It is highly recommended that you do not read the introduction before delving into the novellas. The reason for this is that the introduction has a tendency to spoil the endings of both. Once you know how the story will conclude, it can significantly reduce the element of surprise and anticipation that comes with reading a novella. By avoiding the introduction initially, you allow yourself to fully immerse in the narrative, following the twists and turns of the plot without any prior knowledge of the outcome. This way, you can experience the full range of emotions and engage with the story on a deeper level. So, when approaching these novellas, remember to resist the temptation to read the introduction first and instead let the story unfold naturally before your eyes.

My heart ached throughout the whole of the novel.

Each story within it was like a beautiful piece of prose, so reflective and deeply thought-provoking.

The words seemed to dance off the pages, painting vivid pictures in my mind and tugging at my emotions.

I found myself completely immersed in the world created by the author, experiencing every joy and sorrow along with the characters.

The novel had a profound impact on me, making me question my own beliefs and values.

It was a truly remarkable piece of literature that I will not soon forget.

Even now, long after I have finished reading, the story still lingers in my heart, causing it to ache with a strange mix of sadness and longing.

I can't help but wonder what would have happened if the characters had made different choices, or if the circumstances had been altered.

The novel has left me with a sense of wonder and a desire to explore more works like it.

It has opened my eyes to the power of words and the beauty that can be found within the pages of a book.

Quicksand is truly a gut-punching experience.

At the outset, it gives the impression of being a coming-of-age tale that one might compare to Catcher in the Rye. The protagonist is a bright young individual, a Black woman attending college in the 1920s, grappling with an existential crisis.

However, as the story unfolds, it does not develop in the way one might anticipate. Larsen's writing, on the other hand, is of an excellent caliber.

Her prose is rich, vivid, and engaging, drawing the reader in and making them feel as if they are right there with the characters, experiencing their joys, sorrows, and inner turmoil.

The way she describes the setting, the emotions, and the relationships is truly masterful, making Quicksand a must-read for anyone interested in literature that explores the human condition.

Larsen's style is truly remarkable. It is characteristically breathless, filled with hyperbole and intensity, and perhaps a bit gauche. In this extremely well-conceived tale, it runs to melodrama as it tells the story of two light-skinned Black schoolfriends whose paths cross again after twelve years.

The point-of-view figure, Irene, is now respectably married into the black haute bourgeoisie. She recalls possibly scurrilous stories of her friend Clare Kendry, who had gained a reputation for chasing after white men. Clare's father was a janitor, but her antecedents were better. Clare herself is mercurial, with a captivating manner that is 'polite[ly] insolent'. Irene doesn't like her or consider her a soulmate for a moment, yet she finds it impossible to refuse Clare's solicitations for company and affection.

It turns out that Clare spends her life 'passing' as a Latin American, a Gypsy, or someone of Mediterranean heritage. Her husband, a bullet-headed figure in banking, 'hates' Black people in the coarsest and most unreconstructed terms. When Clare returns to Chicago (Irene lives in Harlem and her restless husband is an unflagging hospital doctor), she subjects Irene and another schoolfriend to the'mortification' of having to hide who they really are to cover for her out of 'race' sympathy.

In the story's 'finale', Clare, almost against her will, is drawn to the intermixing of Black people and white philanthropists, celebrities, 'liberals', and opportunists where Irene is a mover and hostess. When Irene suspects that her 'friend' is involved in soothing her husband's desire to go to Brazil, she puts an end to a swerved encounter with Clare's white partner and brings about the inevitable denouement.

Nella Larsen's fictional output was rather limited. In fact, her entire published work consists of just two novellas and a few short stories.

I had the impression that the novellas "Quicksand" and "Passing" were the creations of a writer who hadn't yet fully reached the pinnacle of her abilities. That being stated, both of them are quite powerful, with "Passing" being particularly remarkable. "Quicksand" tends to meander a bit too much and fails to truly get to the core of its central character. However, "Passing" is a skillful and perceptive piece of work, featuring a twist that caught me off guard.

Both novels, set and written in the late 1920s, deal with the themes of being mixed race and Black people "passing" as white. They explore the sense of rootlessness or detachment that their main characters experience due to their mixed-race heritage. They also provide an in-depth look into Black culture during that time, especially the experiences of middle-class women. Without a doubt, these works are well worth checking out.

After reading these two powerful short stories, Nella Larsen has firmly established herself as one of my favorite authors.

Both stories exquisitely portray the restless and beleaguered spirit of intelligent, young, black women in 20th century America. What truly strikes me is the remarkable degree to which I can relate to the feelings, emotions, and internal struggles of the characters.

Although it was a different era, I believe that many women, particularly women of color, will find a deep resonance with the suffocating limitations imposed by race, class, and gender that the characters encounter.

In 21st century America, significant changes have occurred, yet a great deal remains unchanged.

This is precisely why Larsen's stories continue to be so profoundly relevant in the present day. Her works offer a poignant and timely exploration of the enduring challenges faced by women, serving as a powerful reminder of the progress that has been made and the work that still lies ahead.

After reading both of these novels, I was truly saddened to discover that due to some scandal regarding plagiarism, Larsen abandoned her writing.

It is such a pity because her works had shown great promise and potential. The stories she told were engaging and thought-provoking, leaving a lasting impression on me.

I can't help but wish, over and over again, that she had continued to write. Imagine the countless more wonderful novels and characters she could have created.

Her decision to give up writing feels like a great loss to the literary world. I hope that one day, she might find the courage and inspiration to return to her craft and share her unique voice with us once more.

Nella Larsen, a prominent figure of the Harlem Renaissance, penned two remarkable novellas, Quicksand and Passing. For decades, these works were consigned to oblivion until they were resurrected by the American Women Writers Series from Rutgers University in the 1980s. Among the two, Passing has achieved greater fame, even being adapted into a movie in 2021.

Both stories hold significant importance in American literature and history. After enduring the condescension and racism of writers like Thorton Wilder and Thomas Wolfe, it is truly refreshing to hear a black woman's voice. Quicksand, the earlier of the two, is less refined compared to Passing. The protagonist, Helga Crane, is temperamental and impulsive. Similar to Wharton's Lily Bart, Helga has numerous opportunities that slip away, leading to disastrous consequences. Eventually, she finds herself trapped in the "quicksand" of marriage. This story serves as a poignant reminder of the plight of women deprived of birth control and medical care.

Passing, on the other hand, is smoother and more suspenseful, yet the circumstances seem more unfamiliar. Clare Kendry, the focus of the story, is an African American passing as white. Her husband is openly racist, yet remains oblivious to his wife's deception. Clare yearns for the company of her black friends and reconnects with her childhood friend Irene. Irene experiences alternating feelings of attraction and repulsion towards Clare. The editor, Deborah McDowell, posits that there is a repressed sexual attraction between the women, but I was unable to detect it, even when actively seeking it.
There was an entire genre of stories about African-Americans passing as whites, all of which ended badly for the "perpetrator." This story is no exception. However, at the beginning, Irene is shown passing for white in a rooftop restaurant, casting doubt on her moral stance. In our multi-racial society, the idea of deceiving someone into believing you are white seems rather foreign.

Quicksand and Passing offer valuable insights into the experiences and struggles of black women during a particular era in American history.

Nella Larsen's stories are an absolute delight to read. I truly enjoy both of them, and her writing style is simply captivating. She is an extremely skillful writer, as demonstrated by her well-crafted sentences that flow effortlessly.

The way she portrays the "tragic heroine" or "tragic mulatto" is deeply touching. You can't help but empathize with the heroines and their struggles. You share their joys and sorrows, and both stories, especially "Quicksand," are truly moving.

The themes of whether to "pass" for white and the tragedy of a loveless marriage tug at your heartstrings. Helga Crane's story is particularly haunting and still resonates with me. The idea of being trapped and unhappy, yet having no choice but to do what's best for her family, is truly tragic. Larsen shows that beauty can be a curse, and having everything on the surface doesn't guarantee happiness.

What really sets Larsen apart is her writing style. It is so evocative, visual, and sensuous that her descriptions, especially of the heroines, are simply breathtaking. She also brings their surroundings to life in a vivid and engaging way.

I'm in awe of Larsen, considering that some of these stories were loosely based on her own childhood and experiences as a woman of mixed heritage. The prevalent themes of sexuality and "otherness" are both interesting and thought-provoking. It's a shame that Larsen didn't have a happy childhood or romantic life, and her work didn't receive the recognition it deserved. However, for me, she will always be one of my favorite writers of the Harlem Renaissance.

Someone should definitely make a film of both stories. I would love to watch it and see Larsen's beautiful stories come to life on the big screen.

I finally read this (only Passing). The amount of racism and the underlying fear and violence is truly incredible. There is also jealousy among the women. The men, whether black or white, seem to have control over the women. In addition to the destructive impact of racism, there are so many other themes. Is Clare trying to regain her identity? Larsen shows us that it is impossible.

The story delves deep into the complex and often painful issues of race, identity, and gender. It makes us think about how these factors interact and shape the lives of the characters. The descriptions are vivid, and the emotions are palpable. We can feel the struggles and the heartaches of the characters as they try to navigate through a world that is full of prejudice and discrimination.

Overall, "Passing" is a powerful and thought-provoking novel that leaves a lasting impression on the reader. It makes us question our own assumptions and biases and forces us to confront the reality of racism and its consequences. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in exploring these important themes.

In many respects, Larsen portrays her female characters as Romantic heroines who find themselves ensnared within a Naturalist novel. As the poet W.B. Yeats has eloquently put it, they are “sick with desire and fastened to a dying animal.” This dying animal manifests in numerous ways in "Quicksand" and "Passing." It can be seen in sterile or racist environments, such as Naxos and Clare's home life with Bellew.

It also extends to the fragile limitations of the female body and the institutions of marriage and the responsibilities of motherhood. In a cruel paradox, the sordid “dying animal” can even be the very desire and restlessness itself, as Larsen reveals about Helga in "Quicksand": “There was something else, some other more ruthless force, a quality within herself, which was frustrating her, had always frustrated her, kept her from getting the things she had wanted. Still wanted.”

This work is highly recommended for those who have a penchant for delving into the complex issues surrounding race and the theme of the “tragic mulatta.” It offers a profound exploration of these topics, shedding light on the struggles and dilemmas faced by the female characters in Larsen's fictional world.

The combination of these two powerful novels is simply and perfectly amazing.

I am truly glad that I discovered Nella Larsen, yet I am also saddened to learn that her extraordinary career, being the first black female creative writer awarded a Guggenheim, was unfortunately a short one.

In "Quicksand", Helga Crane, a perhaps autobiographical half-black, half-Danish young woman, constantly feels alone due to her otherness. Whether she is at an all-black academic campus, with relatives in Copenhagen, or surrounded by friends and admirers in Harlem, Helga Crane remains a constant outlier. She is isolated by her pro-assimilation, anti-segregation stance.

The protagonist in "Passing" is Irene Redfield. She is similar to Helga in her discomfort, pride, and shame, but she is of a much more logical nature. "Passing" is a tragic thriller. The character development in both of these novels is truly exquisite, drawing the reader in and making them fully invested in the lives and struggles of the characters.

It is a pity that Nella Larsen's career was so short, but her works have left a lasting impact and continue to be studied and admired today.