t tell if the author was condoning or reprimanding this behavior.
I think this book is very much like a time capsule, representative of how it felt to be a black queer man in the 1990s. However, I’m not sure how much cultural value it holds in 2018 because of its outdated portrayals of sexuality and masculinity.
That being said, I did find it both interesting and entertaining. Watching Raymond’s life unfold was something akin to a Shakespearean tragedy. There are two more books in this series, but as of now I have no interest in continuing. Maybe I’ll try one of Harris’ other books?
3 out of 5 stars
rach_simone's review
4.0
This book follows a young bisexual Black man through adolescence and adulthood and how he navigates life and relationships (friendships, romantic and family). It is a very well-written and vivid book. I am happy that we have made some progress in the acceptance of LGBTQ+ people, but there were parts of the book that were still pretty relevant.
Something random, but enjoyable - I was digging my car out of the snow while listening to this book and the part of the book was talking about how it was 10 below in NYC. It felt very appropriate.
Something random, but enjoyable - I was digging my car out of the snow while listening to this book and the part of the book was talking about how it was 10 below in NYC. It felt very appropriate.
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