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__lv__'s review against another edition
2.0
What just happened here? This story kicks off with an amazing beginning and then fizzles into nothingness. Clare and Irene are both well-to-do African-American ladies. They lived in the same building years ago when they were children and have not seen each other since -- until they run into each other some years later. Clare has passed for white, leaving all of her roots behind; she is married to a white man (who has no idea that she is black) and has a young daughter that passes for white as well. Irene, on the other hand, can pass for white, but has chosen not to. Her husband is African-American, and one of her sons has his dad’s complexion.
Irene wants to leave the past in the past and not reacquaint herself with Clare, but Clare always gets what she wants and forces her way into Irene’s life. She insists that Irene visit her at a small party she is hosting. A series of conversations take place during the party that make Irene uncomfortable, and yet she continues to allow Clare into her life. Clare reveals she wants to go back – she wants to live among her own once again. I’m thinking to myself this is going to get good. How will her family and old acquaintances receive her? How will this impact her place in life? What will happen if she runs into her white friends/relatives again? etc. None of this is revealed as the plot changes into a love triangle. Clare is moving in on Irene’s husband, and Irene is jealous. The story ends with a bit of a twist, but leaves so many questions unanswered.
Irene wants to leave the past in the past and not reacquaint herself with Clare, but Clare always gets what she wants and forces her way into Irene’s life. She insists that Irene visit her at a small party she is hosting. A series of conversations take place during the party that make Irene uncomfortable, and yet she continues to allow Clare into her life. Clare reveals she wants to go back – she wants to live among her own once again. I’m thinking to myself this is going to get good. How will her family and old acquaintances receive her? How will this impact her place in life? What will happen if she runs into her white friends/relatives again? etc. None of this is revealed as the plot changes into a love triangle. Clare is moving in on Irene’s husband, and Irene is jealous. The story ends with a bit of a twist, but leaves so many questions unanswered.
pawact's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating, multilayered story which uses the idea of "passing," a black person passing for a white person to gain entrance into white society, or just to be able to eat or drink at a whites only establishment to examine race, class and identity in early 20th century America.
Irene Redfield is a New Yorker visiting her home town of Chicago and while shopping for toys for her kids, decides to go to a fancy hotel. Here she runs into Clare Kendry, a childhood friend that easily passes for white. Clare is married to a white man who is clearly racist and has no idea that Clare is black. Clare wends herself into Irene's life.
The entire story is told from Irene's point of view (though not first person) and digs deep into her anxiety of admiration for and jealously of Clare's boldness and her ability and decision to enter white society. The problem is, Clare wants to pass back and is using Irene's upper middle class friends and lifestyle to do it. And as one character notes, this only goes one way.
Tragedy, of course, ensues.
Larson's writing is excellent. Her specificity with Irene's emotional states and concerns give us a really compelling and complex character. Proud, anxious and somewhat unsure, but very aware of rules and social mores, her jealousy of Clare's ability to flout those rules eventually engulfs her.
A very fine book.
Irene Redfield is a New Yorker visiting her home town of Chicago and while shopping for toys for her kids, decides to go to a fancy hotel. Here she runs into Clare Kendry, a childhood friend that easily passes for white. Clare is married to a white man who is clearly racist and has no idea that Clare is black. Clare wends herself into Irene's life.
The entire story is told from Irene's point of view (though not first person) and digs deep into her anxiety of admiration for and jealously of Clare's boldness and her ability and decision to enter white society. The problem is, Clare wants to pass back and is using Irene's upper middle class friends and lifestyle to do it. And as one character notes, this only goes one way.
Tragedy, of course, ensues.
Larson's writing is excellent. Her specificity with Irene's emotional states and concerns give us a really compelling and complex character. Proud, anxious and somewhat unsure, but very aware of rules and social mores, her jealousy of Clare's ability to flout those rules eventually engulfs her.
A very fine book.
marycel's review against another edition
4.0
This novella takes a different approach from other works about passing that I've read. Instead of involving a character who abandons their race in favor of the privileges of whiteness, it revolves around Clare Kendry, who has already done that and now longs to return to her Black identity. As she insinuates herself more and more into the life of her childhood friend, Irene, she puts herself in danger of being discovered by her own racist white husband who doesn't know the truth of her background, and she angers Irene, who simultaneously despises and admires her. This slim book takes on not only the issue of race, but also of partnership and motherhood, the unknowability of others, and the many identities people try to "pass" as belonging to.
becka_reads's review against another edition
4.0
I've read a lot of books heavily influenced by this book, but I hadn't read the source text so it was intriguing to see where something like "The Vanishing Half" or "Boy, Snow, Bird" comes from.
casuallybookishemma's review against another edition
5.0
It was a phenomenal book. I decided to dive into Passing when I found out Netflix adapted it to film and I’m glad I did. Nella Larsen was a fantastic writer. Her characters come to life in this story.
dogncatluver21's review against another edition
3.0
I felt like I was waiting for the story to begin until all of a sudden it was over. disappointing
maisiehall's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed Passing, but I did think this one need not be so long. Sounds strange to say this about a novella that is about 110 pages long but I think this perhaps would've worked better as a longer short story? About 40 pages in the middle I didn't feel like much had happened, hmm. However, the last 10 pages were brilliant with some really interesting passages. Perhaps this is one I'll come back to.
krischerryreads's review against another edition
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes