The next Holy Cross book discussion will be at 10 a.m. on Thursday.

The topic of the discussion will be the book “Invisible Man,” by Ralph Ellison. A milestone in American literature, the book has continued to engage readers since its appearance in 1952, discussion organizers said. 

This first novel by a then-unknown writer, it remained on the bestseller list for 16 weeks, won the National Book Award for fiction and established Ralph Ellison as one of the key writers of the century, organizers said.

The nameless narrator of the novel describes growing up in a black community in the South, attending a Negro college from which he is expelled, moving to New York and becoming the chief spokesman of the Harlem branch of “The Brotherhood,” retreating amid violence and confusion to the basement lair of the “Invisible Man” he imagines himself to be. The book is a passionate and witty tour de force of style, strongly influenced by T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land,” Joyce and Dostoevsky, organizers said.

All are invited to read and discuss the book. Copies are available now at the The Book Shelf in Tryon. 

The group meets in the Common Room at Holy Cross, 150 Melrose Ave., Tryon. Those interested in learning more may call 859-9741.

– Submitted article