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 31st greatest book of all time
Ranking Details:
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Total Points: 3393
This book was first published in 1952
44 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: 150 -- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die - 2006 (Weight: 150)
- score: 127 -- The Ideal Library - 2024 (Weight: 123)
- score: 120 -- The 75 Best Books of the Past 75 Years - 2016 (Weight: 120)
- score: 105 -- The New York Public Library's Books of the Century - 1996 (Weight: 105)
- score: 105 -- The Booklist Century: 100 Books, 100 Years - 2005 (Weight: 105)
- score: 92 -- The Greatest Books of All Time - 2022 (Weight: 90)
- score: 90 -- The Best Southern Novels of All Time - 2009 (Weight: 82)
- score: 90 -- The Great American Read - 2018 (Weight: 90)
- score: 90 -- 222 Best Books of All Time That Deserve a Spot on Your Bookshelf, With Picks from Bestselling Authors and Indie Booksellers - 2024 (Weight: 90)
- score: 85 -- Harvard Book Store Staff's Favorite 100 Books - 2011 (Weight: 82)
- score: 85 -- Koen Book Distributors Top 100 Books of the Past Century - 1999 (Weight: 82)
- score: 82 -- Select 100 - 2015 (Weight: 82)
- score: 82 -- 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime - 2014 (Weight: 82)
- score: 80 -- 20th Century's Greatest Hits: 100 English-Language Books of Fiction - 1999 (Weight: 78)
- score: 79 -- In Which These Are the 100 Greatest Novels - 2011 (Weight: 78)
- score: 78 -- Donald Barthelme’s Reading List - 1985 (Weight: 78)
- score: 78 -- 12 Novels Considered the Greatest Book Ever Written - 2016 (Weight: 78)
- score: 77 -- The Modern Library | 100 Best Novels - 1999 (Weight: 75)
- score: 77 -- Radcliffe's 100 Best Novels - 1998 (Weight: 75)
- score: 75 -- The Great American Novels - 2024 (Weight: 75)
- score: 71 -- A Century of Reading - 2018 (Weight: 71)
- score: 68 -- 100 Best Books - 2010 (Weight: 67)
- score: 64 -- The 100 Greatest Novels - 2007 (Weight: 63)
- score: 64 -- Entertainment Weekly's Top 100 Novels - 2013 (Weight: 63)
- score: 64 -- The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Greatest Novels of All Time - 2004 (Weight: 63)
- score: 63 -- The Book of Great Books: A Guide to 100 World Classics - 2001 (Weight: 63)
- score: 63 -- How to Read and Why - 2000 (Weight: 63)
- score: 63 -- From Zero to Well-Read in 100 Books - 2013 (Weight: 63)
- score: 63 -- TIME Magazine All Time 100 Novels - 2005 (Weight: 63)
- score: 62 -- As if You Don't Have Enough to Read, Fiction Edition - 2011 (Weight: 60)
- score: 56 -- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon - 1994 (Weight: 56)
- score: 52 -- Books That Shaped America - 2012 (Weight: 52)
- score: 50 -- D. G. Myers’ 50 Greatest English Language Novels - 2009 (Weight: 48)
- score: 50 -- 100 Best Novels in English Since 1900 - 2014 (Weight: 48)
- score: 48 -- The Modern Library: The Two Hundred Best Novels in English Since 1950 - 2011 (Weight: 48)
- score: 48 -- The College Board: 101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers - 2002 (Weight: 48)
- score: 48 -- 25 Books by Black Authors You Should Read This February - 2024 (Weight: 48)
- score: 33 -- The Dream of the Great American Novel - 2014 (Weight: 33)
- score: 26 -- The 80 Books Every Man Should Read - 2015 (Weight: 26)
- score: 26 -- The 100 Greatest American Novels, 1893 – 1993 - 2013 (Weight: 26)
- score: 1 -- National Book Award - Fiction - Yearly Book Award (Weight: 1)