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mariebrunelm's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-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
This thought-provoking little classic holds a punch. Our two protagonists are Black women who grew up together before growing apart, reunited in 1927 Chicago, more than ten years later and catching up. Both are light-skin Black, but while Irene married a Black man and lives within the Black community, Clare passes as white, married a white man and lives in the white community.
As the title suggests, this novel explores the concept of passing through the experiences of these two women. It is a fascinating insight into life in the 1920s for the Black community, and an excellent character study as well. Nella Larsen confronts those characters in a series of encounters, making the plot rather minimal, so I won’t say more about it. The prose is easy to read and helps make this a book to put in every hand.
In 2020, Brit Bennett recently released a novel that was a contemporary companion to Passing, entitled The Vanishing Half. I haven’t read it but have heard good things about it.
PS: there is no word in French that comes close to a translation for the concept of “passing”. The translation has had two different titles, “Passer la ligne” (“crossing the line”) and “Clair-obscur” (“chiaroscuro”).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
wilde_read's review against another edition
reflective
tense
fast-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
A poignant little novella. I plan to re-read it with fewer interruptions and enjoy the writing even more!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Racial slurs
The racial slur shouldn't be taken out of context of the book. Racial bigotry drives the story.jouljet's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
nelireads's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Moderate: Death
Minor: Homophobia and Biphobia
a_novel_experiment's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
bluepaperboy's review against another edition
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
racheltrow_'s review against another edition
challenging
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
emjayknocks's review against another edition
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Tessa Thompson was the perfect narrator for this languid slow-burner about race in 1920s New York. The author blends tension, danger, and normalcy in such a way that meant I was never fully anxious, but also never totally comfortable, either - it struck the perfect chord of disquiet that kept me wanting more. I had seen the film but, luckily, forgotten the ending! It caught me off guard and its abruptness was the perfect counter to the rest of the story.
Content Warnings
Minor: Racial slurs
maraudergrl90's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Racism, and Infidelity
maia313's review
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Read for uni, really interesting to read and study. Love the topic of the Harlem renaissance, the settings of both NYC and Chicago and the character's places in them really come to life. And very interesting reflections on race, class.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Outing