Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
The novel is a poignant exploration of a young African-American man's journey through life, where he grapples with issues of race, identity, and individuality in mid-20th-century America. The protagonist, who remains unnamed throughout the story, considers himself socially invisible due to his race. The narrative follows his experiences from the South to the North, from being a student to a worker, and his involvement in the Brotherhood, a political organization. The book is a profound critique of societal norms and racial prejudice, highlighting the protagonist's struggle to assert his identity in a world that refuses to see him.
The 27th greatest book of all time
Ranking Details:
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This scoring system ensures that each book's ranking reflects both its presence on multiple lists and its positions within those lists, providing a comprehensive measure of its acclaim and popularity.
Since this book was first published in 1952, there is a penalty of 0%. The age adjusted score is 4117.0.
This is to prevent newer books from reaching super high on the ranked list of the greatest books of all time. The greatest books should also stand the test of time.
Total Points: 4117
This book was first published in 1952
50 Lists
- score: 154 -- The Top 10: The Greatest Books of All Time - 2007 (Weight: 150)
- score: 150 -- Top 100 Works in World Literature - 2002 (Weight: 150)
- score: 150 -- For The Love of Books - 1999 (Weight: 150)
- score: 144 -- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die - 2006 (Weight: 144)
- score: 134 -- The Ideal Library - 2024 (Weight: 129)
- score: 128 -- 200 Books That Shaped 200 Years of Literature - 2021 (Weight: 126)
- score: 126 -- The 75 Best Books of the Past 75 Years - 2016 (Weight: 126)
- score: 120 -- Best Books (Fiction, Prose) : Experts Choose Their Favourites - 1996 (Weight: 120)
- score: 108 -- The New York Public Library's Books of the Century - 1996 (Weight: 108)
- score: 108 -- The Booklist Century: 100 Books, 100 Years - 2005 (Weight: 108)
- score: 105 -- The Best Southern Novels of All Time - 2009 (Weight: 96)
- score: 99 -- The Great American Read - 2018 (Weight: 99)
- score: 98 -- The Greatest Books of All Time - 2022 (Weight: 96)
- score: 96 -- 222 Best Books of All Time That Deserve a Spot on Your Bookshelf, With Picks from Bestselling Authors and Indie Booksellers - 2024 (Weight: 96)
- score: 96 -- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read - 2009 (Weight: 96)
- score: 93 -- Harvard Book Store Staff's Favorite 100 Books - 2011 (Weight: 90)
- score: 93 -- Koen Book Distributors Top 100 Books of the Past Century - 1999 (Weight: 90)
- score: 90 -- 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime - 2014 (Weight: 90)
- score: 87 -- The Modern Library | 100 Best Novels - 1999 (Weight: 84)
- score: 86 -- Radcliffe's 100 Best Novels - 1998 (Weight: 84)
- score: 86 -- 100 Best Books - 2010 (Weight: 84)
- score: 84 -- The Great American Novels - 2024 (Weight: 84)
- score: 84 -- Select 100 - 2015 (Weight: 84)
- score: 81 -- 12 Novels Considered the Greatest Book Ever Written - 2016 (Weight: 81)
- score: 81 -- TIME Magazine All Time 100 Novels - 2005 (Weight: 81)
- score: 77 -- 20th Century's Greatest Hits: 100 English-Language Books of Fiction - 1999 (Weight: 75)
- score: 76 -- In Which These Are the 100 Greatest Novels - 2011 (Weight: 75)
- score: 75 -- Donald Barthelme’s Reading List - 1985 (Weight: 75)
- score: 74 -- As if You Don't Have Enough to Read, Fiction Edition - 2011 (Weight: 72)
- score: 72 -- 100 Best Novels in English Since 1900 - 2014 (Weight: 69)
- score: 71 -- Entertainment Weekly's Top 100 Novels - 2013 (Weight: 69)
- score: 69 -- A Century of Reading - 2018 (Weight: 69)
- score: 69 -- The Modern Library: The Two Hundred Best Novels in English Since 1950 - 2011 (Weight: 69)
- score: 66 -- The Complete 500: OCLC - 2024 (Weight: 66)
- score: 66 -- Books That Shaped America - 2012 (Weight: 66)
- score: 63 -- From Zero to Well-Read in 100 Books - 2013 (Weight: 63)
- score: 58 -- The 100 Greatest Novels - 2007 (Weight: 57)
- score: 58 -- The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Greatest Novels of All Time - 2004 (Weight: 57)
- score: 57 -- The Book of Great Books: A Guide to 100 World Classics - 2001 (Weight: 57)
- score: 57 -- How to Read and Why - 2000 (Weight: 57)
- score: 57 -- 25 Books by Black Authors You Should Read This February - 2024 (Weight: 57)
- score: 51 -- The College Board: 101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers - 2002 (Weight: 51)
- score: 51 -- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon - 1994 (Weight: 51)
- score: 47 -- D. G. Myers’ 50 Greatest English Language Novels - 2009 (Weight: 45)
- score: 45 -- The Well-Educated Mind - 2003 (Weight: 45)
- score: 39 -- The Dream of the Great American Novel - 2014 (Weight: 39)
- score: 39 -- 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List - 2018 (Weight: 39)
- score: 39 -- The 80 Books Every Man Should Read - 2015 (Weight: 39)
- score: 33 -- The 100 Greatest American Novels, 1893 – 1993 - 2013 (Weight: 33)
- score: 18 -- National Book Award - Fiction - Yearly Book Award (Weight: 18)