The Man Who Lived Underground: A Novel

This book contains the title novel along with a memoir; Memories of my Grandmother. This is a very difficult book to read. It was originally shortened and published in 1961. It is the story of a black man returning home from a hard day of work. He is looking forward to home cooking and bringing the $17 dollar pay which he had accrued over the week. He is a hard-working, church-going man. His employer is a key citizen of the town, but none of that matters as the police pull him in for a crime he did not commit. Thus begins the nightmare and unreality of how quickly life, punishment, and death can occur within the black experience. After being imprisoned, he escapes into the sewer system much like Ellison’s Invisible Man. The only place free from racism in the United States is subterranean and by being invisible. Forget all misguided criticism of Wright, this book is a highly relevant masterpiece. All proceeds from the book go to the Library of America in keeping with Wright’s philosophy.