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A review by isabellarobinson7
Passing by Nella Larsen
4.0
Rating: 4 stars
The first thing I said, and for a while the only thing I could say, upon finishing this book was "Oof. That was... oof." Because the ending just hits you and then while still in shock the book ends. I am grateful for all the introductions and afterwords and stuff my copy had because it helped me more fully grasp what had taken place because... well, I suppose I said it best: oof.
Now this white girl will try and explain what this book is about. Passing by Nella Larsen centres around two childhood friends, Clare Kendry and Irene Redfield, who reunite in adulthood after going their separate ways as adolescents. Both African American women, yet with a lighter skin tone than some of their peers (i.e. less melanin), Clare has decided to "pass" as a white woman in Europe while Irene has remained with her people in Harlem, New York where the pair grew up. The two reconnect again after years apart, and we examine the different paths each of their lives have taken, and how Clare is forced to hide her true racial make up while socialising with her black friends in fear of what her racist white husband might do.
Maybe this is because of Larsen's own mixed heritage, but the book doesn’t demean either choice. It shows each character almost as a victim of circumstance - Clare and Irene were both put in a position where they were forced to choose between two worlds and while they chose differently, they each believed it was the best and/or right choice for them at the time. It treats this life altering decision with a level of respect that can only come with some degree of personal experience.
As I said before, I feel as though I truly have no real authority to speak on this whole matter, being the German/Italian/English and just general caucasian amalgamation that I am, but if you put any weight in this little white girl's opinion, Passing is well and truly worth the read. For anybody.
Book Cover Discussion/Rant
This book has some of the coolest covers. In all languages, just some awesome cover designs and illustrations. I've selected five (and it was hard to narrow it down) to share because they just so pretty!
(Man, I wish I could speak Italian, or live in Italy, or have any excuse to buy this cover.)
Ok yes, I obviously have a type when it comes to book covers, but whether or not you have the same taste, you have to agree that these are some of the better executions of said concept. And hey, even the movie cover isn't that bad:
Sometimes that's all you can ask for, isn't it. A not terrible movie/adaptation cover.
And so I was seeing all these beautiful book designs and thinking "oooh! I wonder what my edition will be like!" and then I get this:
No shade on the cover model, no shade on the cover designer (they both did a WAY better job than I could ever dream of doing) but come on, this is pretty lack lustre in comparison to all those other stunners. Plus (and this is just a personal thing) the image on the cover= looks familiar to me in an odd way. I am happy to be wrong and just hallucinating, but to me she looks like Major Kira from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. I mean... I'm not crazy, am I? Kira, who is neither black nor mixed race, played by a caucasian actress... No, I must be seeing things. After all, I am a chronic Trekkie.
Actually, you know what? My opinion on all this doesn't matter in the slightest. Who am I to say whether a cover artist has done their job well or not. Maybe my favourites aren't that great and I just have no idea what makes a good book cover. Idk.
The first thing I said, and for a while the only thing I could say, upon finishing this book was "Oof. That was... oof." Because the ending just hits you and then while still in shock the book ends. I am grateful for all the introductions and afterwords and stuff my copy had because it helped me more fully grasp what had taken place because... well, I suppose I said it best: oof.
Now this white girl will try and explain what this book is about. Passing by Nella Larsen centres around two childhood friends, Clare Kendry and Irene Redfield, who reunite in adulthood after going their separate ways as adolescents. Both African American women, yet with a lighter skin tone than some of their peers (i.e. less melanin), Clare has decided to "pass" as a white woman in Europe while Irene has remained with her people in Harlem, New York where the pair grew up. The two reconnect again after years apart, and we examine the different paths each of their lives have taken, and how Clare is forced to hide her true racial make up while socialising with her black friends in fear of what her racist white husband might do.
Maybe this is because of Larsen's own mixed heritage, but the book doesn’t demean either choice. It shows each character almost as a victim of circumstance - Clare and Irene were both put in a position where they were forced to choose between two worlds and while they chose differently, they each believed it was the best and/or right choice for them at the time. It treats this life altering decision with a level of respect that can only come with some degree of personal experience.
As I said before, I feel as though I truly have no real authority to speak on this whole matter, being the German/Italian/English and just general caucasian amalgamation that I am, but if you put any weight in this little white girl's opinion, Passing is well and truly worth the read. For anybody.
Book Cover Discussion/Rant
This book has some of the coolest covers. In all languages, just some awesome cover designs and illustrations. I've selected five (and it was hard to narrow it down) to share because they just so pretty!
(Man, I wish I could speak Italian, or live in Italy, or have any excuse to buy this cover.)Ok yes, I obviously have a type when it comes to book covers, but whether or not you have the same taste, you have to agree that these are some of the better executions of said concept. And hey, even the movie cover isn't that bad:
Sometimes that's all you can ask for, isn't it. A not terrible movie/adaptation cover.
And so I was seeing all these beautiful book designs and thinking "oooh! I wonder what my edition will be like!" and then I get this:
No shade on the cover model, no shade on the cover designer (they both did a WAY better job than I could ever dream of doing) but come on, this is pretty lack lustre in comparison to all those other stunners. Plus (and this is just a personal thing) the image on the cover= looks familiar to me in an odd way. I am happy to be wrong and just hallucinating, but to me she looks like Major Kira from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. I mean... I'm not crazy, am I? Kira, who is neither black nor mixed race, played by a caucasian actress... No, I must be seeing things. After all, I am a chronic Trekkie.
Actually, you know what? My opinion on all this doesn't matter in the slightest. Who am I to say whether a cover artist has done their job well or not. Maybe my favourites aren't that great and I just have no idea what makes a good book cover. Idk.