Published in 1929, the book tells the story of two childhood friends, Irene and Clare, who end up taking different paths. Both are raised in Harlem, a neighborhood in New York, and “are light-skinned blacks who can pass for white.” While Irene accepts her origin and her color, Clare ends up making decisions based on the idea of passing for a white woman in society.

The differences in the lives of the two characters eventually produce an uncomfortable shock when Irene and Clare meet again as adults. Irene lives an enviable life, having married a black husband who loves her, has two children and a good financial condition. However, Clare's return awakens questions in the character and puts her face to face with the revolting question of racism. This is because, in addition to representing the denial of a destiny that Irene chose for herself, Clare comes accompanied by a very prejudiced husband who is unaware of his wife's origins. It is a conflict of identities that ultimately shakes the old relationship between the two.

Since the narrative is presented from Irene's perspective, we end up being more influenced by her opinions about her friend's secret life. In fact, we are not presented with the reasons that led Clare to choose to forget her origin and the difficulties she faced in this process.

I found the reading simple and very interesting, not least because it brings a current perspective not so often addressed on the racial theme, but I ended up feeling a lack of a better deepening of the characters and a development of some passages (including an abrupt ending).

However, it is important to understand how important the work was for the time in which it was produced, revealing a revolutionary stance towards the existing discriminatory scenario. Born in 1891, Nella Larsen wrote only three works, but is considered one of the main influences of the “Harlem Renaissance”. An interesting work on a little-explored perspective of racial issues.

Rating: 8/10

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I read this later in the same month when I read her Harlem Renaissance contemporary Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God. Hurston's novel was truly alive and pulsating with fresh language. It was like a vibrant tapestry, filled with the colors and sounds of life. On the other hand, this one was a fossil of decorous, distancing prose. It felt old and stiff, as if it had been trapped in a time capsule. The characters here were paper-thin and uninteresting. They lacked depth and complexity, making it difficult to care about their fates. The plot hobbled along dully until the eye-rollingly melodramatic ending. It was a disappointment, to say the least. Instead of wasting your time on Passing, I would highly recommend going straight to Their Eyes Were Watching God. It is a masterpiece that will leave you breathless and longing for more.

This was an outstanding novella. It was written beautifully and was truly thought-provoking, precisely as good as I had anticipated.

I listened to an audiobook that was narrated by Tessa Thompson. Her voice was indeed pleasant to listen to, yet it was also distracting on occasions. At times, her voice would change entirely, not due to a switch in characters, but randomly, from one sentence to the next. It almost gave the impression that lines or paragraphs had been rerecorded and inserted, thereby affecting the flow of the reading.

This didn't completely spoil the experience for me, as the story was far too compelling for that. However, it was jarring and distracting at times. Additionally, her sentences would commence with a sort of warm emotion and conclude in a monotone. Was this a character choice? Or perhaps just her way of speaking? I was never certain. Her voice was lovely, but the actual reading was a little strange.

I will soon watch the Netflix film. I sincerely hope they do justice to the book!

My GR friends have penned some truly perceptive reviews of this remarkable book. It delves into the issue of racism in the 1920s, presenting it through the prism of a rekindled relationship between two women of color. At times, they find themselves "passing" as white, which adds a layer of complexity to their story.

My friends have an uncanny ability to dissect the intricate threads of underlying tensions and assumptions that hold this narrative together. Irene and Clare, despite having different life objectives and employing distinct strategies to attain their goals, are inextricably linked by their shared time and place. Larsen masterfully builds the pressure, making us increase our reading speed in anticipation of the inevitable explosion and wondering who the casualties will be.

The construction of this tragedy is very "classical," and while I found it to be insightful, I also felt that it was perhaps a bit more "artful" than necessary. Nevertheless, it is a thought-provoking read that earns a solid 3.5 stars.

The links provided, https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... and https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..., offer further in-depth perspectives on the book.