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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
informative
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I picked this up from the library because I was in the mood for urban fantasy and the concept and world sounded really cool and discovered after I’d begun reading that this is the author of my favorite childhood book, ‘The Green Glass Sea’!
Unfortunately I think the concept of this book is better than the actual execution. Often the book feels more like an ambient vessel for researched historical facts about queer women in San Francisco in the ‘40 with very little plot until the last 30 pages. While a lot of that info is interesting, most of the times it came up it felt a little forced. That being said when there is plot I was interested because the characters and the world were endearing.
I also felt uncomfortable with how the author chose to depict racism, specifically towards the character of Helen. In reading an interview it seems she intentionally wanted each women to hold an identity that marginalized them in some way from the world they lived in, which when written by a white woman, made Helen’s ethnicity and experience feel like a plot device and an excuse to, again, just bring up historical facts in a very ‘tell don’t show’ manner. Not to mention that Helen seems to have no issue with being assumed to be Chinese, despite being Japanese and with not much connection to that heritage, and is written to throw around slurs when describing her experiences with racism in San Francisco at the time, which just felt strange since she was written to do so by a white person for whom that experience seems to have been “research”. It disappointed me because while that identity could have been a really interesting aspect of her character it ended up making her feel ultimately like a vehicle for shocking ‘fun facts’ about racism. But, as a disclaimer, I am also a white woman, so I’m also reading from a limited perspective.
But yeah, it’s sapphic and magical too. And again, the concept of a bunch of queer women in the 40s exploring life and magic in a beautiful city while dealing with their collective and separate marginalizations sounds COOL. This just didn’t quite deliver. I also feel like it would maybe make a better movie to be honest.
Unfortunately I think the concept of this book is better than the actual execution. Often the book feels more like an ambient vessel for researched historical facts about queer women in San Francisco in the ‘40 with very little plot until the last 30 pages. While a lot of that info is interesting, most of the times it came up it felt a little forced. That being said when there is plot I was interested because the characters and the world were endearing.
I also felt uncomfortable with how the author chose to depict racism, specifically towards the character of Helen. In reading an interview it seems she intentionally wanted each women to hold an identity that marginalized them in some way from the world they lived in, which when written by a white woman, made Helen’s ethnicity and experience feel like a plot device and an excuse to, again, just bring up historical facts in a very ‘tell don’t show’ manner. Not to mention that Helen seems to have no issue with being assumed to be Chinese, despite being Japanese and with not much connection to that heritage, and is written to throw around slurs when describing her experiences with racism in San Francisco at the time, which just felt strange since she was written to do so by a white person for whom that experience seems to have been “research”. It disappointed me because while that identity could have been a really interesting aspect of her character it ended up making her feel ultimately like a vehicle for shocking ‘fun facts’ about racism. But, as a disclaimer, I am also a white woman, so I’m also reading from a limited perspective.
But yeah, it’s sapphic and magical too. And again, the concept of a bunch of queer women in the 40s exploring life and magic in a beautiful city while dealing with their collective and separate marginalizations sounds COOL. This just didn’t quite deliver. I also feel like it would maybe make a better movie to be honest.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Minor: Racial slurs, Racism
A very slow beginning, the story wasn’t fully engaging until about the halfway mark when the main relationship takes center stage. A lot of the magical elements are pushed to the margins until the last few pages. But the ending was sweet and beautiful.
Fun read, it was great to revisit some characters from Wicked Wonders. Dreamy and magical.
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
4.5 stars. So fun! I love the premise and all the historical San Francisco. So romantic!
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Why yes, I did buy this book purely for its beautiful beautiful cover (I actually put down a copy of Foundryside to buy this one instead.) Passing Strange crossed my radar when I saw the cover on the nominee list for the Nebulas two years ago, which told me it was probably hella gay and very little else. Buying the book, I still didn't know much other than that the main characters were probably lesbians and boy was I right.
Through this novella, we follow the lives of three queer women navigating their way through 1940s San Francisco. There's Helen, a Chinese lawyer/club dancer, Haskel, semi-famous painter known for her pulp fiction covers, and Emily, a newcomer who's introduced to the two through mutual acquaintances. Through certain circumstances, Haskel and Emily start seeing each other early on and much of this book is a slice of life following of their interactions.
Characters aside, what really makes this book unique is the setting. 1940s San Francisco has its aesthetic and charm (see: the cover), which is explored quite well as we follow the characters. However, it also has its downsides: the racism and Orientalism that was occurring nationwide, but especially San Francisco due to the number of Asian immigrants, as well as the abysmal treatment of queer women during the time. The book does not shy away from those topics and while some terms used may be triggering to readers today, I found it extremely powerful that Passing Strange, not only addressed those topics, but showed how women of the era thrived despite their oppressors.
Overall, I rate this book a 5/5. Not only do we get a fantastic depiction of the lives of three queer women in 1940s San Francisco, we also learn about the darker side of that era and how these women were able to thrive nonetheless.
Through this novella, we follow the lives of three queer women navigating their way through 1940s San Francisco. There's Helen, a Chinese lawyer/club dancer, Haskel, semi-famous painter known for her pulp fiction covers, and Emily, a newcomer who's introduced to the two through mutual acquaintances. Through certain circumstances, Haskel and Emily start seeing each other early on and much of this book is a slice of life following of their interactions.
Characters aside, what really makes this book unique is the setting. 1940s San Francisco has its aesthetic and charm (see: the cover), which is explored quite well as we follow the characters. However, it also has its downsides: the racism and Orientalism that was occurring nationwide, but especially San Francisco due to the number of Asian immigrants, as well as the abysmal treatment of queer women during the time. The book does not shy away from those topics and while some terms used may be triggering to readers today, I found it extremely powerful that Passing Strange, not only addressed those topics, but showed how women of the era thrived despite their oppressors.
Overall, I rate this book a 5/5. Not only do we get a fantastic depiction of the lives of three queer women in 1940s San Francisco, we also learn about the darker side of that era and how these women were able to thrive nonetheless.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
First off, the cover for Passing Strange looks beautiful when you see it at first brush. After reading it however it triggers an emotional reaction, at least for me. I won’t spoil anything, but I’ll tell you it’s one of the best ‘straight from the book’ covers I’ve ever seen.
Moving onto the novella itself – Passing Strange is one of those stories that takes magic for granted. It’s there, it happens a few times over the course of our journey but it’s never the central focus. Instead we focus on the women of the story and their struggle. It follows a large group of friends, all of the queer spectrum, in the 1940s. This was a rough time, with laws against cross-dressing. One particularly memorable scene of an encounter with a police officer had me gritting my teeth. It also led me down a rabbit hole of reading about cross dressing laws in history, fascinating stuff, I’d recommend checking it out.
Ellen Klages also has a gift for atmosphere and setting the scene. Despite the subtle magical touches I really and truly enjoyed the way she built the city around our women. It was told entirely around them. What was beautiful and unique to them, the ways it stood out. I won’t loose the image San Francisco that this painted with it’s lights and night life. And did I mention the references to important figures in art history? Yeah, this novella seemed to pack it all in, I enjoyed it a lot.
The story ends up narrowing down on two women, the newest girl Emily and the artist Haskel. Again, I’m not here to spoil anything, but the story from there is lovely, emotional, and takes several unexpected turns. It will surprise you in a great many ways you’ll appreciate, twisting tropes very subtly. In the end it leaves us with a painting, the same that we have on the cover, and what it could represent.
For something so short it packs a lot of a punch. If you’re interested in this setting, queer stories, and subtle touches of magic this is a story for you.
Moving onto the novella itself – Passing Strange is one of those stories that takes magic for granted. It’s there, it happens a few times over the course of our journey but it’s never the central focus. Instead we focus on the women of the story and their struggle. It follows a large group of friends, all of the queer spectrum, in the 1940s. This was a rough time, with laws against cross-dressing. One particularly memorable scene of an encounter with a police officer had me gritting my teeth. It also led me down a rabbit hole of reading about cross dressing laws in history, fascinating stuff, I’d recommend checking it out.
Ellen Klages also has a gift for atmosphere and setting the scene. Despite the subtle magical touches I really and truly enjoyed the way she built the city around our women. It was told entirely around them. What was beautiful and unique to them, the ways it stood out. I won’t loose the image San Francisco that this painted with it’s lights and night life. And did I mention the references to important figures in art history? Yeah, this novella seemed to pack it all in, I enjoyed it a lot.
The story ends up narrowing down on two women, the newest girl Emily and the artist Haskel. Again, I’m not here to spoil anything, but the story from there is lovely, emotional, and takes several unexpected turns. It will surprise you in a great many ways you’ll appreciate, twisting tropes very subtly. In the end it leaves us with a painting, the same that we have on the cover, and what it could represent.
For something so short it packs a lot of a punch. If you’re interested in this setting, queer stories, and subtle touches of magic this is a story for you.
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism