Passing, Nella Larsen
Passing, Nella Larsen
List: $1.99 | Sale: $1.36
Club: $0.99

Passing

Author: Nella Larsen

Narrator: Oliver Thompson

Unabridged: 3 hr 43 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/09/2025


Synopsis

Step into the complex world of race, identity, and societal expectations with Passing by Nella Larsen, a groundbreaking work of the Harlem Renaissance. This audiobook masterfully captures the tension and intrigue of Larsen's exploration of identity, privilege, and the fragile boundaries we construct in our lives.The story follows Irene Redfield and Clare Kendry, two childhood friends who reconnect as adults in 1920s New York. While both women are light-skinned African Americans, Clare has chosen to "pass" as white, fully immersing herself in a world of privilege and secrecy. As their lives become increasingly entwined, the choices they’ve made ignite questions of loyalty, deception, and belonging.Larsen’s prose is rich, subtle, and evocative, offering a profound examination of the social and emotional costs of racial passing. The audiobook’s expert narration enhances the novel’s atmosphere, drawing listeners into the nuanced emotions and complexities of the characters.Perfect for those interested in classic literature, cultural history, or stories of self-discovery, Passing remains a timeless and thought-provoking exploration of identity and race in America.Start listening to Passing today and experience the brilliance of Nella Larsen’s unforgettable tale!

Reviews

Goodreads review by Lisa of Troy on January 19, 2024

Checking out the Netflix Book Club (Which is confusing because it is actually on YouTube)! Irene "Rene" is out doing some shopping for a birthday present when she becomes faint and slips into a taxi. The driver takes her to The Drayton, a hotel with a rooftop restaurant, to cool down. The rooftop is......more

Goodreads review by emma on March 21, 2022

Short classics are my passion. I love getting smarter in under 2 hours. Now I'm more intelligent and more pretentious and I had a good time getting there. Living the dream. That's enough of a review. Bottom line: Sometimes short and impressive is all a book has to be!! ----------------- reading books by B......more

Goodreads review by Sean Barrs on April 23, 2017

I read this a few months ago now, and I drastically undervalued its brilliance. I’m writing an essay on racial encounter in the modernist movement for university, so I’ve been picking this book apart during my second and third readings of it. During the course of it, I’ve noticed something equally a......more

Goodreads review by Esta on August 26, 2024

An underrated, thought-provoking classic written in the 1920s, Passing is a story of two women navigating race and identity in a segregated society, and interestingly still reflective of today’s world, where privilege can hinge on melanin levels and Eurocentric beauty standards.......more