Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man (AmazonClassics Edition), The

In this fictional confession, an unnamed narrator reveals the “great secret” of his life: he was born mixed race—and his ability to pass as white has provided him a unique perspective on America’s profound racial prejudice. As he recounts his experiences in the American South, the suburbs of the Northeast, New York City jazz clubs, and various European capitals, he also grapples with the emotional fallout of a life lived in constant fear of discovery—a life lived, in other words, in a culture unaccountably preoccupied with the shade of a person’s skin.

This milestone in American literature remains as arresting and provocative as it was when it was first published more than a century ago.

Revised edition: Previously published as The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, this edition of The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man (AmazonClassics Edition) includes editorial revisions.