From the Bookshelf of Constant Reader…

Passing

Nella Larsen

Start date: August 1, 2017

Finish date: August 15, 2017

Discussion: Classics Corner

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What Members Thought

Jul 15, 2018 Jenny (Reading Envy) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read2018

I kept seeing this classic of the Harlem Renaissance everywhere, and took it as a sign to read it. A story of passing for white, but between the lines there is so much more - nonheteronormative attraction, marriage, roles of women, sexuality, desire, parenthood... it's a lot deeper than it looks! ...more

34 likes · Like · see review

Aug 11, 2017 Mary Ellen rated it really liked it

This novella-length gem really captured my attention and surprised me. I thought it would focus on the inner turmoil of someone "passing" as white, dealing with fear, guilt, etc. There is such a character - Clare, the luminous, selfish, fascinating thorn in the side of the novel's central character, Irene. Unlike the daring, dramatic Clare, Irene is tightly controlled and, perhaps, self-delusional. Their encounter after years apart sets the novel in motion. This is a great, compelling, thought-p ...more

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Oct 08, 2023 Jennie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 1001-books, african-americans, women, nyc

Tiny novel with so much to think about. Passing lives inside the head of Irene Redfield, a light skinned person of color in the 1920s. She runs into Clare, a childhood friend who is passing as Caucasian and married to a white man. The plot delves into all sorts of ambiguity and grey areas. There are so many themes to discuss and the ending is breath taking. I don't understand why this book isn't more widely read and discussed.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys African American lit ...more

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Dec 13, 2021 Kate rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I read this book because I am interested in the Netflix film and it did not disappoint. It is thought-provoking and devastating and asks important questions about how we all pass. I will be thinking about this one for a while.

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