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    Passing
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    Passing
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    Passing
    Audiobook4 hours

    Passing

    Written by Nella Larsen

    Narrated by Robin Miles

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    First published to critical acclaim in 1929, Passing is a remarkable exploration of the shifting racial and sexual boundaries in 1920s New York, and still carries relevance today as a modern classic.

    Irene Redfield is a woman with an enviable life. She and her successful husband Brian share a comfortable Harlem town house with their sons. But everything changes on the day she encounters a long-lost childhood friend. Clare Kendry- light-skinned, charming and beautiful- tells Irene how she left behind the black neighbourhood of her adolescence and began passing for white, hiding her true identity from everyone, including her racist husband…
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherW. F. Howes Ltd
    Release dateApr 1, 2012
    ISBN9781407499529
    Author

    Nella Larsen

    Nella Larsen was born in Chicago in 1891 to a white Danish mother and a black West Indian father. She studied in America and Denmark and throughout her writing career she worked as a children’s librarian and primarily as a nurse. In 1928 her first novel Quicksand was published to great critical acclaim. Passing was published a year later. Her marriage to Dr Elmer Imes brought her into contact with the upper echelons of New York’s black society and she became an important female voice of the Harlem Renaissance. She was the first black woman to receive a Guggenheim Fellowship for creative writing. Divorced in 1933, she spent the rest of her life working as nurse. Nella Larsen died in 1964.

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    Reviews for Passing

    4/5

    669 ratings49 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Written in 1929 Larsen conveys the thoughts and feelings as well as the turmoil and animosity toward African Americans that were prevalent to the times.Irene is a light skinned negro who at many times can pass for a white person, provided she is not with people of her own race. It is on one of these such days that she takes tea by herself and finds a woman staring at her. Who she comes to find out is a friend from her past, also very light skinned. This woman, Clare, invites Irene to come to her home for a small party one night and after much hesitation she accepts. Here Irene, Clare, and Gertrude (another light skinned negro whom they both grew up with) enjoy each others’ company until Clare’s husband comes home. He is white and extremely racist and has no idea his wife is part negro.This novella is about how Clare and Irene find their own identity apart from what has been branded on them. As much as it is about them finding their own identity it also deals with how the rest of the world sees them.
    • 4/5
      This was a very interesting, enjoyable read. Even though it was written in 1929, the book is very relevant to present day also. The characters are well developed and the author's writing is such that you are drawn to loathe some of their behavior. I did not expect the ending and was very surprised. I would recommend this book to everyone and I look forward to reading more of Larsen's work.
    • 3/5
      Melodramatic and overwrought prose by today's standards, but still revealing of race relations of its time (1920s). A rather shocking ending...was not expecting that at all!
    • 4/5
      I found this to be a beautifully drawn character study. It is the story of two girls who were childhood friends but lose touch with each other as they grow up. Both of them biracial, they end up settled in New York. One married to a man of color with 2 children, 1 light skinned and 1 dark skinned and the other married to a very prejudicial white skinned man with 1 light skinned child. This is a very fortunate turn of events for her as she has not informed her husband she is part black. She has been "passing" all this time.The two ladies meet accidentally one day while having tea at a rooftop cafe. They reacquaint themselves with each other and begin to meet socially. As time goes on the one "passing" becomes more and more brave about her lifestyle and begins to yearn for the life of the Harlem Renaissance. She gets careless about where she goes and the company she keeps. What occurs next this is a shocking turn of events.I found this book to be very intelligently and subtly written. It is sad that [[Nella Larsen]] didn't write more than she did for she was a brilliant writer. I highly recommend this book and I think it is one that will stay with me long past my reading of it.
    • 4/5
      I read this book with increasing fascination. Not because it taught me anything new about passing, but because of the layered nature of Irene's inner conflict. Also, concerning Clare, it was my first time seeing this particular dynamic in fiction, I think: of one who'd passed and now longed to come back.Yet, even with my fascination, the book's short length worked in favor of my reading situation, since I tend not to read long novels this bleak, where all the principal characters are so unhappy with their lives.With that said, a novella like this disproves the myth that some believe—the idea that short fiction can't be deep or complex, with well-developed characters. A skilled writer can pack a lot into relatively few words when that's all a particular story calls for.
    • 4/5
      Second read reviewI reread this sooner than I would have liked for a book club. My first read was by audiobook last fall. This time I read a physical copy of the book. I think the audiobook is actually better. During my second read, Larsen's writing never reached a point of feeling smooth or effortless. Sentence construction and vocab choices felt a little awkward at times. It may have been because I'd read this so recently and my mind wasn't completely engaged, but I know the awkwardness is completely unnoticeable in the audiobook.During this second read, the biggest thing I took away was when this story was placed, shortly after the war. It made Brian easier to understand as a character. In matters of race, I also felt like Brian, Irene, and Clare represented a solid spectrum of how black people deal with racism in America. Brian is incredibly relatable, Irene is incredibly familiar, and I imagine most black people have known at least one Clare. The discussions these three characters have around race are so classic and enduring. They are the same discussions I've had with family and friends throughout my life.I know some people read queerness in this book, so I tried to look out for it in this read, but I just don't see it. Irene and Clare's dynamic reminds me so much of a platonic friendship I had in my twenties. And Irene's loveless marriage didn't feel like it was anything deeper than a woman of her time not having many options. So, I won't be adding this to my own queer lit canon. But still an enjoyable read.First read reviewThis book is tale of "fuck around and find out" and "play stupid games, win stupid prizes." Irene is a dream protagonist. I love watching a mature, socially competent, self-assured woman go through a difficult situation. And the difficult situation in this novel is Irene's cuckoo, passing childhood friend breezing back into her life. Irene is such a charming character with her ability to navigate all spaces and situations so eloquently while keeping true to herself and her core desires. And her cuckoo passing friend, Clare is a lovely antihero or villain. I have a special fondness for bad mothers. The first half of the book sets up their dynamic and things quickly begin ratcheting up for a very tense ending. Incredible. I will say that Larsen is very straightforward about Irene's core desires and Clare's personality flaws, which are in direct conflict. I'm not so sure she had to be. Leaving it for the reader to figure out may have made it a little more engaging or mysterious or impactful. But no, this is a rather straight-forward story with an only slightly mysterious ending. Still, incredibly enjoyable.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this book and will be purchasing a physical copy to re-read and annotate. The writing is poignant, beautiful, and sometimes difficult, but do not disappoint in evoking emotion. I often found myself experiencing the same foreboding and heart quickening feeling as the main character. The fear that comes with "passing" is something that I will never personally experience, but to imagine living a lie and having to abandon all you know in pursuit of another life that ultimately is not all that you thought it would be and only to end up missing something as little as the laughter of your people, it's sad. I hate that I came across this book so late in life, but I'm nevertheless thankful that I have had the privilege to experience it. This is easily one of my favorite reads and will stick with me forever.

      Shoutout to booktuber Bree Hill for putting me on to this must read.

      4.5 stars
    • 4/5
      Childhood friends Irene Redfield and Clare Kendry reconnect after many years. Irene has remained in the black community of her youth, while Clare has married a bigoted white man who does not know his wife is of mixed race. Clare misses a feeling of community and befriends Irene’s family, spending time at their house and attending local functions. Irene is not completely comfortable with her old friend and is troubled by her decision to “pass.” This troubled feeling is at the heart of the book.

      The story is narrated in third person from Irene’s perspective. It examines loyalty, longing, respect, risk-taking, and identity. I read it as both an indictment of racism and a portrayal of the heavy personal cost of social mores that require racial categorization. It was published in 1929, during a time when “separate but equal” was the law of the land in the US. I was unprepared for the ending and it offers the reader many possible interpretations. I can see why this book is considered a classic.
    • 4/5
      This rather slim book packs a punch. Read The Vanishing Half awhile ago which made me think deeper about the act of "passing" and how that would play out through a persons life. Highly recommend both books
    • 5/5
      This short classic, set in New York City, was originally published in 1929 during the Harlem Renaissance. It examined the phenomenon of “passing” – a black person acting as a white person. Of course, the American context has changed significantly since 1929. The concept of race is now, thankfully, widely considered a social construct, without any biological merit. The concept of passing, though still present on occasion, is less of an issue.Nonetheless, Larsen gives us insight into how a culture obsessed with race, as early twentieth-century America was, can sometimes devolve into strange scenarios. In this particular scenario, Irene Redfield lives a comfortable life in Harlem with her physician-husband and children. Notably, she has light skin, but lives as an African American. She becomes reacquainted with a childhood friend Claire Bellew/Kendry. Claire, likewise, has light skin, but effectively “passes” as a white woman with a white husband. Even Claire’s husband does not know of her black lineage.By resuming a loose friendship with Irene, Claire realizes a spiritual longing for the black community in Harlem. Perhaps this is innate, due to her upbringing; perhaps this stems from living some kind of inauthentic existence. Nonetheless, Claire begins to spend time secretly with Irene whenever Claire’s husband is out of town on business. The husband, however, is openly racist and routinely uses the n-word. The obvious instability in this scenario ends up playing out in a shocking manner.In a post-George Floyd era, this book addresses timely issues such as how race affects how we interact in the world. Race in 1920s America is different than race in the 2020s, granted, but we aren’t so far as to be fully colorblind. To cite Cornel West, race still matters. Thus, contemporary readers should not treat this classic as a mere relic of the past.Should people be made to feel ashamed of their race? Is it all about how one presents one’s self? What role does authenticity have to play with the construct of race? This book’s style is easily accessible by many, even youth (though it does contain the n-word). At around 150 pages, it doesn’t take long to read either. In perusing it, perhaps we will find out that the world of the 1920s isn’t all that much different from today’s inequities.
    • 5/5
      I am simply in awe of this writing talent. A short read, yet brimming with detail and nuance. Timeless and brilliant.
    • 4/5
      This novel is a remarkable story of two early twentieth century African American women who had grown up together but whose lives diverged as they grew up. When a chance encounter brings them together again after a number of years, we learn that one married a black man and became active in the Harlem Renaissance; the other -- who was light-skinned enough to "pass" -- married a white man (a racist one, at that), leaving her heritage and previous identity behind. Can one truly reinvent oneself? How succesfully can one construct a self out of nothing? The ending was a shocker.
    • 4/5
      Passing is largely set in Harlem, but it begins with a chance meeting between two childhood friends from Chicago, Irene Redfield, a light skinned African American woman who married to a Black physician and is living in upper class Harlem society, and Clare Kendry, who is also light skinned, but decided to pass for White, marry an overt racist, Jack Bellew, and remain in Chicago. Clare recognizes Irene after she escapes the summer heat by going to a rooftop restaurant in Chicago during a visit to the city, and they re-establish ties. The two are able to pass for White, and when Clare's husband joins them his vicious denigration of Blacks, and Clare's acceptance of his remarks, deeply offends Irene, who vows to have nothing further to do with Clare. Clare, however, is both manipulative and persistent, and since she wishes to surreptitiously see Irene again and re-enter Black society, she manages to convince Irene to invite her to social events in Harlem, which her husband Jack is unaware of.The relationship between the two women strengthens, despite Irene's disapproval of Clare's passing as White, but it ultimately puts a strain on Irene's marriage, and on Clare's, as her standing and financial stability is dependent on keeping her racist husband in the dark about her true heritage, as she spends ever more time in the company of her newfound Black friends.Passing, which was the inspiration for a critically acclaimed film produced and directed by Rebecca Hall in 2021 that is currently available for viewing on Netflix, was a revealing look into the lives of mixed race African Americans in the 1920s, both those who identified as Black and suffered from racial prejudice and lack of equal educational, job and housing opportunities, and those who crossed over the White world and enjoyed its benefits, as long as their true heritage remained a secret. The novel was undoubtedly more powerful and groundbreaking after its release in 1929 than it is currently, but it is still an important and relevant work, and a well written and compelling book.
    • 3/5
      For Harlem Renaissance, but a good and earth-shattering read. Irene's mind was expressed flawlessly.
    • 4/5
      2022 pandemic read. Wow. The story of Nella Larsen, herself, is equally fascinating.
    • 4/5
      When light skinned Irene Redfield meets her childhood friend, Clare, by chane in Chicago, she discovers that her old friend has been passing for white and is married to a racist.Irene is shocked,, but puts the incident out of her mind when she returns home to Harlem and her prominent physician husband. But then Clare shows up in New York and Irene finds herself increasingly entangled in Clare’s deception until all of Clare’s lies have a tragic end.
    • 4/5
      “It’s funny about ‘passing.’ We disapprove of it and at the same time condone it. It excites our contempt and yet we rather admire it. We shy away from it with an odd kind of revulsion, but we protect it.” This slim, beautifully written novel is about two women living in New York City in the 1920s. They were childhood friends together. One, Irene Redfield, is a black woman living an affluent life with her husband and children. The second is Clare Kendry, also a black woman but “passing” as a white woman. To complicate matters, her white husband is a stone-cold racist. This book was written in 1929 but I had never heard of it until recently. I am glad it landed on my radar. A little gem, that speaks volumes.
    • 4/5
      I found the women to be silly and so wrapped up in themselves playing a dangerous game that it almost hurt to finish it.
    • 5/5
      I don't know why, every time I read a book published decades before I was born, I continue to be astonished at how great and "readable" it is. Maybe it's lingering self-doubt from having to read and comprehend Shakespeare at a breakneck pace in high school. Whatever it is, it's a shame because it keeps me from experiencing books like Passing. This slight novel turned out to be much more than I anticipated. It had been a while since I had read a synopsis, and I am so thankful because the dark twist caught me off-guard. This is a haunting book and reads nearly like it was written today. I would have gladly swapped it for Shakespeare.
    • 4/5
      Quick, tightly written piece that reminded me of Katherine Mansfield, with a well-rendered mix of interior struggles, interpersonal cruelty, and a thoughtful exploration of the intricacies of racial identity in America. A breezy read that is never unengaging, though the ending wraps up in a sort of pat and typical fashion that is neither satisfying nor surprising. I'm am surprised that I never read this in high school or college (read a good share of Harlem Renaissance literature), I'm glad to see it is getting some well-deserved attention recently. I listened to the Tessa Thompson-read audiobook and her delivery was expert and nuanced.
    • 5/5
      This is an amazing book, a novella written with such concise, perfect prose, it's a shame to have it over so quickly. I was immediately drawn into the story and its characters. I read this in a day and a half, torn between wanting to find out how it ends and wanting it to last. I'm going to be reading this again. Probably more than once. There's so much to unpack - about race, identify, choices - I feel the need for a discussion group, which rarely happens. But this amazing book deserves it. Nella Larsen writes powerfully, and is worth diving into deeply.
    • 3/5
      Interesting subject i never thought about. Good writing. Surprising ending.
    • 4/5
      This classic of African-American literature is set in the 1920s and explores the practical and emotional ramifications when a pair of black women meet by chance after many years and one discovers that the other has been passing as white ever since she disappeared from the neighborhood where they grew up.For Irene, who narrates the story, her childhood friend Clare's choice to pretend to be white raises complicated feelings within her. On the one hand, she herself has been known to occasionally present as white in situations where she would not be welcome as a black woman — certain restaurants or businesses, for example. On the other hand, she is proud to be black, and having married a black doctor and living a comfortable life in the Harlem Renaissance community in New York City, spends much of her time working to raise money to help disadvantaged fellow black Americans. She can't help viewing Clare's passing as a repudiation of the pride 'Rene feels about being black.Despite Irene's disapproval of Clare's life (and the fact that Clare's husband is an unrepentant racist who has no idea his wife is not white) she can't help feeling a begrudging admiration and liking for Clare. There are hints that there may even be some sexual tension between them, although this 1929 book does not explore the topic beyond slight hints and suggestions that may be my 21st century brain imposing current cultural norms on the past.This is an exceedingly short book — really more of a novella than a novel — and that was a source of some frustration to me. It felt that we never got to the real heart of how and why Clare chose to live her life the way she did. That feeling was compounded by the ambiguous and somewhat abrupt-seeming ending, which I am still unsure of even now. None of that should deter a reader who is interested in exploring the realities of race in 1920s America, though. Short as it is, [Passing] packs a punch and is well worth spending time with, however brief.
    • 4/5
      3.5 stars but rounded up. The ending! Really the whole journey... but that ending!!! I read The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett right before this — they were an interesting pair together.
    • 5/5
      This 1929 novel is about two Black women, one who is “passing” as a white woman. Though the book isn’t long, it packs a powerful punch. The drama is taut and it’s shockingly relevant. It touches on issues of class, gender, and obviously race. I’m sure this story must have inspired The Vanishing Half in some ways. There were a lot of similarities, but this was written almost a century before! A must read!
    • 4/5
      This was an audiobook listen of only about 4 hours but I kept having to repeat passages because a later reference made me think I hadn't understood. That's not necessarily a bad thing but it did mean it took me quite a while to finish this. The narrator was Robin Miles who did a good job.This book was published in 1929 and is one of only two books that Nella Larson wrote. Larson was of mixed racial heritage and she celebrated her Negro (as she referred to herself) status but it was apparently quite common for light-skinned African Americans to try to pass as white at that time. This book tells the story of two light-skinned women who took different paths once they had grown up. Irene Redfield and Clare Kendry had both grown up in the same neighbourhood in Chicago but lost track of each other when Clare's father died and she went to live with two white aunts. Clare passed as white and married a wealthy white man who did not know that Clare was partially black. Irene married a black man and went to live in Harlem with him where they mingled with both white and black people. On a visit back to Chicago Irene and Clare ran into each other. Clare and her husband mostly lived in Europe where she rarely met other Negroes. Clare invited Irene for tea at her hotel and while there Irene met Clare's husband, John Bellew. Bellew calls Clare Nig (short for the racial epithet for African Americans) because he says she is so dark but he really has no idea of her racial heritage. Irene is horrified by his racist views and vows to have no more to do with Clare. However, Clare contacts Irene when the couple come to stay in New York for a number of months. Her husband is often away on business trips and Clare has decided she wants to have more contact with Negroes. Soon Clare is a frequent visitor in Irene's house and it seems that Irene's husband and Clare may be having an affair. Irene hopes to just ignore this and wait until Clare and her husband move back to Europe but tragedy strikes before that can happen.As an examination of the pressures black people faced in the US this opened my eyes. I hadn't really considered how many light-skinned mixed race people there were but of course, it is well known that white slave owners often had sexual relationships with their black slaves and, over time, that would result in light skin for some. I also hadn't considered how some people would find it desirable to pass as white in order to work, marry, and go about in white society. Clare talks of how anxious she was when she was pregnant that her child would be dark coloured and her decision to only have the one child. That must have been very stressful. This is one of those books that make you wonder what you would have done in the same circumstances. I can't really say if I would reveal my mixed race or if I would try to pass as well.
    • 4/5
      This novella was written in 1929 by Black author Nella Larsen, who was part of the Harlem Renaissance. It is a complex look at racial identity in the 1920s. The title refers to the idea of Black women "passing" in society as white women. First off, we need to realize that at this time in America, any amount of black heritage made you Black, or Negro, which was the common term at the time. The novella focuses on two women who both could pass for white. One is Irene, who identifies as Black, is married to a Black man, and part of her Black community. She does, however, "take advantage" of her appearance sometimes. In the opening scene, she is visiting her hometown Chicago on a hot summer day. She feels faint and a taxi driver, presumably white, rescues her and takes her to a restaurant to get a glass of tea. We can also presume that she would not be allowed in this restaurant if she wasn't "passing" for white. There she meets a childhood friend, Clare, who is passing as white as well. Clare, however, has married a white man without telling him of her heritage. Clare misses her Black community though, and pushes Irene to reintroduce her to this society with disastrous consequences. This brief novel is an interesting look at race in the 1920s. It was uncomfortable for me to read. Much has changed in the past 100 years, but obviously not enough. I've certainly never read a book that so honestly addressed this single issue. I would say that I enjoyed Larsen's [Quicksand] more than this, but this is an important book about race in the U.S. and I definitely recommend it. Original publication date: 1929Author’s nationality: AmericanOriginal language: EnglishLength: 94 pagesRating: 3.5 starsFormat/where I acquired the book: kindle Why I read this: 1001 books group read
    • 4/5
      Intriguing Portraits in PassingReview of the Penguin Vitae hardcover edition (2017) of the 1929 original.Nella Larsen (1891-1964) was a Harlem Renaissance author who published only two novels, Quicksand (1928) and Passing (1929) before she completely disassociated from writing and spent the rest of her life working as a nurse. This superb new edition from Penguin Vitae includes a thorough 30 page introduction by Emily Bernard and 8 pages of excellent Explanatory Notes by Thaddeus M. Davis.Passing is somewhat of a cat and mouse intrigue between two light-skinned African American women. Clare Kendry is passing for white, even though she is married to a virulently racist White American. Irene Redfield, although she could have passed, has stuck by her African American heritage and community. Kendry now regrets what she has left behind and begins to insinuate herself back into Redfield's life after a chance re-meeting (they had known each other as children) with eventual tragic consequences.I read Passing as part of my subscription to the inaugural 2020 Shakespeare and Company Lost Treasures curated selection. 4 books of the expected 12 have been delivered as of March 2020.
    • 4/5
      One of the great things about reading from the 1,001 Books to Read Before You Die List is that I have been introduced to many writers that I had not experienced before. Such is the case with Passing by Nella Larsen. This is the story of two American women in the 1920s with a similar background who chose very different ways to live.Both women are very light skinned black women and while Irene is a respected member of the Black community, married to a black doctor and allowing herself to “pass” for white only occasionally, Clare actually lives the life of a white woman, completely denying her black heritage and even hiding her race from her rich, white and bigoted husband. But Clare seemingly desires some contact with the black community and latches onto Irene in order to attend various black social functions. Irene has mixed feelings about Clare, she doesn’t approve of her life choices yet she does her best to protect her secret. Her feelings become even more challenged when she realizes that her husband and Clare are having an affair.I found Passing to be a very interesting story. Nella Larsen herself was of mixed heritage, her mother was Danish and her father a black American. Racial segregation laws were in force until the 1960s and some light-skinned blacks used “passing” in order to obtain equal opportunities and rights, social standing and acceptance. It is unfortunate that Nella Larsen only wrote one other book, but I will be reading that in the near future.
    • 5/5
      Irene Redfield is doing some shopping while on a trip to Chicago, when she stops for a brief rest and some tea at an elegant hotel’s restaurant. She notices a woman at a nearby table keeps staring at her and she’s immediately concerned. Could the woman have somehow discerned that Irene is not white, but a Negro? Larsen was part of the Harlem Renaissance and this book is a marvel of social commentary. In this slim volume Larsen explores issues of black/white identity, of the desire to get ahead and the societal obstacles to that path, of male/female relationships, and female-female rivalries. There is tension, fear, anger, joy, desire and hope. We get a wonderful glimpse of middle-class Black culture in 1920s Harlem. And that ending! My F2F book club had a stimulating discussion.A word of caution re the introduction: Definitely read the introduction, which will give you much insight into the book, the author’s background, and the critical thoughts of various experts. BUT … read the book FIRST, as the introduction will contain major spoilers for what happens in the novel.