The Black Ball

by Ralph Ellison

'If he only knew what it was, he would fix it; he would kill this mean thing that made Mama feel so bad.'

Belonging and estrangement intertwine in these four lyrical short stories from the the author of Invisible Man.

Penguin Modern: fifty new books celebrating the pioneering spirit of the iconic Penguin Modern Classics series, with each one offering a concentrated hit of its contemporary, international flavour. Here are authors ranging from Kathy Acker to James Baldwin, Truman Capote to Stanislaw Lem and George Orwell to Shirley Jackson; essays radical and inspiring; poems moving and disturbing; stories surreal and fabulous; taking us from the deep South to modern Japan, New York's underground scene to the farthest reaches of outer space.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Classics, Modern Classics, Race, The United States Of America, Literary Fiction

53 pages, Paperback

First published February 22, 2018

About the author

Ralph Ellison was a scholar and writer. He was born Ralph Waldo Ellison in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, named by his father after Ralph Waldo Emerson. Ellison was best known for his novel Invisible Man, which won the National Book Award in 1953. He also wrote Shadow and Act (1964), a collection of political, social and critical essays, and Going to the Territory (1986). For The New York Times , the best of these essays in addition to the novel put him "among the gods of America's literary Parnassus." A posthumous novel, Juneteenth, was published after being assembled from voluminous notes he left after his death.

Ellison died of Pancreatic Cancer on April 16, 1994. He was eighty-one years old.

Reviews

[Lisa (NY) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hit the jackpot with this collection of four slice-of-life stories - the reality of racism looms large in all of them. I particularly liked "In a Strange Country" about a Black sailor in Wales who doesn't trust the welcome he receives by whites.

Penguin Modern Classics
#1 - Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr.
#2 - Television Was a Baby Crawling Toward That Deathchamber by Allen Ginsberg
#3 - The Breakthrough by Daphne Du Maurier
#4 - The Custard Heart by Dorothy Parker
#5 - Three Japanese Short Stories (3 authors)
#6 - The Veiled Woman by Anais Nin
#7 - Notes on Nationalism by George Orwell
#8 - Food by Gertrude Stein
#9 - The Three Electroknights by Stanislaw Lem
#10 - The Great Hunger by Patrick Kavanagh
#11 - The Legend of the Sleepers
#12 - The Black Ball by Ralph Ellison

[Alwynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stories from Ralph Ellison, three exploring individual experiences of being black in twentieth-century America: in ‘Boy on a Train’ set in 1924, a mother and her small children are travelling to her new job but what opens on a gentle, almost-idyllic scene centred on the children’s delight in seeing animals and landscapes fly past the compartment window, slowly shifts into a moving demonstration of a child’s growing understanding of difference and dangerous prejudice; a theme Ellison revisits in ‘The Black Ball’ where a father strives to protect his young son from an awareness of the realities of life in a racist society; ‘Hymie’s Bull’ uses a vernacular style to provide a brief but striking glimpse of the lives of itinerant black men riding the rails and desperately dodging the brutal attentions of railroad police. The final entry in this modest selection of Ellison's work, ‘In a Strange Country,’ follows a black soldier, posted to Wales during WW2, who discovers unexpected forms of solidarity when he spends an evening drinking with the locals. Ellison’s approach in these short pieces is deceptively, impressively simple, a series of vignettes and close-up snapshots in time, powerful in their immediacy and enviably concise; his prose reminded me at times of the ‘dirty realism’ associated with writers like Raymond Carver, similarly direct, often minimalist and quietly controlled, so that the passages conveying moments of intense emotion are made even more effective.

[Noah de Campos Neto · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most hurtful things is to read about innocent little black kids who face racism and don’t understand what’s happening. Honestly, neither do I. Because why is it that we must live divided and people of colour cannot live as carefree as white people can. Such a shame. This book brought that to light in a different way. I liked it a lot!

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pleasently well written series of short stories about the black people of America in the turn of the twentieth century.

Beautiful and sad in equal measure. A writer that needs to be read not just for the content but also for his skilled penmanship.

[Liam O'Leary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Four stories, mixed bag. 4*, 2*, 4*, 2*. Review coming soon.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first of Ellison's works that I've read, and it's a great introduction to a very lyrical – one reviewer called it "haunting," and I think that's exactly right – writing style that at the same time is down to earth and realistic in that classic mid-century American way.

What makes the four stories of The Black Ball so haunting is that overhanging them is the specter of racism. The characters are aware of it, and it affects them, or they are unaware of it, and that knowledge of their innocence affects us. But none of the stories is really about racism; they are simply about navigating America while black, which means they are also about racism.

In any event, the selections themselves are also well chosen. One could imagine them telling the story of a single person, from boyhood to adulthood and eventually military service over the course of the early 20th century. The timeline doesn't quite work, but it fits just well enough so that each story builds on the one before it, whether Ellison ever intended them that way or not.

Ellison and other African American writers from the 20th century are finally getting their due in the pantheon of "The Classics," as evidenced by his inclusion in the Penguin Modern Classics set I'm working through. But they still are not as recognized as the Steinbecks, Faulkners and Hemingways who are considered the apex of American literature in that era. Well, they should be, and The Black Ball is a terrific opening argument.

[JK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four very powerful short stories focusing on Black lives in twentieth century America. Each markedly different, whether it’s commentary on raising children in a racist society, visiting a new country with dark skin, or even just escaping oppression from figures of authority, each of these stories had something to say, and Ellison makes sure he says it wonderfully.

His prose is endearing in a stark and humbling fashion. We see his characters struggle, see the brutal realities they face daily, and yet some hope can be found if you look for it.

Although the stories don’t focus on racism directly, there is a constant feeling of dread looming around Ellison’s characters. A look on a train, a word from a stranger, small things strike fear in us for our characters and this contributes to a clear depiction of how life was lived by people of colour back then, and still today. As these were originally published in the forties, it really does make you wonder what humanity has done to evolve in that time. Nothing, it seems.

A wonderful introduction to Ellison for me. His style is enigmatically beautiful, despite his subject matter, and his commentary and observations are enough to provoke some deep thought. I’ll be seeking out some more Ellison in the very near future, I feel.

[Nicola Balkind · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great stories. I loved the first two, the third and fourth less so. But Ralph Ellison’s writing has a very lyrical and often haunting quality. This collection is a great introduction.

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another collection I’m afraid but that didn’t let it down in the slightest, finally making me enjoy the benefits of the medium. This followed four stories about black American experiences during segregation and the Second World War. Not to say I don’t think about the books I read but when I finished the third, titular story, ‘the black ball’ I had to stop before continuing to the final one to digest the themes and metaphor. Perhaps I’m coming around to ultra-short form stories as it was very easy to connect together the entirely of the text given it only covered a little over ten pages meaning I could remember certain innocuous phrasing’s used at the very start which took on a new light in the finale. It was a highlight of showing rather than telling as being shown took the entire story to come together but offered a much larger payoff than if it was made explicit at the start what the black ball really meant. The other three stories while not as evocative to me personally were also all incredibly unique characterisations of unique experiences I will never have and joined together they offer a deeply rounded and personal view into what it was like to live through that.

[Vince · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ellison blijft sterk, ook in deze bite-size slices of life. Absurd hoeveel racisme je kan tegenkomen in een paar pagina's. Uniek is het verhaal over de zwarte matroos die zeer hartelijk ontvangen wordt in Wales... lijkt wel een tegenhanger van hoe Amerikaanse commandanten segregatie probeerden te eisen in het VK tijdens WOII (zoek op: The Battle of Bamber Bridge).

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5.
This is a collection of 4 short stories, with the first two rating 3 and the latter rating 4 from me.

There’s such resilience but also resignation in these stories of race. They were heartbreaking and beautiful and I’m glad to have read them.

[andreea. · Rating 4 out of 5]

.

[Maciej Walas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Four shortstories all having in common the main theme of racism. All very touchy, delicate and intimate. The stories differ a lot but fit together perfectly.

3.5

[Marjolein (UrlPhantomhive) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review will follow later!

[Jonathan Watson]

How to cheat at reading challenges - read a book that only has four (short) short stories in it

[Jorden Kuijper · Rating 5 out of 5]

A few heart-warming / heart-wrenching stories about the Afro-American discrimination in the United Stated. I like how even though the author doesn't shy away from the dark reality, these stories are often quite hopeful.

[Emiloid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked the stories overall, one or two of them didn't quite hit the mark for me. Was great to experience Ralph Ellison's writing again!

[Lars Reijnen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved 'In a Strange Country' and 'Hymie's Bull'

[Joe Maggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

A genuinely extremely moving collection of four short stories, and put together in a fantastic order by the editor. The first and third are emotive and pull st your heart strings, depicting a Black American parent experiencing the difficulties in raising a child during the early to mid twentieth century; the unwritten social rules that a child’s innocence cannot yet begin to comprehend set against the parent’s impending concern that they will soon have to come to terms with them. The second is more brutal, here we move to young adult life and the literal battle to survive. But the final story is one of hope, and the potential for acceptance in the community, and the impact that shows of solidarity and equality can have. We are set up for this a little in the third story with the union man, but it’s hammered home here - and its setting is close to home too.

[Safara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Black Ball ini terdiri dari beberapa cerpen pendek, semuanya membahas tentang kasus rasisme terhadap orang kulit hitam. Masalah yang diangkat mulai dari child-labor hingga akses terbatas pada pendidikan orang kulit hitam. Orang yang dianggap pintar akan diincar dan dianggap membahayakan.

Sungguh, membaca Penguin Modern edisi ini banyak membantu untuk semakin mengenal penulis dengan latar yang lebih diverse.

[❀ Tina ❀ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 *

[Syd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for school.

[bianka❄️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75

[Ed Stoddard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A shimmering quartet of stories that vividly explore themes of exclusion, race and resentment in 20th century America.

[Mareike · Rating 4 out of 5]

gut

[Mell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would've given it 5 if the last story slapt as hard as the first three but alas

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some truly beautiful, heartfelt, and emotional stories (especially In a Strange Country).

[Prachi Gupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection features four slice-of-life short stories centred around racism:

Boy on A Train: ☆☆☆☆☆
Hymie's Bull: ☆☆☆☆
The Black Ball: ☆☆☆☆
In a Strange Country: ☆☆☆

They boldly explore racial injustice and capture the harsh realities of discrimination.

Two of them (Boy on A Train and The Black Ball) revolve around kids making it especially heartbreaking to see their confusion in the face of a reality they don’t fully understand yet.

My favourite was Boy On a Train - As James travels by train with his mother and younger brother, he becomes increasingly aware of his mother's quiet sorrow. The beautiful landscapes outside the window contrast with his inner turmoil as he tries to understand the source of her unhappiness.

[Zai · Rating 4 out of 5]

absolutely devastating

[Kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four of Ralph Ellison's stories - 'Boy on a Train', 'Hymie's Bull', 'The Black Ball', and 'In a Strange Country' - have been collected together in The Black Ball, the twelfth Penguin Modern book. These are 'stories of belonging and alienation, violence and beauty, racial injustice and unexpected kindness, from a writer of searing emotion and lyricism.' The majority of these stories have been taken from a collection published in 1996, and entitled Flying Home and Other Stories. I had somehow not read any of Ellison's work before picking up this selection, but found it highly engaging. His prose is quite startling in places, and he is an author not afraid to poke into the darker elements of life. I am so looking forward to reading more of Ellison's books in future.