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    Passing
    Passing
    Passing
    Audiobook3 hours

    Passing

    Written by Nella Larsen

    Narrated by Geoffrey Giuliano and & The Ark

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    Passing is a novel by American author Nella Larsen, first published in 1929. Set primarily in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City in the 1920s, the story centers on the reunion of two childhood friends—Clare Kendry and Irene Redfield—and their increasing fascination with each other's lives 


    A must for all students, teachers, and lovers of the epitome of the mile-high artfulness of the English language and how beautifully it can carry timeless tales within it. A rare audiobook treasury.


    Nellallitea "Nella" Larsen was an American novelist. Working as a nurse and a librarian, she published two novels, Quicksand and Passing, and a few short stories. Though her literary output was scant, she earned recognition by her contemporaries

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherIcon Audio Arts
    Release dateOct 16, 2022
    ISBN9798887674988
    Author

    Nella Larsen

    Nella Larsen was born Nellie Walker in 1891 in Chicago. Her mother was a Danish immigrant and her father an immigrant from the Danish West Indies. Larsen attended school in all white environments in Chicago until she moved to Nashville to attend high school. Larsen later practiced nursing, and from 1922 to 1926, served as a librarian at the New York Public Library. After resigning from this position, Larsen began her literary career by writing her first novel, Quicksand (1928), which won her the Harmon Foundation’s bronze medal. After the publication of her second novel, Passing (1929), Larsen was awarded the first Guggenheim Fellowship given to an African American woman, establishing her as a premier novelist of the Harlem Renaissance. Nella Larsen died in New York in 1964.

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    Reviews for Passing

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    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this book and will be purchasing a physical copy to re-read and annotate. The writing is poignant, beautiful, and sometimes difficult, but do not disappoint in evoking emotion. I often found myself experiencing the same foreboding and heart quickening feeling as the main character. The fear that comes with "passing" is something that I will never personally experience, but to imagine living a lie and having to abandon all you know in pursuit of another life that ultimately is not all that you thought it would be and only to end up missing something as little as the laughter of your people, it's sad. I hate that I came across this book so late in life, but I'm nevertheless thankful that I have had the privilege to experience it. This is easily one of my favorite reads and will stick with me forever.

      Shoutout to booktuber Bree Hill for putting me on to this must read.

      4.5 stars
    • 4/5
      Second read reviewI reread this sooner than I would have liked for a book club. My first read was by audiobook last fall. This time I read a physical copy of the book. I think the audiobook is actually better. During my second read, Larsen's writing never reached a point of feeling smooth or effortless. Sentence construction and vocab choices felt a little awkward at times. It may have been because I'd read this so recently and my mind wasn't completely engaged, but I know the awkwardness is completely unnoticeable in the audiobook.During this second read, the biggest thing I took away was when this story was placed, shortly after the war. It made Brian easier to understand as a character. In matters of race, I also felt like Brian, Irene, and Clare represented a solid spectrum of how black people deal with racism in America. Brian is incredibly relatable, Irene is incredibly familiar, and I imagine most black people have known at least one Clare. The discussions these three characters have around race are so classic and enduring. They are the same discussions I've had with family and friends throughout my life.I know some people read queerness in this book, so I tried to look out for it in this read, but I just don't see it. Irene and Clare's dynamic reminds me so much of a platonic friendship I had in my twenties. And Irene's loveless marriage didn't feel like it was anything deeper than a woman of her time not having many options. So, I won't be adding this to my own queer lit canon. But still an enjoyable read.First read reviewThis book is tale of "fuck around and find out" and "play stupid games, win stupid prizes." Irene is a dream protagonist. I love watching a mature, socially competent, self-assured woman go through a difficult situation. And the difficult situation in this novel is Irene's cuckoo, passing childhood friend breezing back into her life. Irene is such a charming character with her ability to navigate all spaces and situations so eloquently while keeping true to herself and her core desires. And her cuckoo passing friend, Clare is a lovely antihero or villain. I have a special fondness for bad mothers. The first half of the book sets up their dynamic and things quickly begin ratcheting up for a very tense ending. Incredible. I will say that Larsen is very straightforward about Irene's core desires and Clare's personality flaws, which are in direct conflict. I'm not so sure she had to be. Leaving it for the reader to figure out may have made it a little more engaging or mysterious or impactful. But no, this is a rather straight-forward story with an only slightly mysterious ending. Still, incredibly enjoyable.
    • 3/5
      For Harlem Renaissance, but a good and earth-shattering read. Irene's mind was expressed flawlessly.
    • 5/5
      I don't know why, every time I read a book published decades before I was born, I continue to be astonished at how great and "readable" it is. Maybe it's lingering self-doubt from having to read and comprehend Shakespeare at a breakneck pace in high school. Whatever it is, it's a shame because it keeps me from experiencing books like Passing. This slight novel turned out to be much more than I anticipated. It had been a while since I had read a synopsis, and I am so thankful because the dark twist caught me off-guard. This is a haunting book and reads nearly like it was written today. I would have gladly swapped it for Shakespeare.
    • 5/5
      Page turner! The end leaves you wondering why?
    • 4/5
      A very quick and easy read that must have been quite controversial when it was written. Passing is the story of two black women who are so light skinned they can pass for white. One is married to a black man, the other who is married to a white man who does not know that she has"negro blood."
    • 3/5
      I keep waffling between 3 and 4 stars. There were moments of brilliance when I just wanted to run up to someone and shove the pages of this book in their face. "Read this! Read this!" I wanted to blurt out at the person closest to me. But, then the story got predictable real fast. I sometimes have little patience for characters who do painfully stupid things.
    • 4/5
      A short novel about a woman who crossed the color line in 1920s New York/Chicago. After her parents' deaths, teen Clare was sent to love with her elderly white aunts in New York. And with that, she successfully crossed the color line, marrying a wealthy white businessman.But that meant she could not go back to Chicago, and had to let those friends go. And her husband teases her for how dark she gets in the sun. They have a daughter, Clare is beautiful, but when she runs into her childhood friend Irene some 20 years later, she admits she misses the culture she grew up in and the people she grew up with, despite wondering why more don't cross just for the convenience.But she is playing with fire. Visiting Irene and another friend or two, making new friends, attending events in Harlem. She must know this won't end well--Irene is worried.
    • 4/5
      Nella Larsen’s use of color in “Passing” is apropos since it’s a story about different women who can racially pass as white and the attendant problems of identity within different social circles. It’s also the first time the two main characters have met in years. The idea of passing could also refer to marital infidelity or transitory relationships or, simply, the brief glimpse a person may get of themselves —that moment of stark lucidity before the mirror. There’s a lot going on here. But the author’s use of color is as beautiful, original and evocative as it is pervasive. “Brilliant red patches flamed in Irene Redfield’s warm olive cheeks.” “A waiter passed her, followed by a sweetly scented woman in a fluttering dress of green chiffon whose mingled pattern of narcissuses, jonquils, and hyacinths was a reminder of pleasantly chill spring days.”“Irene watched her spread out her napkin, saw the silver spoon in the white hand slit the dull gold of the melon.”“Entering, Irene found herself in a sitting room, large and high, at whose windows hung startling blue draperies which triumphantly dragged attention from the gloomy chocolate-colored furniture. And Clare was wearing a thin floating dress of the same shade of blue, which suited her and the rather difficult room to perfection.”“A pale rose color came into Clare’s ivory cheeks.”“Clare, exquisite, golden, fragrant, in a stately gown of shining black taffeta, whose long, full skirt lay in graceful folds about her slim golden feet; her glistening hair drawn smoothly back into a small twist at the nape of her neck; her eyes sparkling like dark jewels. Irene, with her new rose-colored chiffon frock ending at the knees, and her cropped curls, felt dowdy and commonplace.”“Clare fair and golden, like a sunlit day. Hazelton dark, with gleaming eyes, like a moonlit night.”“Irene couldn’t remember ever having seen her look better. She was wearing a superlatively simple cinnamon-brown frock which brought out all her vivid beauty, and a little golden bowl of a hat. Around her neck hung a string of amber beads that would easily have made six or eight like one Irene owned. Yes, she was stunning.”“The day was an exceptionally cold one, with a strong wind that had whipped a dusky red into Felise’s smooth golden cheeks and driven moisture into Irene’s soft brown eyes.”OK, so I know that’s a lot to drop in an FB post, but that’s the power color has in this book. It’s a cumulative power. And all that paint builds up like impasto and makes you aware of each individual line in the brush strokes. The pain, the jealousy, the struggles, the frustration, the awe, the heartbreak—it’s all in there. Layers upon layers of gorgeously tormented meetings in the passing between humans. From race to race, sex to sex, social class to class, we all leave our thick lines in the paint. Will it compliment or contrast our idea of our own existence when we see it—when we happen upon that glimpse in the passing?“Her whole body went taut. In that second she saw that she could bear anything, but only if no one knew that she had anything to bear. It hurt. It frightened her, but she could bear it.”Goddamnit, Nella Larsen. You wrote a book that will have a far greater effect on me than the title would otherwise suggest.
    • 4/5
      Written in 1929 during the Harlem Renaissance, Passing by Nella Larsen tells the story of two biracial and light-skinned black women who can pass as white. One, Clare, has married a racist white man who is completely unaware of her past and her identity. Irene, the other, has married a black physician and has no real wish to pass. However when she is tired after a shopping trip, she stops for tea at a whites only tea room where the two women encounter each other. They had grown up in the same neighbourhood but haven’t seen each other since childhood until this meeting. The encounter will lead to unexpected and eventually tragic consequences for both women.Passing is a very short book that packs a huge wallop. It is an intriguing, surprisingly suspenseful, and very insightful book about racial identity and attitudes that still resonates today. There is also an exploration of the tensions that develop between women, between the sexes, and between classes. Irene acts as narrator albeit an untrustworthy one adding a layer of ambiguity to the story and this ambiguity is nowhere more evident than at the end, one that was completely unexpected at least by me. This is not an easy or even a comfortable read but it is an important one and I recommend it highly.Thanks to Edelweiss+ and Restless Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
    • 5/5
      I am simply in awe of this writing talent. A short read, yet brimming with detail and nuance. Timeless and brilliant.
    • 4/5
      The second novella from Nella Larsen, lost writer of the Harlem Renaissance. In this book, Irene reconnects with her childhood friend Clare, who is passing for white in a marriage with a typical white racist of the Jazz Era. Irene's physician husband Brian wants to leave the US for Brazil, where he is convinced that their sons will be able to avoid a childhood of suffering from extreme racism. Irene, however, is a "race woman" who is very comfortable in her middle class Harlem life and is a control freak to boot, keeping her husband and boys in line. Clare, a "sheba", is a symbol of all that is free and wild and there is an underlying sexual tension between the women that Irene greatly fears. In fact, under her staid life, Irene is the sum of many fears, and Clare ends up suffering for them. I loved this book and thought that Larsen did an amazing job voicing Irene's inner thoughts. Wow, would this make a movie, comparable to "Their Eyes Were Watching God".
    • 2/5
      2.5 stars
      One of the strangest books I've read, it's about a woman, Clare, in 1920s New York, who as a light-skinned POC, passes as a huera. In fact, she's married to a racist white man who openly admits that he hates POC, yet he doesn't know he's married to a black woman.
      It was apparently a thing, in the 1920s, for White people to go to Harlem and hang out with POC, in their clubs. I believe this is what later came to be known as "slumming."
      But the characters in this story are all bourgeois, so neither color of characters are acting natural; it feels too much like they're all reading lines off a manuscript. Check out this unbelievable line from the character who is modeled after Carl Van Vechten, a white novelist of the time who wrote a book about POC with an offensive title. At a dance, he asks Irene, a bougie black who was a childhood friend of Clare's, who the beautiful blonde was:
      " 'She's a girl I used to know a long time ago in Chicago. And she wanted especially to meet you.'
      'S' awfully good of her, I'm sure. And now, alas! The usual thing's happened. All these others, these - er - "gentlemen of colour" have driven a mere Nordic from her mind.'
      'Stuff!'
      'S' a fact, and what happens to all the ladies of my Superior race who are lured up here. Look at Bianca. Have I laid eyes on her tonight except in spots, here and there, being twirled about by some Ethiopian? I have not.' " P.76

      The author several times has her POC characters refer to themselves as "children of Ham." In the explanatory notes, it says: "Ham's dark children; (Genesis 10:6 - 20), in the Biblical Table of Nations, the descendants of Noah's son Ham are the Semitic - speaking people of Canaan, then belonging to Egypt, and the hamitic - speak speaking people of northern Africa, including Egypt, Ethiopia, and Nubia." P.121
      And also:
      " '...sons and Daughters of Ham': (Genesis 9:20 - 27), "literally, the Canaanites, the descendants of Ham, one of the three sons of Noah, saved from God's destruction of a wicked World by flooding. Ham was punished for mocking his father's drunkenness and nakedness. Ham's punishment for disrespecting his father fell upon his children who were cursed to become the slaves of his brothers' children; slaveholders in the United States applied this biblical account to Africans and used it as a justification for slavery." P.117
    • 4/5
      The number of commas renders some of the sentences stilted, so the writing is a bit off-putting. The characters of Irene and Clare, two mixed-race women who pass for different reasons and once childhood acquaintances, meet as adults. One selfish and self-centered, heedless of the harm she causes, the other self-sacrificing and jealous and only too aware of "doing the right thing." An unreliable narrator and the question of passing drives the story, but the personalities of the two women, so different but the same creates the tension and the ambiguous end.
    • 4/5
      This novel is a remarkable story of two early twentieth century African American women who had grown up together but whose lives diverged as they grew up. When a chance encounter brings them together again after a number of years, we learn that one married a black man and became active in the Harlem Renaissance; the other -- who was light-skinned enough to "pass" -- married a white man (a racist one, at that), leaving her heritage and previous identity behind. Can one truly reinvent oneself? How succesfully can one construct a self out of nothing? The ending was a shocker.
    • 4/5
      Great book, quick read. Passing is the story of two women who are black and grew up as childhood friends in Chicago. It was published in 1929 and is set in Harlem Renaissance period, a period covering from 1918 to 1930 and is a time period of black culture/art. It did not just occur in Harlem New York but that might be the largest setting. This is a story of race and choices. One girl chose to escape her culture and married a white man and did not tell him. The other girl, Irene, married within her race and it is her story as well. There is a third choice but that girl only has a small part in the book. She married white but he knew she was black. That is just one layer of this great book. Passing is not the first book to be written about Passing; not the first book to examine Passing, The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man,The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson, The Father of Désirée's Baby, The Garies and Their Friends but this book does offer a inventive approach and fresh ideas to the topic, showing how even though one married black and lived as black she was still creating her own fiction. The story is great with an interesting conclusion. I guess I didn't see that coming but when it was done, I also was not surprised. And the ending remains ambiguous, IMO. The characters are great. It is highly readable. Achievement: 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (2006/2008/2010/2012 Edition), Guardian 1000 (State of the nation), 500 Great Books by Women (Choices), David Bowie's Top 100 (1929). The book is told from Irene's POV and some is her stream of conscious and some her interactions.
    • 5/5
      This short classic, set in New York City, was originally published in 1929 during the Harlem Renaissance. It examined the phenomenon of “passing” – a black person acting as a white person. Of course, the American context has changed significantly since 1929. The concept of race is now, thankfully, widely considered a social construct, without any biological merit. The concept of passing, though still present on occasion, is less of an issue.Nonetheless, Larsen gives us insight into how a culture obsessed with race, as early twentieth-century America was, can sometimes devolve into strange scenarios. In this particular scenario, Irene Redfield lives a comfortable life in Harlem with her physician-husband and children. Notably, she has light skin, but lives as an African American. She becomes reacquainted with a childhood friend Claire Bellew/Kendry. Claire, likewise, has light skin, but effectively “passes” as a white woman with a white husband. Even Claire’s husband does not know of her black lineage.By resuming a loose friendship with Irene, Claire realizes a spiritual longing for the black community in Harlem. Perhaps this is innate, due to her upbringing; perhaps this stems from living some kind of inauthentic existence. Nonetheless, Claire begins to spend time secretly with Irene whenever Claire’s husband is out of town on business. The husband, however, is openly racist and routinely uses the n-word. The obvious instability in this scenario ends up playing out in a shocking manner.In a post-George Floyd era, this book addresses timely issues such as how race affects how we interact in the world. Race in 1920s America is different than race in the 2020s, granted, but we aren’t so far as to be fully colorblind. To cite Cornel West, race still matters. Thus, contemporary readers should not treat this classic as a mere relic of the past.Should people be made to feel ashamed of their race? Is it all about how one presents one’s self? What role does authenticity have to play with the construct of race? This book’s style is easily accessible by many, even youth (though it does contain the n-word). At around 150 pages, it doesn’t take long to read either. In perusing it, perhaps we will find out that the world of the 1920s isn’t all that much different from today’s inequities.
    • 4/5
      Childhood friends Irene Redfield and Clare Kendry reconnect after many years. Irene has remained in the black community of her youth, while Clare has married a bigoted white man who does not know his wife is of mixed race. Clare misses a feeling of community and befriends Irene’s family, spending time at their house and attending local functions. Irene is not completely comfortable with her old friend and is troubled by her decision to “pass.” This troubled feeling is at the heart of the book.

      The story is narrated in third person from Irene’s perspective. It examines loyalty, longing, respect, risk-taking, and identity. I read it as both an indictment of racism and a portrayal of the heavy personal cost of social mores that require racial categorization. It was published in 1929, during a time when “separate but equal” was the law of the land in the US. I was unprepared for the ending and it offers the reader many possible interpretations. I can see why this book is considered a classic.
    • 4/5
      Passing is largely set in Harlem, but it begins with a chance meeting between two childhood friends from Chicago, Irene Redfield, a light skinned African American woman who married to a Black physician and is living in upper class Harlem society, and Clare Kendry, who is also light skinned, but decided to pass for White, marry an overt racist, Jack Bellew, and remain in Chicago. Clare recognizes Irene after she escapes the summer heat by going to a rooftop restaurant in Chicago during a visit to the city, and they re-establish ties. The two are able to pass for White, and when Clare's husband joins them his vicious denigration of Blacks, and Clare's acceptance of his remarks, deeply offends Irene, who vows to have nothing further to do with Clare. Clare, however, is both manipulative and persistent, and since she wishes to surreptitiously see Irene again and re-enter Black society, she manages to convince Irene to invite her to social events in Harlem, which her husband Jack is unaware of.The relationship between the two women strengthens, despite Irene's disapproval of Clare's passing as White, but it ultimately puts a strain on Irene's marriage, and on Clare's, as her standing and financial stability is dependent on keeping her racist husband in the dark about her true heritage, as she spends ever more time in the company of her newfound Black friends.Passing, which was the inspiration for a critically acclaimed film produced and directed by Rebecca Hall in 2021 that is currently available for viewing on Netflix, was a revealing look into the lives of mixed race African Americans in the 1920s, both those who identified as Black and suffered from racial prejudice and lack of equal educational, job and housing opportunities, and those who crossed over the White world and enjoyed its benefits, as long as their true heritage remained a secret. The novel was undoubtedly more powerful and groundbreaking after its release in 1929 than it is currently, but it is still an important and relevant work, and a well written and compelling book.
    • 4/5
      I've gotten to the point in my reading life where I can frequently predict what's going to happen in a book. Whether it's a result of reading so voraciously for so many years or from my knowledge of story structure, themes or being able to interpret subtext and recognize foreshadowing, I'm not sure. Of course, I'm not always right, but my batting average is pretty darn good. That's why books that surprise me in some what always end up as favorites. The ending of Passing surprised me, though it probably shouldn't have.

      Larsen pulls off a neat trick by making the reader believe this book is about blacks passing as whites and the pull black culture retains over those who "pass." It is a thematic red herring. What this book is really about is one woman's determination to preserve her way of life, social standing and family. Irene is a wonderfully complex character who was alternately sympathetic and a little scary in her single-minded pursuit of her own will.

      Great book. Recommended.
    • 4/5
      Quick, tightly written piece that reminded me of Katherine Mansfield, with a well-rendered mix of interior struggles, interpersonal cruelty, and a thoughtful exploration of the intricacies of racial identity in America. A breezy read that is never unengaging, though the ending wraps up in a sort of pat and typical fashion that is neither satisfying nor surprising. I'm am surprised that I never read this in high school or college (read a good share of Harlem Renaissance literature), I'm glad to see it is getting some well-deserved attention recently. I listened to the Tessa Thompson-read audiobook and her delivery was expert and nuanced.
    • 4/5
      This novella was written in 1929 by Black author Nella Larsen, who was part of the Harlem Renaissance. It is a complex look at racial identity in the 1920s. The title refers to the idea of Black women "passing" in society as white women. First off, we need to realize that at this time in America, any amount of black heritage made you Black, or Negro, which was the common term at the time. The novella focuses on two women who both could pass for white. One is Irene, who identifies as Black, is married to a Black man, and part of her Black community. She does, however, "take advantage" of her appearance sometimes. In the opening scene, she is visiting her hometown Chicago on a hot summer day. She feels faint and a taxi driver, presumably white, rescues her and takes her to a restaurant to get a glass of tea. We can also presume that she would not be allowed in this restaurant if she wasn't "passing" for white. There she meets a childhood friend, Clare, who is passing as white as well. Clare, however, has married a white man without telling him of her heritage. Clare misses her Black community though, and pushes Irene to reintroduce her to this society with disastrous consequences. This brief novel is an interesting look at race in the 1920s. It was uncomfortable for me to read. Much has changed in the past 100 years, but obviously not enough. I've certainly never read a book that so honestly addressed this single issue. I would say that I enjoyed Larsen's [Quicksand] more than this, but this is an important book about race in the U.S. and I definitely recommend it. Original publication date: 1929Author’s nationality: AmericanOriginal language: EnglishLength: 94 pagesRating: 3.5 starsFormat/where I acquired the book: kindle Why I read this: 1001 books group read
    • 4/5
      This is a great novel concerning 'passing', which refers to black people who have light enough skin to pass as white people, especially Clare, who uses passing to improve her social status. However, the conflict begins when she wants to be reunited with the black community and her reputation in the white community in tact. She employs Irene, who despises Clare for passing and also threatening her secure and safe middle class lifestyle. But if Irene doesn't help Clare, she will feel as if she is betraying her race because they are from the same race. There is only one solution to the problem, but I don't want to spoil the ending for you. Larsen is an excellent write for this, and makes drama real.
    • 4/5
      I found the women to be silly and so wrapped up in themselves playing a dangerous game that it almost hurt to finish it.
    • 4/5
      Intriguing Portraits in PassingReview of the Penguin Vitae hardcover edition (2017) of the 1929 original.Nella Larsen (1891-1964) was a Harlem Renaissance author who published only two novels, Quicksand (1928) and Passing (1929) before she completely disassociated from writing and spent the rest of her life working as a nurse. This superb new edition from Penguin Vitae includes a thorough 30 page introduction by Emily Bernard and 8 pages of excellent Explanatory Notes by Thaddeus M. Davis.Passing is somewhat of a cat and mouse intrigue between two light-skinned African American women. Clare Kendry is passing for white, even though she is married to a virulently racist White American. Irene Redfield, although she could have passed, has stuck by her African American heritage and community. Kendry now regrets what she has left behind and begins to insinuate herself back into Redfield's life after a chance re-meeting (they had known each other as children) with eventual tragic consequences.I read Passing as part of my subscription to the inaugural 2020 Shakespeare and Company Lost Treasures curated selection. 4 books of the expected 12 have been delivered as of March 2020.
    • 4/5
      I read this book with increasing fascination. Not because it taught me anything new about passing, but because of the layered nature of Irene's inner conflict. Also, concerning Clare, it was my first time seeing this particular dynamic in fiction, I think: of one who'd passed and now longed to come back.Yet, even with my fascination, the book's short length worked in favor of my reading situation, since I tend not to read long novels this bleak, where all the principal characters are so unhappy with their lives.With that said, a novella like this disproves the myth that some believe—the idea that short fiction can't be deep or complex, with well-developed characters. A skilled writer can pack a lot into relatively few words when that's all a particular story calls for.
    • 4/5
      3.5 stars but rounded up. The ending! Really the whole journey... but that ending!!! I read The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett right before this — they were an interesting pair together.
    • 4/5
      Once again Nella Larsen manages to combine a great deal in a few pages. The title of this novella is Passing, and there's more than one person doing it. Clara, the beautiful blond mixed race daughter of a janitor, is the main person passing; but Irene the security hungry wife and Brian her supercilious husband do their share. Larsen was such an astute observer of humanity, I want to credit some of that to her background as a nurse. Literature would have benefited if she had written more.
    • 4/5
      Got totally caught up in the central conflict, was not expecting the resolution. The intro in the Penguin Classics edition was so bad, full of spoilers and academese, that I put it down for six years before restarting it.
    • 5/5
      A great look into the world of passing as it existed in the 1920's.