Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Passing by Nella Larsen

250 reviews

kerrence30's review against another edition

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challenging emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Really interesting insight into the idea of “passing” that I’d never have considered before. Very of it’s time, so extreme levels of bigotry and blatant racism throughout. 
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bertabuecher's review against another edition

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emotional reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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whataliciaisreading's review against another edition

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Irene Redfield is a Black woman living an affluent, comfortable life with her husband and children in the thriving neighborhood of Harlem in the 1920s. When she reconnects with her childhood friend Clare Kendry, who is similarly light-skinned, Irene discovers that Clare has been passing for a white woman after severing ties to her past — even hiding the truth from her racist husband.

The contrast, parallels, and interplay between these two women is what makes Passing so wonderfully constructed. Every choice is finely calculated. Their interactions are polite, but Larsen has a way of making the simplest observation feel like a prelude to some great catastrophe. 

From the novel’s opening, race is slippery and unstable. Though Nella Larsen’s 1929 novel is understood to be a tragedy, it also exposes race to be something of a farce. But the moments of humour don't release the novella’s tension; rather, they only increase it. It is race’s instability that threatens the women at the centre of this novel.

Larsen enters into fiction the psychological dilemma of Du Bois’ double consciousness, 'two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body’. (Du Bois) Clare, in her frustration towards Irene, finds herself ‘caught between two allegiances, different, yet the same. Herself. Her race. Race! The thing that bound and suffocated her.’ 

Nella Larsen’s Passing is an incredibly underrated novel, and belongs on everyone’s reading lists. 
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justcallmeemily's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I have really mixed feelings about this book. And I can't really explain why. 😕
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ankbert's review against another edition

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reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I didn't get very engaged in the story in the story but I still found it interesting and reflective.
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booksillremember's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Masterful, loved the complex layering of emotions, themes and social identities. 
It's a gripping story with sapphic undertones, an unreliable narrator and an ambiguous ending. Would love to read the novel from Clare's point of view. 

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lpeterson's review against another edition

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emotional tense slow-paced

4.0

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hjb_128's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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wytnie's review against another edition

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4.5

I liked the book i was mainly interested in it because I'm black and wanted to see how this subject would be addressed in the past. I think the writing was interesting given how old it is but not bad. Thinking about reading "quicksand" that's also by Nella Larsen. Lastly, idk if its just me but sometimes it kind of felt like Clare and Irene liked each other because at times it gave "ex-girlfriends who still love each other" instead of old kinda sorta friends.
I will say, personally i am so happy that who died in the end did, i feel like it was the only way for things to get better for literally any of the other characters, I also think its kind of what she wanted in her own way.
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gracej66's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I enjoyed how detailed the descriptions of Clare Kendry were. Larsen really went into a lot of detail showing her odd mannerisms, expressions, etc. She also spent a lot of time describing the protagonist Irene Redfield’s conflicted thoughts and struggles. The plot, while relatively simple and short, was engaging and kept me turning pages. The immediate tension created by Clare’s husband not knowing of her Black ancestry got me hooked from the beginning. It was a pleasure to read Larsen’s indirect style of storytelling. She didn’t spell everything out on the page. Rather, she took her time hinting at what was going on and gradually clarified what had happened, such as in the last scene of the book or when Irene has a tragic realization about those around her. This book was intriguing, exciting, and artfully constructed. I hope to read another book by Larsen!
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