Invisible Life, E. Lynn Harris
Invisible Life, E. Lynn Harris
7 Rating(s)
List: $20.00 | Sale: $14.00
Club: $10.00

Invisible Life

Author: E. Lynn Harris

Narrator: Mirron Willis

Unabridged: 8 hr 6 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/11/2009

Synopsis

The remarkable first novel by a young, gay, black author who fashioned a deeply moving and compelling coming-of-age story out of the controversial issues of bisexuality and AIDS

Law school, girlfriends, and career choices were all part of Raymond Tyler's life, but there were other, more terrifying issues for him to confront. Being black was tough enough, but Raymond was becoming more and more conscious of sexual feelings that he knew weren't "right." He was completely committed to Sela, his longtime girlfriend, but his attraction to Kelvin, whom he had met during his last year in law school, had become more than just a friendship. 

Fleeing to New York to escape both Sela and Kelvin, Raymond finds himself more confused than ever before. New relationships--both male and female--give him enormous pleasure but keep him from finding the inner peace and lasting love he so desperately desires. The horrible illness and death of a friend eventually force Raymond, at last, to face the truth. 

Invisible Life has been hailed as "one of the most thought-provoking books--since James Baldwin's Another Country" (Richmond Voice), and Harris's "stories have become the toast of bookstores, reading groups, men, women, and gay and straight people" (Atlanta Journal-Constitution).

About The Author

E. Lynn Harris was born in Flint, Michigan and raised, along with three sisters, in Little Rock, Arkansas. Harris sold computers for IBM, Hewlett-Packard, and AT&T for 13 years while living in Dallas, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta. He finally quit his sales job to write his first novel, Invisible Life, and, failing to find a publisher, he published it himself in 1991 before he was "discovered" by Anchor Books. Anchor published Invisible Life as a trade paperback in 1994. Invisible Life was followed by Just As I Am (1994), And This Too Shall Pass (1996), If This World Were Mine (1997), and Abide With Me (1999), all published by Doubleday. Harris's sixth novel, Not A Day Goes By (July 2000) debuted at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list. His seventh novel, Any Way the Wind Blows (July 2001), also debuted at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list. His most recent novel, A Love of My Own (July 2002), was a national bestseller as well. What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted (July 2003), Harris's first non fiction work, debuted at #6 on the New York Times bestseller list making E. Lynn the first African American male to appear on both the fiction and non-fiction lists. Currently, there are over three million copies of Harris's novels in print. For more: www.elynnharris.com

Reviews

Goodreads review by DeMon on October 08, 2014

I'm such a huge fan of the late Mr E Lynn Harris. Following the news of his death I wrote a blog about how I came to love his books and about how he touched my life. Here's a copy of that blog: I was very troubled to hear about the passing of Mr. Harris. To me he was more than just an author. He help......more

Goodreads review by Dennis on July 25, 2009

The passing of this lovely man will not only leave a big hole in my reading list each year but puts an end to his heartfelt and powerful exploration of these specific lives. Since I read his first four books back to back about a decade ago, I have looked forward to spending at least one weekend each......more

Goodreads review by chantel on November 01, 2022

Trippy! Yooo what a story. I loved so much of Invisible Life and hated so much of Invisible Life. I hated that it felt like a warning to Black women. Invisible Life definitely felt like it was on some: ~you really don’t know what kind of man you’re going to get and oh yeah, you might die because you......more

Goodreads review by Carl on February 05, 2020

I was recommended this book and glad I picked it up. This book is all about struggling with ones sexuality and who we are compared to who we are expected to be. Really good read.......more

Goodreads review by Teresa on May 18, 2018

Wow. I was not expecting the outcome for Candace. Nor did I see the main character telling truths that would cost him everything. This book had me on edge throughout. I loved how the author captivates the reader from the beginning but then revs up the intensity midway to where you don't want to put......more

Quotes

Critical Acclaim for Invisible Life:

Selected in Vibe magazine's Fifth Anniversary Edition as one of its favorite books "on race, gender, and rules you must not live without."

"A quick, entertaining and thought-provoking read--This is a compelling story that commands and holds the attention until the final page is turned."
--Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"Black Americans--have been given a rare opportunity with this book to broaden their understanding of lifestyles like or unlike their own. Mr. Harris has stimulated a dialogue within the African-American community, desperately needed for so long, about the complicated issues of sexuality."
--Southern Voice

"Powerful and vividly told--the story is compelling and leaves the reader wanting more."
--Lambda Book Report

Add to Cart
Add to Wish List