Invisible Man

A Novel

By: Ralph Ellison

Narrated by: Joe Morton

Length: 18 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

Selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best novels of all time

Ralph Elllison's Invisible Man is a monumental novel, one that can well be called an epic of modern American Negro life. It is a strange story, in which many extraordinary things happen, some of them shocking and brutal, some of them pitiful and touching—yet always with elements of comedy and irony and burlesque that appear in unexpected places. It is a book that has a great deal to say and which is destined to have a great deal said about it.

After a brief prologue, the story begins with a terrifying experience of the hero's high school days, moves quickly to the campus of a Southern Negro college and then to New York's Harlem, where most of the action takes place. The many people that the hero meets in the course of his wanderings are remarkably various, complex and significant. With them he becomes involved in an amazing series of adventures, in which he is sometimes befriended but more often deceived and betrayed—as much by himself and his own illusions as by the duplicity of the blindness of others.

Invisible Man is not only a great triumph of storytelling and characterization; it is a profound and uncompromising interpretation of the Negro's anomalous position in American society.

©1952 Ralph Ellison (P)2010 Random House

ln visible Man

I have never read anything quite like that, it was very entertaining and the narration was great. I think anyone who has not read this book should read it . It is a wonderful story about the struggles of the black man and how we as any minority can feel invisible if no one hears our cry for justice, great story

Wonderful narration

Joe Morton gives an inspiring narration to this classic and timely novel. I could hear the influence of Langston Hughes and Jazz...I could feel the influence of Richard Wright and the blues. This is the first time I've come to see narration as a type of performance art...adding its own magic to the original. Truly wonderful.

Necessary Classic

Just as important today as when it was first written. Sad to see the world have changed enough.

Fantastic Reader

If you are looking for an audiobook version of Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, this Audible version is the way to go. Joe Morton does an excellent job of reading the book with all the different voices he uses and the enthusiasm and passion he reads with.

Best Narration EVER

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Joe Morton could narrate the phone book and make it a great listen. Don't wait! I was so drawn into the story with the superb narration. I've wanted to read this important book for a long time and I knew there were parts that would be difficult to get through. I may have given up if it were not for the outstanding performance.

What did you like best about this story?

The end; I won't tell and potentially spoil the book for a future listener. I found myself rooting for the main, nameless character throughout the story.

Which character – as performed by Joe Morton – was your favorite?

Sybil

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Yes, too many to list.

Joe Morton Rocks a Classic

Rather than recover decades of salutes to Ellison, I want to salute Joe Morton's read of this classic. It is among the finest of any audio book to which I have listened.
Morton, a veteran actor, accomplished a seldom realized feat of staging a one man show carrying the story and dialogs, and the emotions of the Narrator as he comes to see reality - that he is in fact invisible. Especially significant is Morton's capable switching of voice from the softer, educated Narrator to others of differing backgrounds, races, genders, etc without loss of momentum. His communication of the perfidy of Bledsoe early and the demagoguery of Ras late in "The Invisible Man" are most effective and affecting.
I hope to listen to more of his reads.

The performance really adds to this story!

oh my goodness! this is an amazing book and the story telling performance made the book even better. 100% I recommend this Audible book!

Loved it!

i downloaded this book when it was offered for free several years ago and it's been sitting in my library unread... i finally decided to give it a try for reasons unknown one night while sitting in bed bored... I was hooked from the first few minutes! Morton captures the nuances of emotion and feeling in the narrator and tells his story beautifully. i devoured this 18+ hour production in 5 days and gasped with a welling up of emotion upon the final words... Ellison is a gorgeous writer and expresses the complexities of the black experience in all its confusion and ambiguity - i loved the vivid descriptions of Harlem and its people in the first half of the 20th century. Insightful read. utterly captivating. Eager to try "Their Eyes Were Watching God" next...

Great pick!

Joe Morton's narration was absolutely amazing!! I loved it! The storyline kept me intrigued and wanting more. Awesome read.

Great book, Better performance

Joe Morton's performance is phenomenal. His reading breathes a life into the story that can't be achieved through the text alone.