Passing Audiobook By Nella Larsen cover art

Passing

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Passing

By: Nella Larsen
Narrated by: Robin Miles
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First published in 1929, Passing is a remarkable exploration of the shifting racial and sexual boundaries in America. Larsen, a premier writer of the Harlem Renaissance, captures the rewards and dangers faced by two Negro women who pass for White in a deeply segregated world.

©2008 Hadjii (P)2008 Recorded Books, LLC Classics Contemporary Contemporary Romance Fiction Genre Fiction Romance Urban

Editorial reviews

Larsen's landmark novel was first published in 1929. Its author was one of the celebrated writers of the Harlem Renaissance. Clare Hendry, a black woman who passes for white, marries a white man who doesn't know his wife's true heritage. Irene Redfield, Clare's childhood friend, is also fair enough to pass but has remained true to her community. When the two women accidentally meet as adults, their lives become entwined in the complexity of segregated America in the 1930s. Robin Miles gives an excellent performance. The novel countered racial stereotyping of African-American speech, and Miles has held true to the author's intention.

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Engaging Storyline • Complex Characters • Beautiful Prose • Unexpected Climax • Interesting Themes • Nuanced Performance
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Beautifully written. Interior monologue plus wonderful, evocative descriptions of life in Harlem in the 20's. indelible characters. Great read. 👍

suspenseful

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Robin Miles, is one of my favorite audio book narrators. I listened to another version of this story read by actress Tessa Thompson who portrayed Irene Redfield in the Netflix film Passing. I didn’t care for her voice narration. My ears just love Robin Miles’s voice. Robin Miles brings Nella Larson’s amazing prose to life. Great story.

Tangled Earbuds 58

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America of the 1920s did not allow for much social mobility between races, and so the choices left to African-Americans were filled with compromises. One such compromise is having to pass as a white person, which causes a definite and permanent rift with former associates. Any contact with those former associates would be a clear sign that there is something not above board.

With all of that being said, what this novel does is set a fairly interesting story of race relations against the more everyday concerns of a wife. The problem with that, however, is that it takes a character who seems like a rational actor and turns her into a jealous woman who commits murder to protect her marriage. The problem is that this jealousy is based purely on suspicion, which undermines her further as a rational actor. Of course, the fact that the story just ends leaves too many questions and motives unanswered and unexamined. But if you are interested in questions of race and how people are motivated to move past set ideas of their race and character, then you would do well to examine this story.

If not for the Ending

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This started out about passing as a white woman and what mischief that takes, and then ended somewhat abruptly, and under circumstances that made me forget this was about race at all. The narrator added enough nuance to the characters that I never questioned who was speaking as well.

Fairly edgy for the time it was written in.

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I was impressed when I read Quicksand and was impressed again when reading Passing. Larsen does such a great job creating complex characters and talking about complicated themes. I did think the ending was kind of abrupt, though.

Good

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Passing as white for an African American seems like a way to escape persecution and oppression but comes with dangers to yourself and people near you.

The perils of "passing"

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Well developed characters carry the plot to the most unexpected climax. I was left reviewing my own experience and knowledge of the divide between white and black in the 1950's.

I didn't want it to end

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The narrator did a pretty nice job. As far as the story, I found myself engaged and wanting to find out what happened, but at the end I discovered that I did not like any of the characters in the book. They all pretty much ticked me off. Also, I don't know that "Passing" is the right title. It might be, but I don't know if "Passing" is the main theme of the story. I was thinking maybe it should be called "Stupid". Without a particular character in the passage being very stupid, there is no story.

Pretty Good.

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Had to read for class but ended up loving the story! Definitely will leave you wondering.

Interesting story!

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intriguing, suspenseful. I was not a fan of the end because I wanted to know more about Irene

amzing!

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