I usually don't review books I haven't finished yet, but I think it will take me years to figure out what I think about Invisible Man, and I'm so excited by it that I can't wait. I'm less than halfway through and it has become my favorite novel of all time, displacing Anna Karenina. I especially love how the events are often non-naturalistic as in modernist works like Ulysses (time stretches or speeds up, events that are just barely possible but more likely magical occur), but the style is clear and simple, not obscure like the works of Woolf or Joyce. An amazing book.

First let me say that this book changed my life and I love it so much I re-read it once a year. It's about a black man trying to find his place in the world and ending up in a lot of different situations because of it. At no point in time do you have the main character's name or any real description other than he's black which brings you into the story even more. You absorb the world in the same manner he does and the language is so wonderful. It is a wonderfully written book. I read Native Son the same year I read this book and this one had a much stronger impact on my life.

I loved this bio of Ellison, the first to be published, and its focus on the early years. The writing is top-notch and Jackson has clearly done exhaustive research to uncover an amazing amount of fascinating detail. Belongs in any reader's collection devoted to American and African American literature and history.

This is the most detailed look at Ellison's life that I've seen. This biography covers his path from poverty in Oklahoma to becoming part of the literary elite in the early 1950's. The author examines Ellison's involvement in the black rights movement and his relationships with Langston Hughes and Richard Wright. From start to finish, this is a fascinating read.

not merely a statement on being a black man in america, but on being a man period. ellison is not a militant negro nor is he a white man's negro. he is a free spirit who keeps his mind open to art , music, and life. i loved all the essays. he had cosmopolitan background growing up in oklahoma city, the product of middle-class parents. he read all types of literature, not just one kind and became a writer, simply by accident. his true love was his music. the middle third of this book proves this is the essays he wrote about jazz and opera, especially his loving tributes to milton's playhouse and charlie parker. he was a true renaissance man, who never lost the common touch. conquering any challenge that came his way...

Ralph Ellison, the musician and the author of the extrememly well-conceieved and paced novel "Invisible Man" (a rare instance wherein the plotting falls perfectly in sync with the decsriptive; falling, as with the eloquence and precision of the inernal mechanics into the ornate casing of a timepiece; a statement as much as a parody concering perceptions), here provides many surprises, all attesting to the immensity of his talents and array of his interests: There are articles on Jazz, BeBop, and some of best first-hand renderings upon the scene as it had developed at a period between literal non-accepatnce to a greater receptability; Eliot, as in the author's pechant and interest for the motifs, messages and stylistic of "The Wasteland"; Faulkner and the South; Historic American literary recurrances involving language, rythmic and individual, and some very valuable and erudite selections whose range -both autobiographic and literary- are as indispensable as they are of true merit and eloquence. This edition (and it is a shame there had not been more!), legitimizes the talents and perspectives of a gifted author whose legacy -although saddly never fully realized- shall always stand above any field of the discordant (as in the Wasteland), ringing more true than any pause between a jazz riff's sometimes-disquieting
strains.

I could not put this down. It is a funny, warm, and insightful jam session on the subjects of literature, jazz, and American culture. This is a must have for any student of those subjects. It's also gives fascinating background into the lives and intellectual development of these literary giants.

This is an excellent book. Fans of Ellison and Murray will appreciate the intimate look at the lives of these writers that can be gained from reading the letters published in this work. Moreover, the call and response nature of the letters beautifully mimic that which can be heard in some of the classic jazz and gospel songs of America. You'll have a hard time putting this one down...

"A Renaissance In Harlem", is one of the better history books I have read this year. In fact it is one of the better books that I have read in a long time regardless of genre. There are many reasons a book like this goes unnoticed, however to mention any of them, instantly is to be branded with the various labels created by simpletons. If you enjoy reading History, read this collection of work, it will not disappoint.

As part of the New Deal, the Federal Government paid several thousand writers across the nation to write about what they observed. The collection of stories that is included in this volume all center upon Harlem and its so-called Renaissance. These essays are written by some writers that are well known, and by several who cannot be traced to this day. They all share a level of excellence that can result when talented people write about a place they are a part of. This collection is not a romanticized view of Harlem, The Apollo Theater, or any other landmarks you may know. The stories are stripped of all pretense, they each are small documentaries of what life was like for those who lived, worked, exploited, and were exploited by Harlem's unique population. It would be easy to dwell on portions of this book that would raise the anger that remains associated with various groups. This may be part of the reason this book was not embraced. Free Speech is a difficult taskmaster, and this may explain why these stories found their home in the archives of The Library Of Congress until they were finally brought to the light of day.

You will read of what, "Rent Parties", rapidly became once they were fashionable. The life of, "Thursday Girls", will leave you as numb as the stories of John Steinbeck. And for those who may think that the exploitation by today's televangelists is nauseating, come to know, "Father Divine", who entered Harlem in a one off custom built Dusenberg.

"Amateur Night at The Apollo", will bring insight into this famed theater that is as important as the polished versions so often written of this landmark. Fatso the Slickster, Big Bess, and Kingfish will entertain and sadden. And the story, "Finger Waves and Nu Life Pomades", will roll as smoothly across the minds eye as it does the ear.

My favorite part of the book was the manner these writers recorded the spoken word. They wrote what they heard, and while at times a reader may pause to get in step with some of these street poets, the language is priceless. This speech was a centerpiece of the stories of street vendors and the songs that made their days pass and their goods sell. Men and women who had their street music they would adapt as the blocks they passed changed, and the colors and religions of those who lived there changed as well.

This is a wonderfully collection of a piece of American History. No brief comment can do the work of these writers justice, and certainly is not enough to thank those who found, collected and edited the lives into this book.

It is a treasure, a gift, and a literary time capsule.

Despite the book's overt schism of black/white relations, it delves into history, overall, in a much deeper sense. This book is wonderfully cultivated with the history of literature and its various canons. The allusions are vast, covering the ancients up to Ellison's day (at the point of completion--late 50's). It is clear, however, that the transcendalists writers (Emerson, Thoreau, Whitman, Melville, Hawthorne), as well as Joycean stylism are deeply embedded in Ellison's brilliant techniques in the book. More importantly, Ellison's has created this book as a teaching tool of great Black Leaders, such as Booker T. Washington, Frederick Douglass, Marcus Garvey, as well as other African-American significances of past. In short, the invisible man's nameless character represents his inexistence and trampled upon character as a black man enraptured in a darwinian duel, fighting his way through his naivete against his oppressors, which happens to be blacks and whites in the big Apple--New York City. I highly recommend this book to all Americans, as it is highly placed not just in African-American literature, but literature, in general. It takes a very close reading, perhaps twice to envelope its marvelous reign among all novels.

this book was cool. it was kind of long. but cool. you should read it if you feel like it. and if you have time becasue it is knid of long. but good. you should read it. okay bye.

Start with the title- Invisible Man. Not "The Invisbible Man," but Invisible Man. Even with our main character's attempts at being visible (i.e. the light company, the various soci-political orgainzations) he still wound up invisible, miserable in some cold, dank basement.

I had the read Ellison's Invisible Man for AP Literature- and after struggling through the first five unbearably long chapters- I made a decision- To through th book out the window!!! Save yourself the agony of reading this "great" work of American literature- buy the cliffs notes- they have all of the info w/o the boring stuff!

I thought the book The Invisible Man was a good book.It was about a man who had bandages all over him. Some people thought he was very ill and tried to doctor himself.Others said they would hearsounds coming from his room. One rainy day, a family owned a hotel. He asked if he could stay in one of the rooms,and he asked if they would not come check on him.

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Invisible Man had been on my to-be-read pile for a lot of years, and I finally picked up a copy a week ago. I could not believe how quickly the pages flew by.

The story of the black college student turned boarder turned Brotherhood front man was shocking, hardhitting and everything I'd heard about. The hero of the story is an unnamed student turned out from his college after an afternoon of chauffering a University Trustee goes terribly bad. He's sent from the deep South to New York City, where he attempts to find work and eventually becomes a race relations group spokesman. The theme of invisibility weaves in between each line and internal debate of the lead character. It's highly moving.

I can't add more than has already been said in previous Amazon reviews. I think this is an excellent example of the type of literature every American should read, in school or not. It represents where we were fifty years ago and shows us how far we still need to go. On top of that, it's an entertaining read!

Grab a copy, quickly, and enjoy! And also try *Their Eyes Were Watching God* by Nora Zeale Hurston as well as *I Been in Sorrows Kitchen and Licked Out All the Pots* by Susan Straight.

When I first read Ralph Ellison's remarkable Invisible Man I was in college. Having grown up middle class midwestern white, it seemed at the time to be a marvelous piece of work that plunged me into the nightmarishly crushing world of racism from the black perspective. It opened my eyes to racism in a way that I could never have possibly percieved from the perspective of my own limited experience.

Thirty years later I pulled this book from the shelf and reread it on a whim. A number of things struck me on this reading that never occurred to me from my earlier limited youthful perspective.

First of all, Invisible Man is timeless and I find it hard to believe that it was written nearly fifty years ago. This book is about far more than racism, it is about loss of innocence and rape of the soul. It is about exploitation, manipulation, and the gross hypocrisy that exists in our society.

It is a work of great literary merit. Ellison displays verbal virtuosity of great breadth with beautiful and lyric eloquence. It is at times so dark and overbearingly heavy that a sensitive or less serious reader might cry out for relief. It is so relentless in plunging from one nightmarish episode to the next that one can reasonably say that it is often over the top, and yet any fair-minded reader can easily forgive the excesses of Ellison's vision for the importance of the message that it brings home.

Any reader, be he or she black, white, yellow or brown, who must make a way in this world--any reader who attempts to rise from the consciousness of the unprivelidged child or who is a seeker in life, should read Invisible Man as a cautionary tale as well as a great work of art. Please read this book if you have the courage and honesty to see the world through the eyes of the victim. This book has helped me to see those who had often in the past been invisible to me and I thank Ralph Ellison for making it possible.

In one book Ralph Ellison captured the essence of racial living in America. The Invisible Man remains to this day quite possibly the best racial alegory written by an American. Ellison's work is truly a masterpiece, with each scene, each character and each word serving a purpose to drive home the themes and messages in the book.
In my opinion one of the most awe-inspiring facets of the novel is the usage of the words "white" and "black". Although on one read -through, a reader may simply ignore the placement or the function of that word, in actuality each use of the word has a specific function and meaning deliberately done so by Ellison.
The layers to this book are amazing. There are many interpretations to what happens in the book, all valid through Ellison's adeptness at using allusion. I have read this for two separate college classes and each time I read it I am amazed not only at the content of the book but also the ease of completing it. Ellison was influenced by T.S. Eliot and jazz, both of which not only come into play within the themes of the book but also make Ellison's writing style free-flowing, expressive yet comforting to read.
Besides the fact that this is a landmark in American literature, it is also an enjoyable read.

BLACK PEARLS is one year's worth of daily meditations. The collection touches almost all motivational subjects. Reading it is a positive way to start the day. It's very inspirational. Written for African Americans, but good for anybody.

This black pearl appreciates Eric's ability to caputure the true essence of black love. The selection of poems was superb. I laughed, I cried but most of all I reflected, on what love meant to me. With Valentine's Day around the corner, this book was right on time. Thank you Eric...

This is a great book to read at the start of everyday. It can be read by anyone of any heritage or ethnic background, it applies to anyone and everyone. Its one of those books that "makes you go hmmmm."

I read this book recently after devouring Invisible Man. I have to say, though, that I was a little dissappointed by this book. Curiously enough, a lot of these stories weren't published in Ellison's lifetime, and with some of them, it's evident why. A few of the stories are juvenile, not at all comparable to Invisible Man, and by the same token, a few of them are spectacular pieces of prose. So, with this volume, I advise you to tread carefully, but read it all the way through. The gems are worth it, despite the failures.

Ralph Ellison is a great writer. In this collection of old short stories we see him grow and develop under our own eyes. He deals with the problem of racial relations and of race definitions with a tact and humor that make some of his stories extremely funny. But some others are dramatic and deal with a more general and abstract matter. The title story is typical of that. A black pilot is confronted to all kinds of reactions, from his dead father, from a vulture that crashed his plane, from the white owner of the field where he crashes, from the blacks who try to solve his problem : he broke his ankle in the accident. The father is being humorous about heaven and white Saint Peter. The white owner is deeply racist and brings two « nurses » from a psychiatric hospital since a black man has to become crazy if he flies. The black witnesses are just trying to help the poor fallen pilot without getting any antagonism from the white owner, which is not exactly easy. In each story we find such situations that bring racism to the fore or that reveals the « education » a black man has to go through to become « adapted » to this racist society, to make himself, if not invisible, at least unconspicuous. Those stories are worth a little voyage into this writing that we see building itself stone by stone. Of course the real walls are the novels, but here are the handy tasks that shaped Ralph Ellison's hand and pen for the novels. Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, Paris Universities II and IX.

Ralph Ellison's "Flying Home and Other Stories" apparently is the first posthumous collection to be published by his estate. And it is a remarkable collection at that. There are thirteen stories here, six of which had never been published before. The editor, Professor John F. Callahan, did a fine job at choosing the stories to be included, and he describes the fascinating selection process in the book's introduction. Professor Callahan includes three early Buster-and-Riley stories which inspired me to write my short story, "Los Angeles, 1970" (Outsider Ink at: http://outsidermedia.com/00/spring/olivas.html). The Buster-and-Riley stories capture the wonderful and lively banter between the two boys while showing how the racism of the real world touches and affects their childhood. There is also "A Party Down at the Square" which is a chilling story told in the first person by a white boy who witnesses the burning of an African-American man. Each story is well-crafted and powerful in its understatement. Ellison's graceful and evocative language paints a picture of human strength and frailty with the same honest, unflinching brush. Though he is best remembered for his novel, "Invisible Man," this collection demonstrates that he was also a brilliant craftsman of the short story.