Collected works by Nella Larsen: Passing, Quicksand, The Wrong Man, Freedom, Sanctuary

by Nella Larsen

Nellallitea 'Nella' Larsen (first called Nellie Walker) was an American novelist of the Harlem Renaissance who wrote two novels and a few short stories.
A revival of interest in her writing has occurred since the late 20th century, when issues of racial and sexual identity have been studied. Her works have been the subjects of numerous academic studies, and she is now widely lauded as "not only the premier novelist of the Harlem Renaissance, but also an important figure in American modernism."
Since the late 20th century, Passing has received renewed attention from scholars because of its close examination of racial and sexual ambiguities and liminal spaces. It has achieved canonical status in many American universities.

Passing
Quicksand
The Wrong Man
Freedom
Sanctuary 

Genres: Short Stories

317 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 16, 2021

About the author

Nellallitea 'Nella' Larsen (first called Nellie Walker) was an American novelist of the Harlem Renaissance who wrote two novels and a few short stories. Though her literary output was scant, what she wrote earned her recognition by her contemporaries and by present-day critics.

Reviews

[AC · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains Nella Larson‘s two novels (I much preferred *Quicksand*; see ad loc.), and her three short stories, which I rank here. This was her entire output.

The novels: Quicksand [5] & Passing [3]

The short stories (which are all very short):

Nella Larsen, “The Wrong Man” (1926) [4.5]

Nella Larsen, “Freedom,” (1926) [3.5]

Nella Larsen, “Sanctuary” (1930) [4.5]

[LaShana Claude · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harlem Renaissance- Nella Larsen is a physicist married to a man I don't remember. The scene that is iconic is between a black woman passing as white and the man who finds out. The very notion that this could happen is just the sun playing tricks on the blest eye. The staircase is symbolic of social strata and what it means to fight for love. Soap Opera worthy in the era, I think because soaps are changing and there is less resilience in the hateful energy that interfers with passing the bridge to climb through and have a partner. In the Trump Administration we saw one man and one woman raise up a family so the connections are there. Family is all that the woman needed to move forward with dignity but there was none there and did she choose death? Was she black or white when she died? What would Jesus do?