A dense and tense piece of writing, Larsen's work manages to be spare and swift-moving without sacrificing depth. She has the instincts of a dramatist, creating beautiful conflicts between her characters, especially through tension-filled conversations.

While race and the concept of 'passing' are important, there is much more happening here. The magnetic relationship between Clare and Irene is particularly captivating. They are bound together yet in opposition in many ways. With beautiful Clare as a catalyst, Irene's marriage becomes increasingly fraught.

I must admit that the ending tips slightly into melodrama, but I can forgive that. Larsen usually lets her characters do the work for her, as seen when one of Irene's children asks their father why only Black people get lynched.

In conclusion, it is compelling reading with a lot to unpack. The audio-book, read by Robin Miles, is also very well done.

Published in 1929, this is a seminal piece of literature from the Harlem Renaissance, which was the revival and celebration of African American arts and culture in the 1920s and 30s.

It is an excellent period piece from an era when so-called 'passing narratives' were quite common. Admittedly, this concept was new to me until I read Brit Bennett's novel The Vanishing Half, and this makes for a perfect companion work to that novel.

Set in both Chicago and New York, Larsen reveals a world still very much stratified by race, where there is a huge social benefit to passing as a white woman. At its heart is an awkward friendship between two women with very different perspectives on passing. Clare Kendry is beautiful, mischievous, perhaps even dangerous, while Irene Redfield is sensible and upstanding, and the tale is told from her perspective. There are some fascinating little moments in this book, and a particularly memorable one is a mega awkward afternoon tea scene that actually made me exclaim out loud when I read it.

One could say the writing feels a little outmoded. It's very mannered and sometimes laboriously polite. The resolution is a matter of opinion as to whether it works or not (I was a little disappointed on a first read). The Penguin Vitae edition I read contained really useful annotations and an introduction to Larsen’s life that adds enormously to understanding the historical context.

Overall, it is a worthwhile classic to dip into.

Our Most Common Prejudice

This novel serves as an extensive illustration of a literary device known as synecdoche, where a part represents the whole. What makes it remarkable and highly innovative is that the part Larsen employs is the blatant and glaring reality of racial prejudice. The whole, on the other hand, is a far more intricate and scarcely expressible prejudice that most of us hold instinctively - the prejudiced dismissal of the purposes of others.

The plot seems rather straightforward. Due to her light complexion, Clare, Irene's childhood acquaintance, has managed to pass as the white wife of a successful international executive. He is completely unaware of this deception and is, in fact, an ardent racist, embodying all the crudest characteristics of that kind. Irene is understandably astonished when she encounters Clare with her family. She judges Clare for her ambition, which she believes has led her to such folly.

That a person would deliberately attach herself to someone who is inherently and openly hateful towards what she truly is might be classified as a psychological disorder. However, such a diagnosis completely overlooks the underlying motivation. Irene dismisses Clare's intention as one of greed, of trading her racial identity for a lifestyle in the white cultural sphere. But this is merely a prejudiced assumption. She has not discussed the matter with Clare. And even if she had, it is possible that Clare herself had never fully articulated her motives, even to herself.

So, has Clare made a mistake or has Irene misinterpreted her objective? Ultimately, one is compelled to either impose an intention on Clare or attempt to understand her intention from her perspective. The latter approach can be regarded as one of respect. The former, that is, the summary dismissal of another's purpose, let alone its frustration, is a prejudice as profound as that directed towards race. But it doesn't seem so, largely because it is a dismissal justified as'moral', that is, in terms of some abstract general principle. This is Irene's initial reaction.

Respect is neither general nor abstract but always specific and concrete. It pertains not to a moral code but to the particular existential circumstances of another. Respect means acknowledging the intention of another as legitimate, that is, as rooted in the unique experience of that individual. In fact, this is a good working definition of a person, namely an entity that has a unique individual purpose.

Almost simultaneously with her encounter with Clare, Irene discovers this intentional prejudice in her husband's reaction to her concerns about her son's education. Her husband deems her irrational and simply disregards her concerns regarding the course of his schooling. His lack of respect for her intention - the well-being of the child - is evident in the empty platitude he throws at her. This hurts Irene; but it also makes her aware of the possibility that she has been equally disrespectful to her childhood friend.

This is the crucial turning point in the story. Irene is on the verge of recognizing her own prejudice against her husband: “It was only that she wanted him to be happy, resenting, however, his inability to be so with things as they were, and never acknowledging that though she did want him to be happy, it was only in her own way and by some plan of hers for him that she truly desired him to be so.” Whatever her husband's judgment of her, she is guilty of a similar judgment of him, and possibly of Clare.

The moral philosophy implicit in Larsen's fiction is profound. What Irene discovers is that there is no morality attached to purpose. Purposes, intentions, commitments, ambitions may or may not be shared, may or may not be attractive, may or may not be attainable, but they cannot be judged as reasonable, correct, or ethical. Only the actions taken to pursue a purpose have moral content. Actions, not thoughts, are what affect others. It is actions that we have control over, not the experiences we have. It is from these experiences that we 'extract' objectives, either to avoid the things we have learned to fear or to obtain things we may have been denied.

So, Clare's commitment to herself to have a life free from the burdens of racial prejudice must be respected. This is quite different from approving of her actions in marrying a white racist. This action is not only irrational but also wrong for Clare. But her purpose is not. Ends simply 'exist', perhaps to be discussed, modified, compromised, or even abandoned, but never to be disrespected or rejected in principle. Means have values that can be debated, and Clare does debate them. But ends do not.

Larsen's point, or at least my interpretation of it, may be controversial, but part of its profundity lies in its controversial nature. What she has to say is not some obvious truism like 'racial prejudice is horrible and some people react to it in strange ways.' Her book is a literary exploration of an extremely nuanced view in which behavior is the focus of moral judgment; and within which respect for the purpose of others is a central tenet, especially when that purpose is unstated.

This is not a fully developed philosophy, but it is a valuable suggestion for a different way of understanding life's responsibilities. It is a suggestion that places racial prejudice in a broader and more general context while highlighting its real evil - the denial of the capacity for purpose to another human being. That it was made in 1929, at a time when racial atrocities were rampant in the United States, makes it even more remarkable.

Postscript 28Mar19: As if to prove my point, I received a GR friend request with a comment, apparently triggered by this review, that I “sound like an apologetic white person.” It's not clear if the remark was intended as a compliment or a slur. But it does demonstrate the instinctive reaction that human beings have to assign and judge motives with as much care and attention as tying a shoelace.

What a bracing and twisty little book! It truly is a captivating read that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

The story is filled with unexpected turns and surprises that make it impossible to put down.

As I was reading, I found myself constantly engaged in a mental conversation with the characters, trying to figure out what would happen next.

It's one of those rare books that not only entertains but also makes you think deeply about various aspects of life, such as identity, race, and family.

I can't wait to share my thoughts on this book with others, especially in conversation with The Vanishing Half.

I'm sure that the two books will have many interesting parallels and contrasts that will make for a fascinating discussion.

Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a thrilling and thought-provoking read.

A short novel presents a concept that is extremely foreign to the white, non-American community nowadays, and its subject matter makes it truly worthy of being read. It has a touch of poetry, yet not overly so. The ending is abrupt, but in my opinion, it offers a sufficient sense of closure. The dialogues are well-written, and the situations feel realistic. However, the only aspect that left me dissatisfied was the characters.

The protagonist, Irene, with her perceptiveness, insecurities, and perception of herself as a mother and wife, is very relatable. But she appears to be an ordinary woman, a rather bland, middle-class wife. Clare, the antagonist, who is engaged in a dangerous game of "passing," is depicted as stunning, capricious, unpredictable, and feline. While it wouldn't be entirely fair to say that this was achieved through telling rather than showing, it must be noted that Larsen does a fair amount of both in Clare's case. Additionally, I don't feel the allure of this supposedly fascinating character. For some reason, she makes me think of Maggie, Julia Roberts' character in Runaway Bride and this priceless dialogue:

Maggie: Because you think I'm all like, "Hey, man, check me out." Peggy: No, I don't. I think you're like... "I'm charming and mysterious in a way that even I don't understand, and something about me is crying out for protection from a big man like you." It's very hard to compete with. Especially as... married women who've lost our mystery.

I'm aware this isn't an ambitious review. But the book is indeed good. I plan to read Larsen's Quicksand in the near future.

This book is a small gem that well deserves its place in Boxall's 1001 Books to Read Before You Die.

We are introduced to Irene and Clare, childhood friends who have taken separate paths in life. They reunite at a hotel restaurant in Chicago. Irene lives in Harlem with her black husband and two sons. Clare, on the other hand, is married to a white man who is unaware of her black heritage. Both women are light-skinned enough to pass as white in society. However, Irene is fully engaged in the Harlem social life, while Clare is effectively barred from her own people due to her marital choice. When Clare feels the need to reconnect with her roots, she sees Irene as the means to do so. And let's just say, the situation is far more tense and complex than one might anticipate.

I was truly captivated by Larsen's writing style. She employs the third person, yet it feels as if Irene is the one narrating. Irene's character is developed with remarkable depth. The reader is able to understand her misgivings regarding race, her marriage, and Clare's sudden reentry into her life. We can empathize with her pain and understand the reasoning behind her decisions.

The book concludes with an unexpected ending that caps off a very strong, albeit short, read. I found it truly astonishing that this book was written in the 1920s. In many ways, it felt incredibly contemporary, addressing themes that are still relevant today.

Clare Kendry is passing. She has chosen to pretend to be white and has even married a white racist who remains completely oblivious to the fact that his beautiful wife has black parentage. Clare has managed to establish a deceptive life for herself with some success. However, she is not content. She desires to keep one foot in the black community, and the way she decides to do this is through her friend, Irene.

Irene, on the other hand, is content and happy in her black life. Although she could also pass as white if she wanted to, she has no interest in doing so. She takes pride in her heritage and is actively involved in her community. She has no desire to re-establish her relationship with Clare, which has its roots in their childhood together. She distrusts Clare and is repulsed by her deception.

From the very beginning, it is evident that this relationship is a ticking time bomb of danger. Clare's constant bouncing between the two worlds is filled with nothing but risk. And for Irene, getting involved with Clare means having to deal with a person she would rather not know.

One would expect a powerful statement on race and racism, and that is precisely what this story delivers. The attitude of Clare's white husband is truly cringe-worthy. But what the story delves into more profoundly is the deception itself, the rejection of self, and the fear that one woman has regarding the intentions of another, who is known to be a liar willing to do anything to get what she desires.

Both of these women are vividly portrayed, and each of them holds her own secrets, which ultimately work to their own detriment. Nella Larsen skillfully weaves her story, carrying the reader along on a river that gains momentum as it flows. It is clear that she knows the world she is writing about and understands the subtleties of racial identification in Harlem during the 1920s.

Checking out the Netflix Book Club (Which is confusing because it is actually on YouTube)!

Irene "Rene" is out shopping for a birthday present when she suddenly feels faint and gets into a taxi. The driver takes her to The Drayton, a hotel with a rooftop restaurant, to help her cool down. The rooftop is restricted to blacks, but Rene can "pass" for white. As she is enjoying a delicious glass of sweet tea, she notices a woman staring at her. When the other woman laughs, Irene realizes it's Claire, someone she hasn't seen in almost 12 years. Claire "passes" all the time, and even her husband doesn't know she is black. How will things unfold for Claire and Rene?

This book reminds me a bit of Steel Magnolias, The Great Gatsby, and The Vanishing Half. Despite being less than 200 pages, it offers a lot to think about. It seems to focus on a few key locations, and Claire reminds me of Daisy Buchannan, charming everyone. The Great Gatsby was published in 1925 and Passing in 1929, so it's unclear if there's inspiration from The Great Gatsby or just a coincidence due to the general time period. Brit Bennett, author of The Vanishing Half, wrote the introduction. Whoa! There are spoilers in the introduction! But she was the perfect author for it, and her passion for this piece of literature really shines through.

The Netflix Book Club has had a great start, and I really enjoyed the discussion of the book's ending. Can't wait to participate next month!

2024 Reading Schedule

Jan - Middlemarch

Feb - The Grapes of Wrath

Mar - Oliver Twist

Apr - Madame Bovary

May - A Clockwork Orange

Jun - Possession

Jul - The Folk of the Faraway Tree Collection

Aug - Crime and Punishment

Sep - Heart of Darkness

Oct - Moby-Dick

Nov - Far From the Madding Crowd

Dec - A Tale of Two Cities

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Fa’ la cosa giusta!

In the early 1920s, in the United States, the artistic movement known as the Harlem Renaissance was born. Its epicenter was the famous neighborhood in New York where the African American population was concentrated. Essentially, the program of the movement announced the birth of the “New Negro,” whose core was a new awareness and a new racial pride. It was an involvement of every artistic expression that took hold, in particular, in the bourgeois class during a historical period when, moreover, what was called Passing spread.

For those with “ambiguous” somatic characteristics, the opportunity to “pass” presented itself, that is, to move along the line of color by presenting oneself as white. This allowed access to all those places closed to the African American people and reached its peak with a true and proper change of identity. A phenomenon that spread throughout the territory but, in particular, in the southern states where the mixed presence was more massive.

Larsen (1891-1964), a prominent figure of the Harlem Renaissance, published the novel “Passing” in 1929. Born in Chicago to a Danish mother and a father from the West Indies, she had very light skin that prevented her from being well received in the black community as well as in the white one. Her own mother in the 1910 census omitted to report her existence because of that ambiguous skin that distinguished her from her much whiter sisters.

The novel tells the friendship between two women, Clare and Irene, who grew up in the same ghetto in Chicago. At a certain point, their paths diverge. Irene, the narrator, marries a black doctor and moves to Harlem; Clare, instead, disappears because she “passes” by marrying a rich white industrialist who is deeply racist. A fortuitous event makes them meet again...

A little-known novel with a surprising writing that in just a few pages manages to weave a plot that involves the delicate and painful交织 of class, gender, and race. The educated African American middle class that, in an attempt to erase the stereotypes from its back, distances itself from the lower classes; the complicated relationship between white and black and the imposing wall that still divides American society today, as invisible as it is imposing; the woman in her universal essence of being who, apparently wants, but in reality must, sacrifice herself at the sacred altar of motherhood.

Larsen has staged a little theater of masks where the roles played do not admit exchanges of place or changes of fate. A condemnation of silent suffering, anger, fear. Does the right thing to do exist?

“Irene couldn't imagine that one could look so hurt. She said, rather gently: «No, Clare, that's not the reason. But you yourself should realize that it's terribly stupid, and not precisely the right thing». Clare's laughter rang out, as she passed her hands through the shining folds of her hair. «Oh Rene», she cried, «you're priceless! And you haven't changed at all. The right thing! ». Leaning forward, she looked curiously into Irene's brown eyes full of disapproval. «You can't, you really can't mean this! No one could. It's simply incredible».

Blackness remains a highly charged and complex topic, as evidenced by various incidents. In 2021, Candace Owens claimed Meghan Markle wasn't "black enough" to be a victim of racism, while Prince Harry said Meghan isn't "visibly black." Meghan herself revealed on the Oprah Winfrey show that a Royal person was concerned about the skin color of her unborn baby.

The Buckingham Palace reception in November 2022 also highlighted the issue. Ngozi Fulani, a black charity leader, had a disturbing exchange with Lady Susan Hussey. Lady Susan repeatedly asked Ms. Fulani where she was "really" from, assuming she couldn't be British because of her appearance.

The novel "Passing" delves into the topic of black/mixed race people in America pretending to be white. The reasons for this are understandable, but it comes with the constant fear of being exposed. Nella Larsen uses a melodramatic device by having Clare Kendry married to a racist.

The story explores the conflicted psychology of Irene, Clare's friend, who could "pass" but chooses not to. It's a complex and memorable exploration of the topic. Overall, while the book could have been more developed, it's still worth reading.

Recommended. 3.5 stars.

5 "astute, biting, theatrical" stars !!!

2017 Honorable Mention with High Distinction Read

This was an extremely thought-provoking and personally challenging read for me on multiple levels. The concept of passing is truly an odd one that I struggle to fully understand on a deeper level. In my own life, I straddle the line in numerous ways. I have always seen the world and expressed myself in a non-binary fashion. Fortunately, this was not only accepted by my family of origin but also encouraged and nurtured by a select few.

However, for the convenience or comfort of others, I was sometimes pegged, labeled, and at times ridiculed or singled out. Others wanted me to pass in certain or all environments as white instead of mixed, straight or gay instead of bi, middle class instead of working class, and masculine instead of androgynous. This was challenging, and when feeling threatened, I would do it myself, not for acceptance or gain but rather to be safe or blend in and avoid being a target. This led to a dissonance at times, not in terms of my own self-identity which always felt solid, but in terms of navigating the world.

As the world in my urban center has changed and become more welcoming of all kinds of diversity, passing is less of an issue and less dangerous. I now have several circles where being myself is not only okay but welcomed. Interestingly, though, this matters less and less to me as I spend more and more time alone, or with my partner and our respective families, deepening my spiritual faith and exploring my artistic interests. I am less frightened by others' misunderstandings, cruelties, and prejudices, and more willing to look in the mirror and challenge my own that surface daily. Challenging our own prejudices is crucial work for ourselves, our society, and the world.

The more I understand that I am no different from others, the more I can work towards personal and societal change. I am particularly interested in working within marginalized groups and understanding how they oppress and marginalize subgroups and others. You see, the hunt for power, control, and dominance is universal. I observe it within all genders, sexualities, and racial groups. We will never have a completely level playing field, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't strive towards it and fight for social justice for all, not just for those we personally deem deserving.

This book is truly brilliant in its execution. It greatly appealed to me that both female protagonists were mildly unlikable. Their emotions, motivations, and actions seemed so genuine in their contrived social niceties and their upward mobility in passing as white or strongly identifying as white when they were of mixed race. The use of their beauty, grace, and intelligence to manipulate their partners and society in general for a measure of security and social standing. Their reluctance to be devoted mothers and their submerging of racial identity and knowledge. This left them both bereft, vulnerable, and mistrusting, and every move was not only for survival but also to usurp the other for a larger piece of the societal pie.

Anxiety pervaded their lives, and I felt it within myself as I read.

Thank you, Ms. Larsen, for giving me another opportunity to reflect and gaze upon my own reflection, and to see myself for who I am today, which might be somewhat different from who I will be tomorrow.

Identity and race are fundamental parts in the formation of a person, his origin and his life.

Classifying people based on skin color is one of the worst human classifications.

The white race has been discriminatory and cruel towards others who are different in color just for the sake of superiority and domination.

Nella Larsen writes about bigotry in America in the late 1920s.

When people with white skin but of black ethnic origin are forced to pass.

Passing to the white side to obtain better opportunities in life.

Passing is accompanied by suffering, worry and the painful loss of belonging to one's race, family and identity.

A meeting between two women where they discover the different boundaries of freedom, security, fear and happiness.

In a quiet and beautiful narrative, Larsen created an expression of what is going on in the mind and soul of each of them.