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I used to think the world was divided into rich and poor, north and south, and other polar opposites. Then, I read The Invisible Man. Now, the world is divided into the visible and invisible and those who wish to be other than what they are.

The invisible man was not born that way but chooses invisibility over what makes him stand out since birth. He isn't, strictly speaking, disabled. There are problems, though, which come with his fate. He can't go unnoticed. No anonymity for him. He can't blend. He is conspicuous without doing a thing.

Beauty is similar. It draws notice. Honking cars. Shouts. Business cards thrust into your hand or an umbrella held over your head by a stranger who asks you out for coffee as you thank him. No, you're married. Sometimes, going unnoticed would be nice. Or just easier. Ask those who have wished they could cover themselves from head to toe, put a paper bag over their heads, or worse, slash their fine profile. They'd like at times to be invisible.

They say beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. So is what people hate or fear. The man at the centre of this story provokes fear, hate, and aversion whether he's invisible or visible. And that is what fascinates this reader.

"You don't understand . . . who I am or what I am," the invisible man cries. Oh, I do. I understand, I want to say. To be seen or not seen is the question these pages raise.