Classics

Passing

Passing

  • Downloads：6828
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-10-08 09:53:33
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Nella Larsen
  • ISBN：0241573742
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Summary

Introducing Little Clothbound Classics: irresistible， mini editions of short stories， novellas and essays from the world's greatest writers， designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith。

Celebrating the range and diversity of Penguin Classics， they take us from snowy Japan to springtime Vienna， from haunted New England to a sun-drenched Mediterranean island， and from a game of chess on the ocean to a love story on the moon。 Beautifully designed and printed， these collectible editions are bound in colourful， tactile cloth and stamped with foil。

Clare Kendry， elegant， fair-skinned and ambitious， is married to a white man who is unaware of her African-American heritage。 When she reunites with childhood friend Irene， who has not hidden her origins， both women are forced to confront the secret fears they have buried within themselves。 A taut exploration of race and gender， Passing is one of the Harlem Renaissance's greatest works。

'A tragic story rooted in inescapable facts of American life' The New York Times

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Reviews

Savannah Price ，

Because many of the events were so surprising， the book was an interesting read。 I was so engaged in this dramatic story and cannot wait to go further into the story with a race or queer theory approach。 Larsen does a great job appealing to the reader's emotions and prompting them to choose a side of the characters。 That being said， I am biased to Irene and unsympathetic to both Claire and Irene's husband （his name is irrelevant to me）。 Overall， the story is a must read or listen to （Librovox ha Because many of the events were so surprising， the book was an interesting read。 I was so engaged in this dramatic story and cannot wait to go further into the story with a race or queer theory approach。 Larsen does a great job appealing to the reader's emotions and prompting them to choose a side of the characters。 That being said， I am biased to Irene and unsympathetic to both Claire and Irene's husband （his name is irrelevant to me）。 Overall， the story is a must read or listen to （Librovox has some great recording） as it offers so much to consider on both race， identity， and relationships。 。。。more

H E L E N A ，

I love the 1920s so when I found this book I was so excited to read it。 I loved how complex both female characters were for better or for worse， I loved how different they were yet also how similar。 The writing was excellent and compelling。 Larsen was so good at crafting the plot and creating suspense and drama。 The discussion about race in this book was very interesting and eye-opening for me。 I would highly recommend this book。 This is a book that I will think about for a long time。 Also， alth I love the 1920s so when I found this book I was so excited to read it。 I loved how complex both female characters were for better or for worse， I loved how different they were yet also how similar。 The writing was excellent and compelling。 Larsen was so good at crafting the plot and creating suspense and drama。 The discussion about race in this book was very interesting and eye-opening for me。 I would highly recommend this book。 This is a book that I will think about for a long time。 Also， although it was written in the 1920s the prose is very accessible。 。。。more

Ashley Lewis ，

Had to read this for class so I probably won't be doing a full review for it。I'm not even sure how to rate this。 I can't say I loved it but I didn't hate it persay。 And that ending was abrupt and confusing。 I'll probably update this later when I've had time to think about it。 Had to read this for class so I probably won't be doing a full review for it。I'm not even sure how to rate this。 I can't say I loved it but I didn't hate it persay。 And that ending was abrupt and confusing。 I'll probably update this later when I've had time to think about it。 。。。more

Jennifer ，

I expected this book to be about racism， given that the two main characters are African American women able to 'pass' for white。 And it was in the broadest sense， as racism shapes the general outlines of their lives。 But after finishing the book， I now think it is about race - what it means to be black and a minority - layered on top of being a woman， wife， and mother。 The nuanced and in depth descriptions of Irene's thoughts brought to mind The Wings of the Dove or The House in Paris; much of t I expected this book to be about racism， given that the two main characters are African American women able to 'pass' for white。 And it was in the broadest sense， as racism shapes the general outlines of their lives。 But after finishing the book， I now think it is about race - what it means to be black and a minority - layered on top of being a woman， wife， and mother。 The nuanced and in depth descriptions of Irene's thoughts brought to mind The Wings of the Dove or The House in Paris; much of the 'action' of Passing takes place in Irene's thoughts only。 I loved it。 I loved Irene's unreliable， jealous thoughts concerning Clare; we only ever see Clare through Irene's perceptions of her。 How different would our picture of Clare be if the novel was told from her perspective， or another sympathetic character？ And the ending。。。。 well， I didn't see it coming and yet completely believed that prim， controlling Irene would definitely be capable of this type of action to preserve the life she created。 Very good， and highly recommended。 。。。more

Haidee ，

Prose was stunning but I could not name a single thing that happened whoops

Aurora ，

If the grass is greener on the other side was a book！One character chasing the idea of passing for white versus one chasing the idea of coming home。 I can’t even imagine the horrors of the times in which this book was written and what the author went through after she put her pen down。 Sometimes i feel like the anger went a little deeper， like there was talk of passing when they were growing up together， and a sense of betrayal in discovering someone went and did it without telling the other！ I If the grass is greener on the other side was a book！One character chasing the idea of passing for white versus one chasing the idea of coming home。 I can’t even imagine the horrors of the times in which this book was written and what the author went through after she put her pen down。 Sometimes i feel like the anger went a little deeper， like there was talk of passing when they were growing up together， and a sense of betrayal in discovering someone went and did it without telling the other！ I loved discovering further reading and female authors at the end。 。。。more

Joseph Ale ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 A very dynamic novel， and I hate/love the ending。 Had this not been an assignment for school I would have enjoyed it more！ My favorite part of the story is when the setting was in Chicago。 It felt alive for some reason。

Anna Juliette ，

really interesting but felt short; glad it was short for the sake of my workload but also more complexity could have been added

Brittany ，

Enjoyed this story。 Old childhood friends， meet by chance later on in life。 They are women now， navigating the world around them in completely different ways。 Their re-kindled friendship will change their lives forever。

Emma ，

beautifully written and had wonderfully deep characters。 i definitely want to buy it for my permanent collection。

Ashley ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 A story that comments on passing as white and the benefits yet ramifications it brings。 It follows Irene and her encounter with Clare， an old friend of hers; both Irene and Clare are light-skinned black women who seem to have diverging life paths。 While Clare married a white supremacist in order to rise socially， Irene continued to thrive in the upper middle-class black community。 Through this， we see how people of color must deal with conflicting feelings between being true to one's culture and A story that comments on passing as white and the benefits yet ramifications it brings。 It follows Irene and her encounter with Clare， an old friend of hers; both Irene and Clare are light-skinned black women who seem to have diverging life paths。 While Clare married a white supremacist in order to rise socially， Irene continued to thrive in the upper middle-class black community。 Through this， we see how people of color must deal with conflicting feelings between being true to one's culture and conforming to survive。 However， the story lost me a bit in the later chapters when Irene believes that her husband， Brian， is cheating on Clare， which started a sector of the story that played out more like a telenovela。 The ending also felt a little rushed since it seemed almost like it was added for the shock factor， not to comment on any meaningful messages on race and passing。 。。。more

Kathryn ，

It's 1927 in Chicago and two fair skinned Black women reconnect in a "white space"--the rooftop restaurant of a hotel。 Irene Redfield is the wife of a Black doctor and lives in the comfort of a Black community in Harlem; she embraces her race， yet passes when it is convenient， when she wants access to restaurants and theatre tickets， things she wouldn't otherwise be able to access。 "Never socially，。。。 except once。" （p。120） Clare， her childhood friend， abandons her race for survival's sake and ma It's 1927 in Chicago and two fair skinned Black women reconnect in a "white space"--the rooftop restaurant of a hotel。 Irene Redfield is the wife of a Black doctor and lives in the comfort of a Black community in Harlem; she embraces her race， yet passes when it is convenient， when she wants access to restaurants and theatre tickets， things she wouldn't otherwise be able to access。 "Never socially，。。。 except once。" （p。120） Clare， her childhood friend， abandons her race for survival's sake and marries a racist oaf who "affectionately" calls her 'Nig。' It's a dangerous game， yet Clare seems more free than Irene， who stays， mostly， in her lane。Irene is fearful for Clare and her secret。 She forbids Brian， her husband， to speak to their sons of racial issues。 Passing was published in 1929 during the Harlem Renaissance。 W。E。B。 Du Bois wrote that Larsen explained "the psychology of the thing; the reaction of it on friend and enemy。 It is a difficult task， but she attacks the problem fearlessly and with consummate art。" 。。。more

Charlotte ，

THE ENDING

Cadence Ortiz ，

4。5！

Tessa White ，

Short， poignant， eye opening and better than I expected ❤️

Ella ，

Just as compelling a read the second time around！

Fred Christopherson ，

The book provides an intriguing picture of the life of upper middle class African American in 1927 Harlem。 It explores the dynamics of race and color in that several of the characters are light-skinned and can pass as white。 Much of the "action" of the book takes place in the main character's head， but the book is relatively short and provides an enjoyable read。 The book provides an intriguing picture of the life of upper middle class African American in 1927 Harlem。 It explores the dynamics of race and color in that several of the characters are light-skinned and can pass as white。 Much of the "action" of the book takes place in the main character's head， but the book is relatively short and provides an enjoyable read。 。。。more

Sofia ，

"She wished to find out about this hazardous business of "passing"， this breaking away from all that was familiar and friendly to take one's chance in another environment， not entirely strange， perhaps， but certainly not entirely friendly。"There's no portuguese translation of this book， which is a shame。 I reckon it will easily be one of the great novels I've read in 2022。 Great writing， powerful story， strong characters and definitely a lot to think about。Não existe tradução pt， o que é uma pen "She wished to find out about this hazardous business of "passing"， this breaking away from all that was familiar and friendly to take one's chance in another environment， not entirely strange， perhaps， but certainly not entirely friendly。"There's no portuguese translation of this book， which is a shame。 I reckon it will easily be one of the great novels I've read in 2022。 Great writing， powerful story， strong characters and definitely a lot to think about。Não existe tradução pt， o que é uma pena， pois é um livro fantástico。 Facilmente entrará na minha lista de melhores livros que li em 2022。Embora esta "passagem" que o livro retrata tenha a ver com raça， na verdade sinto que o assunto é muito mais abrangente。 Quem nunca fingiu ser o que não é para não ser prejudicado por aquilo que é， que atire a primeira pedra。 Seja em relação à cor da pele， orientação sexual， grupos sociais， o que for。 O dilema interior， as dúvidas， sentimento de culpa， o receio de se ser descoberto。。。compensarão os benefícios？A dinâmica entre Clare e Irene é pesada， o leitor sente desde o início alguma animosidade de Clare em relação a Irene， algum julgamento também， mesmo antes de saber que Clare se faz passar por branca。 Ao mesmo tempo， senti que existia uma forte atração sexual de Irene para com Clare。 Irene， cuja complexidade nos perplexa， apesar da sua vontade de ser fiel aos seus princípios e o seu desejo de segurança。Todas estas contradições prendem o leitor à narrativa。Por último， todo o contexto do livro - os anos 20 em Harlem -， é empolgante e o desfecho do livro foi surpreendente。 。。。more

Katie ，

4。25*

heather ，

I saw the movie of this novella and I started reading it in print and finished as an audio book， so I don't feel like I was a good reader。 I wasn't focused on it。 The movie stands out in my mind， but I did have a different feel for the characters and their relationships in the book vs the movie。It did pique my curiosity to learn more about life in Harlem in the 1920s。 I saw the movie of this novella and I started reading it in print and finished as an audio book， so I don't feel like I was a good reader。 I wasn't focused on it。 The movie stands out in my mind， but I did have a different feel for the characters and their relationships in the book vs the movie。It did pique my curiosity to learn more about life in Harlem in the 1920s。 。。。more

Helena ，

meir pensum - veldig solid， men eg vart noko forvirra etter sånn 2/3

Sam R。 ，

I was blown away by this little book！ Beautifully written with some terribly intriguing characters。 Two scenes in particular proved that Nella Larsen had a phenomenal talent for portraying those moments where you’re so gripped by emotion that you feel removed from everything that is happening around you。 The ending was spectacular and I’m pretty sure that I’ll be thinking about it for a while。

Braden Reynolds ，

3。5

Ashlynn ，

Dang。 This is right up there with Turn of the Screw。 I have to say I liked it quite a bit。

Sabrina Blandon ，

For the time， the books does an excellent job to show the division between the two worlds through the eyes of segregation。 Irene represents this white dominated rule following society despite her skin color while the woman who passes， Clare， represents a lost sense of identity and freedom who is later suppressed by her racist white husband。

Jennopenny ，

I liked this but I'm kind of sad about the choice of reading this in translation。 There is nothing wrong with the translation it is just that some of the wording would make more sense in English than they are in translation。This book was a lot of food for thought and I read it basically in two sittings。 I liked this but I'm kind of sad about the choice of reading this in translation。 There is nothing wrong with the translation it is just that some of the wording would make more sense in English than they are in translation。This book was a lot of food for thought and I read it basically in two sittings。 。。。more

Amy ，

It was a shorter read。 Ultimately I found myself bored by some descriptive passages that felt unnecessary， almost expositional， when it came outlining Irene's feelings。 However the prose was rich in imagery。 I was also dissatisfied with certain characters and their characterization， it didn't feel like enough for me。 In the end， the length of the novel and subject matter restricts what can be discussed （and to what degree）。 It was a shorter read。 Ultimately I found myself bored by some descriptive passages that felt unnecessary， almost expositional， when it came outlining Irene's feelings。 However the prose was rich in imagery。 I was also dissatisfied with certain characters and their characterization， it didn't feel like enough for me。 In the end， the length of the novel and subject matter restricts what can be discussed （and to what degree）。 。。。more

Dee ，

A fairly quick and straight-forward read。The beginning was a bit too slow for my tastes， but I really enjoyed the inner-thoughts and struggles of Irene all the way up until the end。 Her racial loyalty being in conflict with her wants is something that was just really intriguing to explore-- thank you Nella Larsen。solid 4。 Wish the ending was more definitive。

jenna ，

definitely was not expecting the ending

abby ，

for school， one of my fav school books ever！！

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Passing

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Passing&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Passing&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0