A review by foggy_rosamund
Quicksand and Passing by Nella Larsen

3.0

Nella Larsen did not produce much fiction: these two novellas and some short stories comprise all of her published work. I felt that the novellas Quicksand and Passing were the work of a writer who had not quite reached the height of her powers. That being said, they're both very strong, Passing in particular. Quicksand meanders a little too much, without getting to the heart of its central character, but Passing is a deft, insightful piece of work, with a twist I wasn't expecting. Both novels, set and written in the late 1920s, deal with being mixed race, and of Black people "passing" as white. They explore a sense of rootlessness or detachment experienced by their main characters because they are mixed race. They give an insight into Black culture at the time, and especially into the experiences of middle-class women. Definitely worth checking out.