Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Passing cover art

Passing

By: Nella Larsen
Narrated by: Tessa Thompson
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Buy Now for £11.99

Buy Now for £11.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Custom of the Country cover art
Madame de Treymes and Two Novellas cover art
Plum Bun cover art
To the Lighthouse cover art
Their Eyes Were Watching God cover art
The Other House cover art
Kissing the Witch cover art
Mistletoe Malice cover art
The Bell Jar cover art
The Late Mattia Pascal cover art
North and South cover art
The Glimpses of the Moon cover art
An American Marriage (Oprah’s Book Club) cover art
We Hope for Better Things cover art
The Painted Veil cover art
Kindred cover art

Summary

Light-skinned Black woman Irene Redfield encounters an old childhood friend - Clare - who is now "passing" as a White woman. Clare is married to a racist White man, who doesn't know she has African American blood. In spite of the danger of being found out by her husband and society at large, she finds herself helplessly drawn to Irene's world.... 

Passing is a fascinating listening experience on many simultaneous levels.

©1929 Nella Larsen (P)2020 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about Passing

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    169
  • 4 Stars
    124
  • 3 Stars
    43
  • 2 Stars
    11
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    210
  • 4 Stars
    91
  • 3 Stars
    14
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    4
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    159
  • 4 Stars
    108
  • 3 Stars
    44
  • 2 Stars
    11
  • 1 Stars
    3

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Fascinating tale

A good listen, short but fascinating tale of life in those times. Good narration transported me into that world.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Interesting themes

It definitely had The Great American Novel feel to it and it's probably a book very much of its time. Whilst it explored some very fascinating and important themes, it felt slightly under-developed. I did not really get a feel of what it was like (practically and psychologically) to pass - the impact of living that lie on a daily basis. Perhaps a missed opportunity.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Beautifully-written and -performed

A really engrossing story, beautifully written with a luminous quality. A subtle and fascinating story exploring ideas of race and identity. A warm, atmospheric performance by Tessa Thompson.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great writing and narration

Tessa Thompson's narration was great! I loved the writing and the story was thought-provoking.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Give it a go.

Short story and worth the listen. Well read and written in my opinion. Also a film.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Resonant Harlem Renaissance novel

This novel exceeded my expectations. It was beautifully read in a way that enhanced the mounting tension and horror. I highly recommend it!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

powerful and important

I loved this. I wasn't really sure what the point of the Hugh character was, but I feel this is a book to study and analyse with those who know more than me. It's a book that will stick with me. Kinda sad that it had to end up being about a wife's suspicion of her husband, but I suppose that was a common theme back then?

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • W
  • 07-10-21

Great

Was really good performance by tessa and good timely story about white passing , race issues that are still relevant today and social structures .

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Lovely quick read

A take of racism and passing in Harlem in the early 20th century. Eye opening.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

tessa thompson.. wow

fantastic story by Nella Larsen and fantastic narration by tessa thompson. i want to listen to it again.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!