You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
what else can i say? this book was so beautifully written and so rich. everyone should read this!!!!
Wow, where do I begin?
The unnamed main character starts and ends the novel with showing us how, as a black man, he is invisible.
He goes from college to Harlem to joining The Brotherhood. He carries a briefcase that's like a memory box, collecting and saving items that are symbolic/important to him.
The main character is honest, which is a relief against the rest of the book. Some of the prose is nice, but not enough of it was, and it really isn't anything special.
The pacing felt way too out of shape / all over the place. Every other character lacked depth / substance. This just felt like 600 pages - of nothing particularly special, even though the message is important, for sure.
The unnamed main character starts and ends the novel with showing us how, as a black man, he is invisible.
He goes from college to Harlem to joining The Brotherhood. He carries a briefcase that's like a memory box, collecting and saving items that are symbolic/important to him.
The main character is honest, which is a relief against the rest of the book. Some of the prose is nice, but not enough of it was, and it really isn't anything special.
The pacing felt way too out of shape / all over the place. Every other character lacked depth / substance. This just felt like 600 pages - of nothing particularly special, even though the message is important, for sure.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was a book I had to read in AP literature in high school and after reading now I realized I did NOT actually “read” this book in high school beyond the first chapter or so.
But I’m glad I’m reading it now, it’s like a coming of age (of sorts) kind of book. A realization of the protagonist’s place in the world- from sure naïveté to something more bleak and yet true. He displays the pros and cons to being invisible,Through extensive self analyzing monologues. Basically people only wanting to see what’s he can do for them.
He was like a pawn (even when they made him “feel” like a knight) he was just a pawn in this chess game of life. This book was overall incredible.
As a side note: Joe Morton (Aka Papa Pope was the narrator) highly recommend listening to his voice via audiobook.
But I’m glad I’m reading it now, it’s like a coming of age (of sorts) kind of book. A realization of the protagonist’s place in the world- from sure naïveté to something more bleak and yet true. He displays the pros and cons to being invisible,Through extensive self analyzing monologues. Basically people only wanting to see what’s he can do for them.
He was like a pawn (even when they made him “feel” like a knight) he was just a pawn in this chess game of life. This book was overall incredible.
As a side note: Joe Morton (Aka Papa Pope was the narrator) highly recommend listening to his voice via audiobook.
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars, but as always, I round up.
I don’t think I fully understand this book, but I took away pieces of it. In meaning, it was very interesting to watch the character grow from having negative agency in his life, to making big changes, to trying to control the narrative of others, to deciding to retreat from everything entirely. It felt like both a demonstration of how one person can be influential and how they are not everything and that the movement… well, moves, even without them.
As for writing, I think the first 10 chapters could be excluded from the book and the experience would have been better and the moral of the story the same. But perhaps I missed something important, but for me, I only really cared once the narrator joined the Brotherhood.
In terms of connections, learning about the protest movements feels relevant again in a time of political upheaval, but I don’t know if I feel that the story offered much hope or guidance, but instead actually felt like it was telling us that we are doomed to fail. I refuse to accept that.
I don’t think I fully understand this book, but I took away pieces of it. In meaning, it was very interesting to watch the character grow from having negative agency in his life, to making big changes, to trying to control the narrative of others, to deciding to retreat from everything entirely. It felt like both a demonstration of how one person can be influential and how they are not everything and that the movement… well, moves, even without them.
As for writing, I think the first 10 chapters could be excluded from the book and the experience would have been better and the moral of the story the same. But perhaps I missed something important, but for me, I only really cared once the narrator joined the Brotherhood.
In terms of connections, learning about the protest movements feels relevant again in a time of political upheaval, but I don’t know if I feel that the story offered much hope or guidance, but instead actually felt like it was telling us that we are doomed to fail. I refuse to accept that.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Amazing prose, at times I felt I should have been taking notes. Such engaging writing, and so stark and honest in the themes.
The artistic choices made by Ellison are incredible. Keeping the protagonist nameless, constraining figures from his past, writing in such a way that you feel what the protagonist is feeling.
I cannot express how enchanted I was by Ellison’s prose. I’m looking forward to reading the works that inspired him.
The artistic choices made by Ellison are incredible. Keeping the protagonist nameless, constraining figures from his past, writing in such a way that you feel what the protagonist is feeling.
I cannot express how enchanted I was by Ellison’s prose. I’m looking forward to reading the works that inspired him.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence
Moderate: Slavery, Medical trauma
Minor: Rape