Like the bodiless heads you see sometimes in circus sideshows, it is as though I have been surrounded by mirrors of hard, distorting glass.
Ralph Ellison published only one book in his lifetime, but it garnered such acclaim that, over seven decades later, it’s still considered a defining work of American literature. Following a nameless Black man’s journey from the Deep South to New York City, Invisible Man tackles themes of racism, identity and truth. Ellison’s prose is rich and emotional—take this unforgettable quote from the book: “I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me. Like the bodiless heads you see sometimes in circus sideshows, it is as though I have been surrounded by mirrors of hard, distorting glass. When they approach me they see only my surroundings, themselves or figments of their imagination, indeed, everything and anything except me.”