Why I read the book: Racine List — 36 to go

What the book was about: The part I read was about a Black man living in a cellar near Harlem and thinking he was really cool because he was stealing electricity from Whitey to light thousands of light bulbs in his room. He said since White people never saw him for who he was, he was invisible and decided to live like it.

Then it went back to his youth. He gave a speech talking about how Blacks should be humble and was invited to give it to a group of leading White men in the town. But when he got there, he first had to watch a naked White girl dance, then box with nine other Black boys. Then he was given a scholarship to a Black college.

At the college, he drove the White founder around town. The founder found it amazing when the narrator told him about a Black man who had gotten his own daughter pregnant. It was at this point that I quit reading.

What I liked about the book: Nothing

What I didn’t like about the book: White man bad, Black man justified in doing anything. The writing was jumpy, and he used at least one stretch of stream-of-consciousness that was impossible to follow.

Recommendation: I gave it a 2.

Further Comments: I know Blacks were mistreated for a long time in this country, and I understand that a degree of resentment is inevitable. But sin is sin.