★★★★☆ A great book, but not a good novel

Invisible Man

Ralph Ellison

Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man is widely considered to be one of the greatest works of twentieth century American Literature. I, an American, lived 68 years without reading it. But recently I watched a TV show whose hero carries Invisible Man around with him (it was Luke Cage) and I decided the time had come to tackle it at last. I have read good books for much worse reasons than this.

I am not going to say a lot about it, because so many people who know much more have already written so much. I will say, however, that although it is Great Literature, it is, as a novel, not good. The plot is more a series of events than a story. And there is only one real character -- the unnamed narrator. We get a very good sense of who he is and what he's like, but all the other characters are mere cardboard cutouts serving as background to the narrator's story. Indeed, they are, as the narrator eventually realizes himself to be, invisible.

It's a good book, and if you have the slightest inclination, you should read it. But don't expect it to be good in the ways that a good novel is usually good.

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