This volume encompasses Quicksand and Passing, along with three short stories.

Reportedly, this constitutes the entirety of her fiction. It is truly a great pity because there is some outstanding writing within these pages.

The words seem to dance and come alive, painting vivid pictures and evoking strong emotions.

One can't help but be drawn into the worlds she creates, experiencing the joys and sorrows of her characters.

I find myself longing for more from her pen, eager to explore further the depths of her imagination and the beauty of her prose.

It's a shame that this may be all we have, but perhaps it makes these works even more precious and值得珍惜.

This is a truly stunning collection that is absolutely worth recommending.

Every piece in this collection is a masterpiece, meticulously crafted with great attention to detail.

The designs are unique and innovative,展现出极高的艺术水准和创造力.

Whether you are a collector or simply someone who appreciates beautiful things, this collection is sure to impress you.

The variety of items in the collection ensures that there is something for everyone.

From elegant jewelry to精致的家居装饰品, each piece is a statement of style and quality.

Don't miss out on the opportunity to own a piece of this amazing collection.

It will not only enhance your personal collection but also bring a touch of luxury and beauty to your life.

Highly recommended!

Nella Larson is an author who truly merits far greater name recognition than she currently enjoys.

Her works, with their general tone and themes revolving around class, wealth, and social mobility, bear an odd and perhaps perverse resemblance to those of Edith Wharton. However, it is in Larson's confronting and exquisitely nuanced exploration of race and identity that she truly shines.

It is a genuine tragedy that she didn't produce more work. There are few authors who can cover as much ground as succinctly and effectively as Larson does in her existing body of work.

Her unique perspective and powerful storytelling offer a fresh and important contribution to the literary canon. It is high time that her talent and significance are more widely recognized and celebrated.

I read this book mainly because I have a profound interest in the literature of "Passing". I was extremely curious about Nella Larsen's short novel with that very title.

To my great surprise, "Passing" turned out to be a really good piece of work. Although the ending seemed a bit implausible to me, it still had its own charm. However, when I delved into her novel "Quicksand", I found it was even better.

It really makes me wonder why I hadn't known of this important African American woman writer before. If only I had known about her earlier, I would definitely have taught her works in Women's Literature courses. And from now on, I will surely do so.

Her outlook on women's lives is very modern, especially in her writing about an intelligent modern woman of color. It gives us a unique perspective and a deeper understanding of the complex issues and struggles that women of color face in society.

For my American Urban Societies Lit class, I had the opportunity to read "Quicksand." This novel provides a deep and thought-provoking exploration of various themes related to American urban life.

It delves into the experiences and struggles of the characters, highlighting the complex social, economic, and cultural issues that exist within the urban environment.

The author's vivid descriptions and engaging narrative style make it easy to immerse oneself in the story and understand the challenges faced by the characters.

Reading "Quicksand" has not only enhanced my understanding of American urban societies but has also given me a greater appreciation for the power of literature to shed light on important social issues.

It has made me more aware of the diverse experiences and perspectives that exist within our cities and has encouraged me to think more critically about the world around me.

Overall, it has been a valuable and enriching reading experience that I will carry with me as I continue to study and learn about American urban societies.

I can't think how I discovered Nella Larsen. It's always through some other author. At any rate I got her book, Passing, and was enthralled by it. So I got the rest of her books. They are equally fascinating.

I have always been interested in the subject of race, what constitutes race, what qualifies someone as belonging to a certain race.

This is especially true in the history of my country, the United States. Slavery produced a lot of mixed race people, thanks to the abuse of plantation owners, considering the female slave population as their personal harem. After a generation or two an entirely new race arrived, which was neither black nor white, but both. Many slaves were as white, if not whiter, than the plantation owners.

Other authors have dealt with this subject. Mark Twain does in his hilarious parody, Puddin' Head Wilson. Kate Chopin wrote a haunting short story about the same subject, which should be required reading of anyone who is interested in the history and social structure of New Orleans before the Civil War.

Charles W. Chestnut and Jean Toomer were two authors of mixed race who looked white but identified as black. Their stories often deal with the subject of racial identity.

Nella Larsen's father was a biracial man from the West Indies, who quite possibly never identified as black, and her mother was a Danish immigrant. Her father disappeared early in her life and her mother married again, this time a fellow Dane, and Nella adopted his last name of "Larsen".

I have already reviewed the story "Passing" elsewhere, so I will concentrate on the rest of Larsen's ouvre in this review. It is sadly a small body of work. I wish there was much more.

In this collection there are three short stories, each conclude with a O'Henry-esque twist. These brief tales hold the reader in suspense and pack a tight punch at the very end.

Quicksand is considered to be autobiographical. It is about Helga Crane, a pretty young woman with a Danish mother and West Indian father. Her father deserts the family and Crane and her mother live in social isolation because her American European relatives won't acknowledge her.

As an adult and her mother by now dead, Crane seeks to make sense of her identity, to find out where she belongs. Rejected by the white population, she works first in a school for black people in the South.

She hates this job because she feels the black community is backwards and unimaginative. They don't celebrate life, they endure it. She holds them in contempt and herself above them as she views herself as superior in culture and intellect.

She quits in the middle of the year and returns to Chicago looking for work, which she finally receives as the personal companion to a woman who travels and gives speeches about the race problem. This woman finds Helga a job in Harlem and a young, pretty and wealthy black widow invites her to live with her as a companion.

Through this woman Helga is introduced to progressive and liberal black and white people. At first she feels a sense of belonging, but their incessant tirade against the "racial problem" and their blatant and fierce hatred of white people, whom they blame for every single ill of the black race, grows repetitive and monotonous. Especially since this woman and her friends are all well off and would not deign to interact with the lower black classes they profess to advocate for.

Helga cannot fight against a growing sense of isolation and separation from a group of people she has come to find boorish. Again she is filled with contempt as she concludes that, while their lives are exciting, filled with social occasions and fashionable clothes and houses, they are empty on the inside. Helga comes to hate them just as she hated the poor black community in the South.

She receives a letter from her mother's family in Denmark. They want her to come live with them, so Helga takes a ship to Scandinavia. Here she is met warmly by a white group of people who treat her dramatically different than her white family back in Chicago. At first she has to get over being the only black person and eventually she does as the people in town grow used to seeing someone who looks different from them.

Her Danish family is wealthy and they take care to dress her expensively and take her to the best parties and balls and social occasions. They hope to make her an advantageous match with one of their friends.

But Helga cannot immerse herself in the culture. She does not fit in. Her family tells her she is being ridiculous. She simply cannot overcome her emotional detachment from those around her, even though they love her. A young Danish man proposes marriage to her but she is against interracial marriage. Her family asks her who she plans to marry, then? Why is she so stubborn and unreasonable? Again her contempt and hatred for others overwhelms her and she wants to leave.

Finally Helga returns to America to attend the wedding of her friend in Harlem. But when she gets there she undergoes a queer religious experience where she believes she has finally found her place. She marries a preacher and returns down South with him.

Her life becomes one of a domestic housekeeper and mother of many children. Helga throws herself into this life trying to sustain her initial fever of religious experience.

But it doesn't last and she finally "wakes up" with horror to the kind of life she has condemned herself to. She wants to run away, but she feels obligated to stay with her children.

She finally concludes that there is no hope, no meaning, no escape from herself and she gives birth to her fifth child and there the story ends.

The story is a tragedy and not for the reasons some people have asserted. I have read that it was the "white supremacist" culture of America that ruined Helga's life. But Larsen is excruciatingly honest with self-examination. She shows it is herself that is alienated.

Many people are bi-racial; every single person regardless of race of economic level suffers tragedy. There is persecution everywhere. Everyone can choose to allow their circumstances to defeat them, or to rise above them and conquer.

Nella Larsen was a crucial and integral part of the Harlem Renaissance, but she quit writing and died in obscurity. I'm afraid her own stubborn myopic view of life is what eventually defeated her.

Passing Nella Larsen



In the story, Clare's conversation skills are like a brilliant exhibition of conversational weightlifting, carefully avoiding thorny subjects like race. Race is indeed a complex and sensitive topic, and it has evolved over time. As a child, I was taught not to see differences, but now, differences are emphasized. The world has changed, and today's youth need more sophisticated forms of cognition and imagination to face the challenges ahead.



According to Maryanne Wolf in "Reader, Come Home," they will also need a range of different brain circuits. The good news is that we can acquire these circuits by reading books by authors with diverse backgrounds. Nella Larsen's "Passing" is a prime example. Published 90 years ago, this slim novella challenges our preconceived notions about race.



The title refers to the practice of some light-skinned Blacks who could "pass" as white, which was a crime in America at the time. The two central characters, Irene and Clare, both engage in passing. Clare left behind her family, culture, and society to marry a racist white man, while Irene, who married a prominent Black doctor in New York City, passes when it suits her. Their reconnection in a whites-only Chicago restaurant leads to a series of events that build slowly and lethally.



The story is filled with vivid descriptions, not just of skin color but also of other colors. Larsen uses color to create a rich and detailed world. For Irene, beige represents her cautious and reserved nature, while for Clare, bright colors like blue symbolize her bold and adventurous spirit.



Larsen was a member of the Harlem Renaissance and wrote only two novels and a few short stories. After a divorce, she returned to nursing and her depression put an end to her writing. She passed away in 1964, and it wasn't until 2018 that The New York Times printed an obituary for her.



"Passing" made me realize how much I categorize people based on their appearance. It also made me understand the importance of reading diverse books to expand our perspectives and acquire the necessary brain circuits to live in a changing world. Like Clare and Irene, we may share tea and cake, but ultimately, fate has its own plans.

Wow. Larsen’s stories possess endings that have a profound impact on you, hitting you right in the gut.

I had already read Passing, so my curiosity was piqued regarding Quicksand. It commences in a highly relatable manner, with a young introverted teacher pondering about the meaning and purpose of it all, rebelling against the system, and giving in to her wanderlust. However, Helga Crane is an entirely different entity, and she has her own personal tragedy. I earnestly hope that nobody is still subjected to it to the same degree (yet I am aware that certain aspects of it still prevail rampantly). She may not be likeable, but given her background and the American sociopolitical system, one can hardly fault her. She deserves credit for attempting to discover a place for herself and an identity that suits her, and for listening to her intuition.

I am deeply struck by how these two novellas are not only significantly about race but also offer incisive perspectives on class, female friendships, marriage, motherhood, and education. They are highly feminist, featuring tenacious women who continuously envision more for themselves and strive to turn it into a reality. I watched The Lost Daughter last week, and Helga Crane and Clare Kendry bear resemblances to Lena Caruso or Nina in their captivating, determined, and somewhat sympathetic yet chaotic ways.

Larsen’s three short stories are also pulpy and memorable, albeit perhaps not as hard-hitting due to their brevity.

Nella Larsen's use of language is truly distinct and unique. At first, it had the effect of putting me off. However, as I delved deeper into her works, I found that it gradually grew on me.

This book is a compilation of three short stories and two novella-length pieces, namely "Quicksand" and "Passing". The short stories, while a bit more of the pot-boiler variety, still held my interest. I particularly enjoyed "Sanctuary", and to a lesser extent, "Freedom".

Among the two novellas, "Quicksand" presented a greater challenge for me as I found the main character rather unlikeable. On the other hand, "Passing", which is about an African American woman living "passing" as a white woman, was far more interesting. The complex relationships between the characters effectively added to the tension of the situation.

Larsen's fiction reveals surprisingly modern attitudes about race and class. This led me to ponder why I was so surprised to encounter such themes in literature from the 1920s. If you have an interest in learning more about the African American middle- to upper-middle class during the 1920s, Larsen is definitely worth a read. In fact, this book is a great addition to the Harlem Renaissance canon.

I absolutely adored "Quicksand"!

The writing within it is astonishingly precise, with every word carefully chosen to paint a vivid picture.

The feelings that are depicted are so incredibly universal that they resonate deeply within the reader.

"Passing" was also a good work, but when compared to "Quicksand", it simply paled in comparison for me.

"Quicksand" offers such intense and vivid descriptions that it truly brings the story to life.

The longings and repulsions are articulated so eloquently and evocatively that one can't help but be drawn into the narrative.

It's a literary masterpiece that leaves a lasting impression and makes me eager to explore more of the author's works.

Overall, I would highly recommend "Quicksand" to anyone who appreciates fine literature and wants to experience a story that will touch their heart and soul.

I had an extremely difficult time getting through the book.

Particularly, "Passng" was a challenge for me. I simply didn't enjoy Laren's writing style. It seemed overly focused on delving into the characters' interior lives, but in a way that made it rather unclear what was actually happening in real life (IRL).

It's difficult to explain this without potentially spoiling major plot points.

Suffice it to say that if you're not truly a fan of deep psychological drama, then this might not be the book that suits you.

You might find it hard to engage with the story and the way it's told.

The emphasis on the characters' inner thoughts and emotions might overshadow the actual events and make it a less enjoyable read for those who prefer a more straightforward narrative.

However, if you do enjoy exploring the complex inner workings of characters and don't mind a bit of ambiguity, then you might find something to appreciate in this book.

But for me, it was a struggle to get through.

I ultimately skimmed the last pieces of it. This was because I had been slogging through it, and every time I read it, I felt down as hell. I'm not sure if this is on me alone or if it's a valid criticism. I haven't a clue. However, the author is captivating. When she's good, she's very good. I got the feeling that she did the writing equivalent of skimming at times anyway. So... so. :)

Perhaps the story had lost its momentum towards the end, causing me to lose interest. Or maybe my own state of mind affected my perception. It's hard to say for sure. But despite my skimming, I could still appreciate the author's talent. There were moments when her writing really shone, and I was fully engaged.

Overall, it was a bit of a mixed experience. I'm glad I read it, but I also feel a bit disappointed. Maybe I'll give it another chance someday and see if I can pick up on more of the nuances. For now, though, I'll just have to accept that it didn't quite hit the mark for me.