Do you miss doing homework? This book might cure your longing.

What can you say about the Invisible Man? There are a couple of directions I could go with a review on this book. It was revolutionary, it was bold, it was timely, and it had extremely significant socio-political statements. Ralph Ellison writes a powerful story about the life of a black man in a pre-civil rights era world. On the other hand, it’s not very well written, it’s exceedingly boring in parts, it’s disjointed, and some sections are just plain weird. So which direction should I go? I think I’ll tackle both, because I think that neither side tells the entire story of Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man.

Let me take the pro side of this argument first. Invisible Man is a publishing miracle. To think that a black writer was able to write a book so critical of the white establishment and so honest about the treatment of minorities in a pre-civil rights era is not that hard to believe. What is hard to believe is that it was actually picked up and published in 1952. The country still had segregated drinking fountains and public restrooms, Martin Luther King, Jr. had yet to have his dream, Malcolm X was not yet preaching “any means necessary,” and Rosa Parks was still sitting at the back of the bus. Black people in the entertainment world were treated as novelties, but never equals. Sammy Davis Jr. was forced to use the service entrance and could not stay in the casinos in which he was performing. Nat King Cole was being told that he couldn’t make eye contact with female members of his audience. The civil rights movement was several years away, and yet Ellison was able to find someone to publish this controversial, and occasionally angry, book.

The main character and narrator (who has no name) is a black man from the south, who now lives in Harlem. The story relates how he ended up where he is, and how he became “invisible.” He tells us of a “battle royal” in which he is duped into believing he has achieved a notable award from civic leaders in his community, then he and several other black teenagers are blindfolded and forced to fight each other in a ring, for the entertainment of rich white men at the gala. We see his treatment in college where he is made to chauffer white men around, one of whom he saves his life, but is never rewarded, or even thanked, appropriately. He talks of his treatment at work, later in life, and his living conditions, in a vacant storage room, under a building, with stolen electricity. No one minds, because he is “invisible.” We begin to understand that he is quite mentally ill. He attributes his “invisibility” to the fact that no one could possibly treat a human being the way he has been treated if they could see him; he is invisible because people refuse to see him.

The central thrust of the book is one of a bright child, full of potential and ability, being driven into nothingness because of his treatment at the hands of society, based on the color of his skin. It is a powerful story and has a strong message. If nothing else it should be read simply because it’s primary message is still relevant today, fifty years later.

Now, with that glowing praise, allow me to now tell you why I wouldn’t recommend this book. I consider myself to be a pretty bright guy, and I’ve read some difficult novels and don’t shy away from intimidating books. That being said, Invisible Man is one of the hardest books to finish I’ve ever encountered. I must have started it four or five times over the course of a couple of years before I finally just committed myself to finishing it, and even then it took me several weeks. When I was finished, I wasn’t entirely sure it was worth the effort.

Invisible Man on many occasions is extremely disjointed and hard to follow. The writing style is not gripping, and is often just plain boring. I found myself skimming over much of the book that just went on and on, telling details that weren’t terribly important, looking to glean something critical to the plot or story. The narrator would frequently spend several pages setting up a scene that would be over as soon as he was done describing the scenery. I realize that much of the reason for this is that we are being told a story by a man who is not entirely in charge of his own mental capacities, but I found the style to be a little tiring. The “stream of conscious” style narrative made a very interesting story quite a cumbersome novel to wade through. I was not surprised in the least to find that people who recommend this book also recommend “The Sound and the Fury.”

Because I am limited by the rating system of Epinions, I must be a little wishy-washy with my rating and recommendation. I do find the book to be an “above average” novel, but that doesn’t really tell the entire story. I also am forced to say that I wouldn’t recommend it to a friend, but that is not completely true. I would recommend it to some of my friends, with a strong caveat. Invisible Man is not enjoyable or fun, it is not a novel that makes you want to stay inside all day and read (to me it was reminiscent of having to take three days to read Heart of Darkness which is only 80 pages long). It’s a worthy story, and socially significant. It is thought provoking and powerful. It is not exciting nor is it terribly entertaining. So the ultimate question is not whether I recommend it, but whether you are interested in reading a book that will seem like a homework assignment. (Sometimes freaks like me, who read most books with a ruler and red pen, enjoy that.)