African American

"Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison is a profound exploration of identity, race, and society in mid-20th-century America. Ellison's masterful storytelling and vivid prose paint a gripping portrait of an unnamed African American protagonist navigating a world that refuses to see him as an individual. Through his journey, the protagonist grapples with the complexities of self-discovery and the nature of prejudice and invisibility. Ellison's exploration of themes such as the quest for recognition and the power dynamics inherent in society resonates with readers long after they turn the final page. "Invisible Man" is a timeless classic known for its insightful commentary on the human condition and the pursuit of identity in a world that often seeks to render individuals invisible.

TW: This book contains racism and police brutality. If either of these topics trigger you, I would recommend finding a different book.

‘Invisible Man’ is a story about an unnamed black man in the 1930s. He attempts to make his way in the world, but is blocked at every turn by society’s barriers and refusal to see him. He goes from university to the brotherhood trying to find his place. The story includes steady commentary on racism that remains prevalent to this day.

Almost all the main characters have a layer of depth to them. From Dr. Bledsoe to Mary, they all have clear motivations and roles in the story that contributes to the themes. The main character in particular surprised me. It’s not uncommon for the point of view character to be serviceable, but not have many defining traits. This narrator did, though. He was an eloquent speaker and was obsessed with his grandfather’s last words. It’s not the most exaggerated personality, but it was clear and consistent.

The plot moves along nicely, never staying in one place for too long. The progression makes sense, and no scene feels wasted.

This is a classic novel for good reason. I would recommend it to those who are looking for a longer, thought provoking read.

The novel was set down in 1958 by Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe, who was the inventor of modern African literature. It is one of the most widely read novels in the world and also has a prestigious role in African literature.
It tells the story of a great wrestler, Okonkow, who is the best warrior among the people, and he hasn't inherited that honor, fame, and reputation from his father or ancestors, as it happens in most of the cases. He becomes a well-respected man, and the tales of his bravery and fighting spread like a bushfire in the other villages .

Things Fall Apart is a true picture of Nigerian culture, language, living style, their religion, different sorts of gods (God of Earth, Goddess of Fire, etc.), and customs, and the people are very much attached to their traditions and religion. Especially, the proverbs are also a big part of their culture. You could sense their importance from this proverb:

"Proverbs are the palm oil with which the words are eaten "

Okonkow is ostracized form the village for seven years for killing one of the clansmen. In his absence, an Englishman comes into his village, asks permission from the tribesmen to live there, and gets it. That's the point where the Nigerian culture's destruction starts. White men come one by one and build colonies to recite there.

So, their traditions, religion, and gods are all crucified ghastly by white missionaries who call Africans uncivilised, savage, and dark people and say we are the ones who came to give them light and are gonna make them civilised, but eventually they put them into the heart of darkness and are responsible for their destruction.

All the nations are known by their own traditions, culture, religion, and language . How could you make an organised nation by destroying its culture? White men came to show Africans a way to come out of their darkness, but the real darkness was inside them. It is a worthwhile novel and should be read.

"Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison is a powerful and thought-provoking novel that explores the complexities of African American identity in a society that refuses to see them as anything but invisible. Published in 1952, the book tells the story of an unnamed narrator who struggles to find his place in a world that constantly denies his existence.

The novel is set in the early 20th century and follows the narrator's journey from his youth in the South to his experiences in the North, where he encounters racism, violence, and exploitation. The narrator's quest for identity is complicated by the fact that he is not only a black man in a white-dominated society but also an individual struggling to define himself.

Throughout the novel, Ellison employs richly symbolic imagery to convey the narrator's experiences and emotions. The use of motifs such as blindness, invisibility, and masks emphasizes the ways in which society seeks to hide or ignore the realities of racism and prejudice. At the same time, the narrator's invisibility serves as a metaphor for the struggle of African Americans to assert their identity and agency in a society that denies them these basic human rights.

Ellison's prose is both poetic and poignant, as he explores the complexities of race, identity, and power. He also addresses issues of class and gender, as the narrator navigates the world of white power brokers, black nationalists, and women who seek to control him.

Overall, "Invisible Man" is a powerful and important work that continues to resonate with readers today. It is a testament to the enduring legacy of racism and inequality in America, and a call to action for all those who seek to create a more just and equitable society. If you have not read this book yet, I highly recommend that you do so.

If it weren’t so gorgeously written, it’d be too wincingly real to read. I felt deeply connected to Edie in all her messiness and compulsive curiosity. Leilani’s characters are all their own: weird, self-possessed, sort of perverse, clearly loved into being.

Passing by Nella Larsen is a classic novel following Irene Redfield and Clare Bellew. The novel follows the timeline of the Harlem Renaissance and delves into themes of 'white-passing' amongst the black community.
Irene, the narrator of the novel considers herself to be a very levelheaded, calm, thoughtful woman, who looks out for her children and is a perfectly attentive wife. Clare Bellew on the other hand is Irene's childhood friend, and her personality is much more colorful than Irene's. When Irene and Clare reunite after many years, we delve into their complicated relationship and clashing personalities.
Passing is a novel that illustrates what the standards of beauty really are and educates readers on the logistics of what passing of as white can mean for a black woman back in the 1920s.
I really enjoyed reading this novel, as 'white-passing' was something I wasn't super aware of, and barely even knew it was a phenomenon in the 1900s. Larsen also created a very interesting dynamic between Irene and Clare and crafted very realistic characters. I enjoyed reading Irene's inner monologues, as it's pretty rare to see an author build up very dynamic characters, that are also painfully human. I would recommend this book to pretty much anyone, as it contained lots of powerful messages and themes, without coming off as cliche or overdone.

Reviewer Grade: 11

The premise of the book Hell of a Book by Jason Mott is as follows: an African American author has written a book and is touring the country to promote it. On his tour, he keeps encountering the same small child everywhere he goes. I can't say much beyond that without giving too much away.

This book recently won the 2021 National Book Award for fiction and I just don't think my review of it will do it justice. Not only that, but I hate writing overly exuberant reviews of books that are this unusual, because not everybody is going to love this book. Or understand it. But, that's the whole point, I think.

It's unusual. It's transcendent. It's elusive. It's ironic. It's deep. It's moving. It gives you tons to think about but very little to grasp onto.

I absolutely loved it. And I already want to read it again.

The Skin I'm In by Sharon G. Flake is a realistic fiction novel from the point of view of seventh grade Maleeka. Maleeka has low self-esteem and poor body image because of people teasing her for being too black and too tall. When Maleeka meets Miss Saunders, the new English teacher, who has messed up skin from a rare skin condition, Miss Saunders is taunted by the children. But, she never lets it get to her. Throughout the book, Maleeka rethinks her biases and her insecurities. This book's story is powerful, and there is a lesson to be learned through Maleeka's experience about overcoming low self-esteem. The author illustrates the problems of this century perfectly and guides the reader through a rollercoaster of emotions.

I have to say I’m a bit disappointed with The Stone Sky. It took me some time to get used to the way the author wrote the Broken Earth trilogy, but by the end of the second book, The Obelisk Gate , I had bought into the premise. The fact that this book had a lot to live up to with the foreshadowing presented in the second book might be why I’m disappointed with the result. After all, I was looking forward to some epic moments involving the moon, which didn’t seem to materialize for me. Now that I’ve finished this trilogy, I’m starting to wonder if the reason it didn’t quite fully click for me was because I was reading it via audiobook. There seemed to be a lot that I missed that would leave me confused about who the characters were, what they were doing, and why they were doing it. Perhaps if I had dedicated time to focusing on these audiobooks instead of listening while I was doing other things, I would have liked the series more. As it stands though, I probably couldn’t tell you what the point of this book was without going back and rereading it.

Ultimately, the Broken Earth trilogy is well written. The language might be a little too poetic at times and the fantasy setting introduces a lot of terminology that was difficult to keep track of, but I can see the appeal of it. The magic system is truly unique, even if the explanation for its origins made less sense than if it was just an unexplainable magic force. I do appreciate that most of the loose ends were wrapped up and either explained or made into moot points by the series’ conclusion. And while the resolution of this trilogy felt a little cliché, at least it provided an ending that most would come to expect from this type of sub-genre.

A pretty good trilogy wrap-up that might need a second read-through, I give The Stone Sky 3.5 stars out of 5.

There was no sophomore slump for author Yaa Gyasi, who lit the literary world ablaze with her searing debut novel, Homegoing (2016). That work of historical fiction was deeply personal and her exceptional contemporary follow-up Transcendent Kingdom (2020) draws upon her experiences growing up with Ghanaian parents in in northern Alabama. This powerful and emotionally raw novel centers on Giffy, a fifth-year candidate in neuroscience at Stanford studying reward-seeking behavior in mice and the connections between depression and addiction. Her brother was a gifted high school athlete who died of a heroin overdose after a knee injury left him hooked on OxyContin. Her suicidal, deeply religious mother is bedridden. Dad left long ago. Giffy hopes science will find the why behind the suffering. But she still hungers for her childhood faith and struggles to find a balance between religion and science, hope and despair, living and inertia. It’s a personal journey with a conclusion that will leave you with hope, if not a clear answer.