Rating: 
Summary: Passing
Review: Does skin color still matter? Welcome to a world, not too long ago, when it did matter. To get out of the hot sun one day, a fair skinned black woman walks into an upscale cafe and orders a coffee, forgetting to mention that she is black and this is the 1920s in America. Civil Rights are still forty years away, and all cafes, like everything else in the country, are segregated; blacks go here, whites go there. She has crossed the color line, but is so fair that no one even notices. Then she hears her name being called. It is someone from her past, her black past, someone who knows her true ethnicity. Someone who is also passing. But where the protagonist is only passing to get out of the sun for a few minutes, she discovers that her old friend whom she hasn't seen in years now LIVES her entire life as white and has in fact married a white man, who does not know her true ethnicity. Wow. This book raises many interesting questions as it explores black pride and the true nature of race relations in America. A must read.
Rating:
Summary: Thorougly Modern Nella
Review: For a novel written in 1929, I found this wonderfully modern, written in such a subtlety of style that I have to compare it to my favorite author, Jonathan Carroll. And you should know by now that when I compare something to Carroll, I truly have discovered something that I feel is wonderful.Passing is about mulatto women in the 1920s who were light-skinned enough that they could "pass" as white in society, but were bound to the black community through their family. The novel puts two such women in conflict: Irene, the narrator, passes occasionally, especially when she wants to "treat" herself, but is married to a dark man who could never pass and whose children are not as light- skinned as she. While passing on a shopping trip in Chicago, she runs into an school friend, Clare, who left the school that they both attended in Harlem after her father, the school janitor, died. She went to live with her aunts, who were white. Clare passes as white full-time now; in fact, she is married to a man who is a bigot, who refers to her as "nig" because: "...when we were first married, she was as white as...a lily. But I declare she's gettin' darker and darker. I tell her if she don't look out, she'll wake up one of these days and find she's turned into a nigger." Clare's secret, she reveals, is getting harder and harder for her to keep--she nearly died, she said, when she was having her child, a girl that she was afraid would give evidence of her race, and she is afraid to have another. Clare envies Irene, who passes when she wants to, but also can live "comfortably" in the black world. And what Clare wants, Clare gets. This is tough stuff, full of questions about what does it mean to be black, to be white, and to be somewhere in-between. The story is told by a narrator, yet it is also told by Irene, who may or may not be the narrator. There are things that Irene doesn't quite admit to, that you must pick up from the text surrounding her, and then there's the ending, where you have to piece together what exactly happened. I loved it for its understated way in which the true conflict is only implied until it explodes.
Rating:
Summary: Passing
Review: Nella Larsen's 1929 novella, "Passing," is an incredible, dark exploration of the lengths to which people go to secure personal happiness. Coming out just four years after "The Great Gatsby," "Passing" can be seen in more than one way as the Harlem Renaissance's response to and a parallel text of Fitzgerald's acknowledged masterwork. Not to limit Larsen's skills by strict comparison to "Gatsby," "Passing" should of course, be considered on its own merits, which are considerable. Difficult to place as simply the work of a talented black woman writer, Larsen's "Passing" is a novella with carefully nuanced and complicated views of racial, sexual, economic, and more generally personal and national identity. Indeed, the narrative is right to sugges that these are inextricable and forces the reader to adjudicate the struggle. "Passing" begins with a letter received. By inviting us to peer into the contents of personal correspondence in the grand tradition of the epistolary novel, then denying us the full contents, the reader must come to terms with a limited, and even deceptive narrative style. Irene Redfield refuses to open a letter she has just gotten from a childhood acquaintance with whom she has had only brief communication with since, Clare Kendry. Irene then reflects on the time, two years ago, when she happened unexpectedly upon Clare at a rooftop restaurant in Chicago. As 'black' women who can 'pass' for 'white,' they meet at this decidedly white restaurant, after gauging each other in confused silence. Renewing their acquaintance, Irene is shocked to learn that since her young adulthood, Clare has 'passed' as white, even marrying a wealthy white businessman, whose violent racism forces Clare to disavow her ethnic 'identity.' The remainder of the novella details the strained relationship that forms between Irene and Clare, and the differences as well as striking similarities that structure their personal and social adult lives. The ways that minor characters interact with the two heroines force us to question the long standing American discourse of racial 'identity.' Brian Redfield, Irene's husband, and Jack Bellew, Clare's husband, for instance, seem on the surface to be drastically opposite characters - Brian, fed up with the way that black people are treated in America, has a long cherished fantasy of relocating his family to Brazil, the ur-text, if you will, of African slavery in the New World, where he believes his sons can be raised without the torments of ethnic conflict in post-reconstruction and post-World War America. Bellew, an avowed white racist, detests the very thought of black people, and his pet name for Clare, "Nig," troubles for the reader the very notions of Bellew's construction of his own identity. Irene and Clare's marriages to these two men challenge them and the reader to consider the strained family dynamics of the 'traditional' marriage, and their own awkwardly constituted and expressed relationship with each other. "Passing" manages to both cover and conceal a wealth of issues facing America in the decades preceding the national Civil Rights, Anti-War, and Sexual Revolution movements of the latter half of the 20th century. In the short space of a novella, Larsen produces a work of extraordinary power and indeterminacy. That the issues she addresses are still of a piece with our own present-day social landscape, so "Passing" remains a vital and important literary artifact.
Rating: 
Summary: Passing is a Must-Read
Review: Nella Larsen's Passing is a beautifully written, touching novel--a masterpiece of 1920's American literature. In the context of a highly race-conscious 1920's urban society, its storyline and characters' lives and times are fascinating, and there isn't a person of any race or gender who couldn't relate to at least some of the challenges faced by Irene, Clare, and Brian. A quick-read, much enhanced by the informative, historically thorough introduction, Passing had numerous moments marked by strong visual images and thoughtful, emotional prose. Throughout the book, I was amazed at Larsen's ability to put into words exactly what I was feeling, had felt, or would feel, through the thoughts and words of Irene. I felt like I could step into the story and feel at home, and I wanted the story to keep going and going...I enjoyed every second of it.
Rating: 
Summary: Intriguing ideas, but not a great book
Review: The ideas in this book are unique. At the time it was written, they were probably revolutionary. They are still pertinent. While an interracial marriage might be more commonplace now than in the 1920's, people are still "passing". Not just one race passing as another, but men passing as women (and vice versa, i.e. the movie Boys Don't Cry) and less obvious forms, such as homosexuals passing for heterosexuals. This was, to the best of my knowledge, the first text to ever address this issue. I respect the ideas of the author, but I think her style of writing is incongruous. The dull, repetitive language of this book is not at all what one would expect of a 1920's author, but the characters are. Clare Kendry is described as being rich, selfish, reckless, and a consummate actor, all things to all people, but none of them real. These are the same characteristics F. Scott Fitzgerald ascribes to his characters in The Great Gatsby (with which Passing was classed by Amazon as one of the greatest of books of the '20s), but don't expect any of Fitzgerald's jazzy style. Larsen's style more closely resembles the leaden prose of Dreiser. Secondly, this novella, despite being a mere 114 pages, is to long. Larsen has filled up pages not only with repetitive language, but also with useless plot additions. This could have been a world-class short story, but as it is, it is only a so-so book. Also, the introduction by Thadious M. Davis only served to confuse me about the author's intentions (on page xiv, he calls Clare a bisexual!). This book is necessary reading for anyone interested in African-American literature or race relations, but it does not belong in the same category as Gatsby or The Sun Also Rises.
Rating:
Summary: Missing Pieces
Review: The theme of 'passing' is one that has been explored throughout the years by few black authors, if any. Alex Haley is the only other writer I know of who touched the subject in 'Queen,' although his book did not entirely deal with the it. I enjoyed Larsen's treatment of it--her understanding of the familial and tribal loyalty conflicts that exist between black and white were impressive and well stated within the narrative containing Irene's self reflection and judgement of Clare. However, many aspects of the novel are melodramatic and undeveloped. I would think that with such delicate subject matter and so many interesting characters Larsen would have been able to flesh out the story more, perhaps by revealing more of Clare's motivations and personal thoughts. I also didn't particularly enjoy the criticism at the beginning of the book either--it seemed like an unrealistic attempt of filling in the blanks and gaps that Larsen should have been responsible for.
Rating:
Summary: Breathtaking!
Review: This book encapsulates the perfect mood and texture for its topic. Written well with a remarkable detail, this is a must - read!
Rating:
Summary: A Classic
Review: This is a wonderful book! Anyone interested in 20th century American literature and Modernism will find it fascinating. It's very short--a good thing because once you start you won't be able to put it down until you've finished. The subject--a black woman "passing" herself off as white and the reaction of her old community--may seem to occupy a narrow niche. But this is a universal story about friendship, marriage, idealism, and the quest to find a place where you can feel comfortable in your own skin (literally). I've read several dozen books this year (1999), including a number written by hot contemporary authors, but Passing, written 75 years ago, is probably my favorite of the lot.
Rating:
Summary: A view of the past
Review: Written in 1929, PASSING is a product of the Harlem Renaissance. Nella Larsen, a biracial woman, relates the story of Irene Redfield and Clare Kendry. Both are fair skinned black women who can pass for white and grow up together in a black neighborhood. When Clare is orphaned she moves with white relatives and deserts her black heritage. She sees it as the only means of escape from the poverty that she destest. She marries John Bellows, escaping her past and could have disappeared into the white world.
But through a chance meeting, where Irene is also passing for white, they meet after many years of separation. Irene has married a black doctor, who wants to move to Brazil and in effect pass as a latin American. He wants physically out of America while Irene wants out of the racial tensions of America.
Clare is drawn back to her racial roots by some mystery. She can't let go even though she knows it will be the end of her marriage and perhaps the loss of her daughter.
Clare's husband, John Bellows, is a avowed racist who calls Clare "Nig" because he jokes that she is getting darker, totally unaware of her race. Irene and another friend who is also passing endure Bellow's racist remarks but do not respond.
The book takes place over about a 2 year period as Clare flirts with the danger of discovery and also Irene's husband. Irene is in conflict as to whether to reveal the truth to John, which would get Clare out of her life. But she can't bring herself to do it.
The book tells of the conflict of being black and living white; it tells of the interracial circles of Harlem of the 1920's. It's a period of high racial tensions, but yet whites flock to Harlem because some see it as in vogue not because they seek an interracial culture.
Although Irene lives black, she has created a white world around herself. She doesn't want her sons to know about lynchings and racial issues.
At the end Clare makes a tragic choice. She chooses death over admitting that she is black. Of course, maybe that is what she wanted all the time - out of this false world. Irene gets her wish, she gets Clare out of her immediate life but she will never get her out of her memory.
Rating:
Summary: More that appears on the surface
Review: Written in 1929, Passing is a story of two friends, both of whom are African Americans but are so light-skinned that they can pass for white. Clare chooses to do so, cuts herself off from past relationships, while her friend Irene, chooses to remain within the culture of her birth, married a black man and gives birth to 2 sons. Clare's choice is complicated when she married a white bigot who has no suspicion of his wife's origins. Irene's is complicated by her desire to put the violence of her racial past behind her.
By chance, the two women meet again, and hypnotic, powerful Clare moves into Irene's circle in ways that threaten both of their lives. More than a story of passing, hypocrisy, and adultery, Passing is a complex story of origins, history, and acceptance.
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