Rating: 
Summary: A Powerful, Thoroughly Recommended Novel
Review: Upon reading this book, I was immedately impressed. Ellison seemed to grab me with his words, and I was almost unable to free myself from his grip. Each night it was a struggle of willpower to force myself to put it down. His stirring portrait of a black man in a society of white domination won my affection, and his eloquent narrator won my sympathy. This was definitely the greatest novel I have ever read, and quite possibly the greatest novel ever written. I thoroughly urge you to read this captivating masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: excitante drama sobre nuestra propia invisibilidad
Review: esta novela esta maravillosamente escrita y su tematica es formidable.es una historia lucida sobre las peripecias de un senor del cual ignoramos su nombre. este pasa por distintas etapas o dificultades a lo largo de un viaje que es el viaje de la vida en la que todos somos invicibles y cambiables, sustituibles y no prescindibles. no es que yo opine asi, es la forma de la novela y lo que dice, es la manera del autor de ver la falta de raices del ser humano que divaga por la vida sin rumbo o creyendo que sabe a donde va sin contar con que la vida nos depara sorpresa y cambios siempre inesperados. leanla y disfrutenla.LUIS MENDEZ
Rating:
Summary: Incredible CapSule into the dynamics of American Society
Review: One of the enduring characteristics of American Literature is its deep desire to create a classic American work, a piece that will be canonized for its ability to reach all corners of an extremely diverse, dynamic, and often troubling society. Many critics may debate the merits of any individual who can claim to cover all of the cleavages of society within one work, yet Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man stands up nearly forty years after its original publication as a testimony to the dynamics of American society and more importantly, the systemic race 'problem' that America continues to manipulate and feel guilt for. Invisible Man narrative style allows Ellison to make poignant observations about the many distinctive ways of life in America: the differences between North and South; black and white, communist and capitalist, inner city and the privileged few and gender differences; these are all major societal distinctions that invisible Man stumbles upon along his road to realization and disillusionment in American society. Upon this examination of the work, Invisible Man is doubly recognized for providing a unique commentary of the continued degradation of Black America, complete with a distinctive black culture and way of life, but also for its ability to reach out and embrace elements of Literature such as the bildungsroman genre. Invisible Man's journey across the American landscape acts as a journey across time and become an education about America at a time of expansive consumerism and international interest expansion. This book is a highly recommended read that seeks to uncover a perspective about America that today may seem commonplace, but in its time, was rather revolutionary.
Rating: 
Summary: Aren't we all invisible?
Review: The first half of this book really had my interest. It is well-written and it kept the reader enthralled. Once the narrator joins the Brotherhood the book is no longer a thought-provoking journey which the reader shares with the main character but, instead, becomes a giant soap box on which Ellison stands, pouring out his views on humanity, on prejudice, and on what he sees as the "invisibility" of the black man. This is not to say what he writes is unimportant, on the contrary it is quite important- and powerful. I felt the book lost everything when it moved, mid-stream, from a novel about the black experience and man's search for identity to a speech-filled tirade on the identity crisis of Black Americans.
Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: For my independent reading project I read Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison during which we, my 8th grade class, also read To Kill a Mockingbird. Invisible Man is a portrait of the early 20th century and the role of racism in the culture. Ellison writes from the point of view of a young black man, the narrator, who takes a roller coaster ride throughout the south and finally Harlem. While reading the Invisible Man, Atticus and his points of view come to mind many times. The narrator and Atticus both fight for black rights in a time of prejudice and injustice. Both of them are respected members of their communities and set an example for many people; Atticus for his children and certain townsfolk, and the narrator for his "brotherhood" and Harlem. Ellison explains the emotional turmoil of one human characteristic, racism. The narrator is a young black man scraping his way to the top, in contrast Atticus is a well-off white man, respected. I liked how I got a perspective from both sides of the struggle, white and black. When I was reading about the "Brotherhood" and its "fight" against racism there were many comparisons to the court and jury in To Kill a Mockingbird. Both were meant to do good and bring justice and understanding, while upholding values. But, like many institutions, they weren't doing their designed purpose. They, in their own point of view were doing good. But, reality they were plagued by self-interest. The court's justice was subverted by the jury and the "brotherhood's" moral community lessened by their scientific analysis of everything, including humans, which I think can't be analyzed. What happened to these institutions demonstrates how even the best intentions can be turned into evil. Through the narrator I learned much about the politics and mannerisms of the early 20th century. At times the book is dark and moody, almost crazy. At other times, it is also humorous and funny. The style of writing changes many times and really conveys all different feelings such as anger, hope, isolation, happiness, and craziness. I feel that Invisible Man focused on the Black point of view on racism and how it felt, while To Kill a Mockingbird represented the point of view of whites. As Invisible Man starts, it took place in the South. It was slow, with lots of description that I barely made through, but progressively it picked up with the plot coming to a turbulent climax. Throughout the story Ellison really developed the characters, which drew me into the story. Although the book was very slow at times, I think it's great. I am an avid reader and this has been my most challenging book so far. Ellison used many metaphorical references from an early time which I, a 14 year old, didn't understand. I suggest you only read this if you are much older than me. I recommend this to anyone that wants a book full of depth, a look at racism and its effect on people.
Rating: 
Summary: Invisible Man: an insightful review
Review: I read Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison independently, while reading and analyzing To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee in my 8th grade class. Both books offer different points of view on the horrible racism of America in the 1930s. Invisible Man is told through the main character's point of view, so the author's views on racism are fully expressed. This is similar to To Kill a Mockingbird because the story is told from a first person in that book as well. The major difference between the point of view from which the two stories are told is that in TKM, the story is told through the eyes of a young white girl, and in Invisible Man it is told from a black man's point of view. The writing is somewhat similar to To Kill a Mockingbird but Invisible Man is darker and more cynical, which makes sense considering that the author of TKM is a white woman, while the author of Invisible Man is a black man. A person's views on racism would be more pessimistic and negative if they had been oppressed and were subjected to racism, and more optimistic and positive if they hadn't. Ralph Ellison must have been discriminated against, up to the point that Invisible Man is somewhat of an autobiography of his struggles with racism. His book is very pessimistic towards the idea of racism ending, as the main character is betrayed again and again by white people. Harper Lee, on the other hand, wasn't oppressed due to her race and therefore her book is optimistic that, over time, racism will go away. A person's beliefs on a subject are greatly affected if that person has been harmed by the problem. I gained a better understanding of the horrible conditions black people suffered not that long ago while reading this book, and that alone is worth the price of admission. Two thumbs up.
Rating:
Summary: This is a great book.
Review: The book Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison, describes the process by which the protagonist comes to the realization that when white people look at him, they see nothing at all. He comes to this conclusion through a series of events that includes a prize-fight and a Communist rally. I read this book for my eighth-grade independent reading project as we read To Kill a Mockingbird in class; part of our purpose in reading both books simultaneously was to be able to compare our two books' views on race. Invisible Man, I found, is in many ways the opposite of To Kill A Mockingbird in the way it views race. For instance, To Kill A Mockingbird's author, Harper Lee, holds that through the judicial system and the efforts of non-racists, we will build a more equal society; Invisible Man's author, on the other hand, holds that liberation is really a new form of oppression and betrayal. The protagonist says of the leader of an organization that he joined, "That he, or anyone else at that late date, could have named me and set me running with one and the same stroke of the pen was too much." This betrayal by one he thinks is working to help him happens repeatedly throughout the book. Overall, Ellison paints a cynical portrait of relations between blacks and whites, as is shown by the words of a black figure, "...the dumbest black b----d in the cotton patch knows that the only way to please a white man is to tell him a lie!" The positions taken by the authors of the books may reflect their personal experiences with racism in their lives. It is thus worth noting that Ellison is a black man, while Lee is a white woman. Both books draw on the lives of their authors, but Ellison lived his story, whereas Lee was mostly an observer. Another difference between the two lies in their varying degrees of characterization. Ellison's characters are all relatively faceless, but in Lee's writing, it is only the black characters who are not developed. Ellison, who is writing about invisibility, might thus be making a point with his blurred distinction between black and white, that it is not race that determines a person's character. Lee, on the other hand, depicts the world so familiar to her - the world that is rigidly polarized along racial lines. Reading the two books in tandem allowed me to see an issue through two sets of eyes, thus offering a broader, more complete view. I found Ellison's writing a bit confusing at first, as well as quick-paced, but after reading carefully, his words became clear and the pace seemed natural. The pace and confusion also fit in with Ellison's message of chaos and subversion. Every time Ellison's writing forced me to stop, there was some profit to be gained, some greater understanding, that made the pause worthwhile. I therefore highly recommend the book.
Rating:
Summary: A literary Critique of Invisible Man
Review: I recently read the book Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. I amin the eighth grade and I read the book because I had read To Kill aMocking Bird and I wanted to contrast the two books. The two books were similar; both were about racism and the difference between black and white people.Invisible Man is about a black man who says he is invisible because people look right through him because he is black. To Kill a Mocking Bird is about a young white girl who lives in a small town. One of the big characters in the book is a black man named Tom Robinson who is accused of raping a white woman. Despite these similarities the books had many differences. Both books were similar in subject but very different in the point of view in respect to race. To kill a mockingbird is narrated by a young, naive white girl named Scout. Scout is ignorant to the difference between black and white people in society. She does not understand why black people are treated worse and not given the same rights as white people. Invisible Man is narrated by an unnamed black person who understands better the differences in the ways that blacks and whites are treated. None of the characters in Invisible Man were developed very well, especially some of the black characters. This further illustrated the invisibility of black people in society. Since black people are ignored in society Ellison illustrated this by not developing the black characters as to try to let them blend into the story better. These reasons were just some of the reasons why I thought that this was a great book. It was very interesting and very educational. It had very interesting action scenes that were very descriptive. I also thought that it was very educational. It taught a lot about race relations. I would definitely recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Deeply haunting
Review: Ellison has created in Invisble Man one of the most memorable yet haunting characters in world literature. The namelessness of the main character is a metaphorical symbol of invisibility. Invisible Man represents a soul lost and ignored. The theme of this novel transcends what some might regard as literature of racism; it is not only about racism against African American but also about the interaction of human beings universally. Prejudice and difference give rise to persecution and discrimination. It is frightening to think of a human being so tangible and real can be obliterated mercilessly just because he's different. This book will be one of the few classics that can stand the test of time. It will be remembered and appreciated long after our generation.
Rating:
Summary: Powerful and Incredible
Review: Invisible Man is one of those books that you wish everyone else in the world would read so that they could become better people. Every line is full of meaning and symbolism, relating to the tragic struggle of black versus white and a colored man's struggles. Coming toward this book expecting an easy read will get you nowhere. The length, coupled with the weight of every pages meaning, brings an intellectual and a contemplation inducing novel which will leave you thinking about your place in modern society. IM is a symbol of every person who ever struggled to maintain sanity in a world where everything wants to pull your integrity away. Read this book and grasp some of its symbolism. Fighting through all five hundred pages will be worth it.
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