Customer Reviews

Cultural Contexts for Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man: A Bedford Documentary Companion

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Eric Sundquist's book is an invaluable resource for information when trying to understand the background of Invisible Man. This is the place to start if you're doing research on the novel. Not only does Sundquist present the prolific sources that Ellison used and referenced through the novel, the editor also provides additional resource materials for each reference. It's wonderful if you're writing a research paper, and helpful for the curious reader who wants to be even further convinced of Ellison's genius.

If you were not awake during the Twentieth Century, you need this book to understand more fully our great American novel: Invisible Man by Mr. Ralph Ellison.

Too bad the sequel got burned by the FBI . . .

But we have this original, invisible novel, and it is magnificent and true, and made more visible by this contextualizing resource.

Of course, we do not need to read the annotated editions of the great and profound chronicles of their times, such as Ulysses Annotated: Notes for James Joyce's Ulysses. We need hear naked Ulysses resonate within our own heart and soul and mind, opening thus our eyes to whatever it in ipse brings to the party.

Same with Ellison.

We can read this great and infinite novel as naked as the day it was published, or we can arouse ouselves to investigate what the heck is he talking about with the aid of this useful, scholarly, clear, factual and fairly comprehensive cultural report.

We can in fact come to know the American experience of the Twentieth century through this work alone.

Please contemplate Invisible Man deeply, and draw from that great source the strength to confront more wisely the horror we have now.

And if curious upon certain points and what they might have meant to Mr. Ellison, supplement with this book.

Basically, hear what Mr. Ellison tells us now directly in our own desperate cultural context.

And read this to find his own context, and the desperation which drove him then invisible.