Customer Reviews:
Eh..........2007-08-25
I think 3 is generous. I absolutely hated Quicksand, although I did appreciate the fact that Larsen's main character wasn't exactly likable, I think that was a different unusual approach, she's not exactly the ideal protagonist which is awesome. But as far as the story goes, its so reminiscent of the tragic mulatto to me and I'm pretty sick of that stereotype. Passing was better, but that too remained true to the tragic mulatto frame. It was no masterpiece.
Amazing Narrative and Multi-Faceted Topics.......2005-12-01
Passing is an amazing narrative. A key to the success of the narrative in Nella Larsen's Passing is the use of a limited third-person narrator, because it allows the villain to hide. Through the voice of Irene Redfield, characterizations get meted out as she sees fit, and only by Irene's portraits of others can we arrive at her own characteristics and motivations. As Irene describes and interacts with others, she unwittingly betrays her shrewd plans. Whether done subconsciously or not, her subtle actions and inactions tattle on her, yet she keeps the narrative vague enough that she comes off as a victim of Clare. Irene paints herself as a sheep and Clare as a wolf, when in fact the opposite is true. The affair that presumably takes place between Clare and Brian seems to catch Irene off-guard.
Keep an eye on Irene.
Amazing narrative on several levels. The crossing of domains in this novella is outstanding. Because Irene has control of the narrative, the childhood events and characterizations indict Clare as untrustworthy instead of as a misfortunate child who overcomes great obstacles. This distrust raises questions later on when Clare all but moves into Irene's house, and Irene doesn't protest for an "obscure reason."
2 nicely paired novellas.......2005-07-30
Quicksand is one of my favorite fictional stories. In truth, the word "fiction" can not adequately touch upon the essence of this novel. Helga Green's biographical information is nearly identical to that of Nella Larson, and in Helga we, the readers, see a reflection of Ms. Larsen.
Helga is a heroine, tragic not because of her fate, but of her resignation to her fate and inability to rise above it. Larsen realizes the bonds of racism and sexism that held steadfastedly in place, whether it's in Harlem or Copenhagen. A reader may either sympathesize with Helga's plight or sneer at her stupidity. But perhaps that's what Larson wants to portray. Sometimes one is irrational when it comes to the matters of the heart or the lack of. Even the most intelligent of us. We would gasp in surprise if the same fate fell upon others but would seem resigned when we are in the same situation.
Passing is considered by many critics as Larsen's "lesser novella." True, it is not as riveting as Quicksand, but it explores deeper issues of gender and the color barrier. While in Quicksand the relationship between Helga and Anne is at best lightly touched upon, the one between Clare and Irene is more complex and poignant.
Throughout the novel(la), there is a tinge of homoeroticism, if you read between the lines. This is a story, not so much of the tragic mulatta (even though tragedy tends to overshadow all else in Larsen's work), nor merely of the phenomenon of passing for white, but of two women's exploration of their own gender, sexual, and racial roles in the tumulous society of upper middle-class Harlem.
Both stories written in the early 1930s period, this book features Larsen at her best. Even though the endings to both are quite anti-climatic, one should find in her stories enough food for thought and a quite thorough insight into female African American conflicts and culture during the Renaissance era.
Only read Quicksand--wonderful book.......2004-11-27
I read this book years ago, in college. It made me much more sympathetic to the struggles of biracial (black and white) women, of the past and today -- I am an Asian-American female. The book is a beautifully written, but painful story of how the protagonist moves through her life in societies where she is kept down on many levels (socially, economically, psychologically, physically) -- basically her journey through the "quicksand" of classism, racism, and sexism. The book deserves a wide audience.
Remarkable.......2001-10-01
Quicksand was an overlooked treasure during Renaissance. Pay close attention to the detail, the surroundings, and the inner thoughts of the main character.... simply marvelous.
Book Description
In
The Complete Fiction of Nella Larsen, whose career flamed brightly but briefly in the 1920s, we rediscover one of the most gifted writers of the Harlem Renaissance.
Nella Larsen's subject is the struggle of sensitive, spirited heroines to find a place for themselves in a hostile world. Passing is the story of a light-skinned beauty who, after spending years passing for white, finds herself dangerously drawn to an old friend's Harlem neighborhood. In Quicksand, a restless young mulatto tries desperately to find a comfortable place in a world in which she sees herself as a perpetual outsider. Race and marriage offer few securities here or in the other stories in a collection that is compellingly readable, rich in psychological complexity, and imbued with a sense of place that brings Harlem vibrantly to life.
Customer Reviews:
Larsen speaks to those who've felt they never really fit in.......2006-12-21
This volume contains two novellas, Passing and Quicksand. I would recommend reading the introduction afterwards because it might spoil the stories. The two female protagonists in her stories are loosely autobiographical. Larson's mother was from Denmark and her father was Caribbean or African-American. Both protagonists are bi-racial women living during the Harlem Renaissance period and struggling to fit into segregated society.
I liked Quicksand better. Helga Crane also has a Danish mother and African-American father. As the story opens young Helga Crane is a teacher at a very strict school in an ultra-conservative small southern US city. She is lonely and isolated and far too intelligent for her environment. She finally makes the break and moves to New York City. After a long struggle to fit in she moves to Copenhagen. She is taken in by her mother's family. Instead of finding the love and acceptance she craves she is treated condescendingly like some exotic pet. I don't want to give away the ending, but it's good.
Complete fiction-- all too slight for the quality of her voice........2006-07-16
This little book represents the complete literary output of Nella Larsen, the great Harlem Renaissance writer. It is impossible to read without the sense of a voice that went quiet too soon. These are sophisticated works, full of issues about anger and identity. In the longer pieces it is frustratingly tangible how great she could have been had she been able to develop a larger body of work.
The pieces included in this work are:
"The Wrong Man" and "Freedom"-- these are two sensational short stories that Larsen published in women's magazines at the beginning of her writing career. If I have a quarrel with this collection, I have a quarrel with the fact that Larson (the editor) chose to put these stories first. While in some ways I understand it, they are so much weaker than the rest of her work that they do not create the right beginning for the book.
"Sanctuary" is a brilliant and powerful short story about a man hiding from the law. This story marked the end of her career, as accusations of plagiarism about the story drove her out of the public eye.
"Quicksand" was her first novel. Clearly drawn from the author's own experience (Larsen was born of a Danish mother and a West Indian father), it tells the story of Helga Crane. Helga constantly resists the idea that her life is defined by the color of her skin, but finds no available options for living any other way. She turns between her black friends in Harlem and her family in Copenhagen, trying to find a way to be herself.
"Passing" is a longer novel which is about two women from the same neighborhood who grew up to take very different routes. One has successfully passed as white, and is married to a white husband. One makes her home in Harlem and marries a black doctor. When they accidentally meet some time later in a different city, their lives once more connect. Irene and Clare are confronted with their own choices when they see what has become of the other woman.
Larsen died in obscurity in 1964, after 34 years of silence. In some respects, her work feels more modern than ever in the way it takes on the complexity of identity and questions notions of both feminism and race. I would suggest buying this edition if you aren't yet familiar with her work. Her output is sadly so slight that it makes sense to buy it all bound in one volume.
Recommended.
Passing was a great read !!!!!.......2003-03-21
Passing, written by Nella Larson, portrays the thoughts and feelings of a black woman dealing with inter-racial issues during the early twentieth century. The main character Irene Redfield, who has led a semi pleasant life with her husband and child finds herself dealing with issues brought upon by her past childhood friend Claire. Claire creates an intense and unstable environment for Irene and her family throughout most of the story. Towards the end a dramatic and suspenseful moment leaves the reader to create an ending in itself. I enjoyed Passing and found it to be an interesting book in relation to the early Harlem Renaissance years.
Average customer rating:
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Quicksand Passing
Manufacturer: Quality Paperback Editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0965108074 |
Average customer rating:
- A new Bowen fan
- A Great Addition to the Series
- This is a very literate mystery, well written & well plotted
- a Killing Spring
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A Killing Spring (Joanne Kilbourn Mysteries)
Gail Bowen
Manufacturer: McClelland & Stewart
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
 General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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A Colder Kind of Death (Joanne Kilbourn Mysteries)
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The Glass Coffin
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Burying Ariel (Joanne Kilbourn Mysteries)
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The Wandering Soul Murders (Joanne Kilbourn Mysteries)
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Murder at the Mendel (Joanne Kilbourn Mysteries)
ASIN: 0771014864
Release Date: 1997-09-06 |
Book Description
Gail Bowen, winner of the 1995 Arthur Ellis Award for best crime novel for her last Joanne Kilbourn mystery, A Colder Kind of Death, is back – with her most daring mystery to date.
In the horrifying opening paragraph of A Killing Spring, Reed Gallagher, the head of the School of Journalism at the university where Joanne Kilbourn teaches, is found dead in a seedy rooming house. He is dressed in women’s lingerie, with an electric cord around his neck. Suicide, the police say. A clear case of accidental suicide. But for Joanne, who takes on the thankless task of breaking the news to Gallagher’s wife, this death is just the first in a series of misfortunes that rock her life, both professional and personal.
A few days after Gallagher’s death, the School of Journalism is vandalized – its offices and computers are trashed, and homophobic graffiti are sprayed everywhere. Then an unattractive and unpopular journalism student in Joanne’s politics class stops coming to school after complaining to an unbelieving Joanne that she’s being sexually harassed. Clearly, all is not as well at the university as Joanne had thought. Nor is all well in her love life after the casual racism of a stranger drives a wedge between Joanne and her lover, Inspector Alex Kequahtooway. To make matters worse, Joanne is unceremoniously fired by her best friend from the weekly political panel on Nationtv, which she’s being doing for years.
Badly shaken by these calamities, Joanne struggles to carry cheerfully on. Action, she knows, is better for her than moping. She decides to find out why her student has stopped coming to class, and in doing so, Joanne steps unknowingly into an on-campus world of fear and deceit and murder.
Customer Reviews:
A new Bowen fan.......2007-07-23
A friend gave me this book when I was visiting and I had never read any of Ms. Bowen's books. A Killing Spring is a great mystery novel. Even though I picked it up in the middle of the series, I got caught up with things quite quickly. Ms. Bowen is a talented writer and she shows she researches her topics well. Set on a university campus, the death of a professor throws Joanna Kilbourne (a fascinating lead character) into the middle of a mystery. I liked this character. She's a down to earth widowed mom with 3 almost different lives--the life of a professor, a mother, and a woman looking for love. The subplots were enjoyable and revealed more of the main character. This is what I personally like to see in a novel-character growth. I am off now to buy book #1 and start from the beginning (which is a bit hard because The Endless Knot looks really good.) A solid mystery and believable characters make for a great read.
A Great Addition to the Series.......2005-03-31
The story is so much more than just the events leading up to the solving of the murder and disappearance. There are compelling 'sub-stories' and various surprising events throughout the novel. There are details which give readers insight into politics, university life, racism and abuse. Once again, the main characters are portrayed as extremely likable, which makes it a fun read.
This is a very literate mystery, well written & well plotted.......2003-10-31
I'm very happy to have discovered this Canadian mystery writer. This mystery is part of a series set in Regina, Saskatchewan. Bowen's "detective" is Joanne Kilbourn, a middle-aged widow who is a political science professor at the Univerity of Regina, and who is raising four children (two at home, two grown). Joanne has an on-again, off-again Ojibway police-detective boyfriend. In the course of the mysteries, you also follow the lives of these characters and their relationships.
The plot involves several strands that more or less come together in the end. THe first involves a very unattractive young student who complains that she is being sexually harassed by a popular good-looking student. The second strand involves a professor who has apparently met an accidental death as the result of some perverse activities. The third strand involves vandalism in the university. The fourth strand involves JOanne's best friend's boyfriend -- a complete jerk.
Bowen is an English professor and not surprisingly, she writes with great skill: her mysteries have depth, her characters are vivid, and the plots are well-constructed. She describes people and places so well that I can imagine myself in the setting and talking to her characters.
All in all, there's plenty to keep the reader interested and turning the pages, and it all comes together satisfactorily in the end. For the reader who likes thoughtful, well-written mysteries (in the manner of Elizabeth George or Deborah Crombie), I highly recommend Gail Bowen in general and this mystery in particular.
a Killing Spring.......2000-11-05
A Killing Spring is one in a series featuring Joanne Kilbourn, a Canadian college professor, as the amateur sleuth. There is a nice density to these mysteries: the reader is always aware of Joanne's full life--we see her with her children, her friends, as a political woman (her deceased husband was in politics), as well as with students in and out of the classroom. The mystery itself is good and Joanne's investigation of it quite believable--only at the end does she become improbably active. Gail Bowen is a good writer, and the depth of the mystery and Joanne's life gives the book a rich quality; the final scene is lovely. Joanne does have a romantic relationship with a policeman (as do many female amateur detectives). The policeman is a Native Canadian, and the two must deal with prejudice in this book. Joanne feels she has never before experienced prejudice, an astonishing belief, I thought, for a liberal woman. I highly recommend this mystery.
Average customer rating:
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A Killing at Tonto Springs (Linford Western Library (Large Print))
Elliot Long
Manufacturer: Ulverscroft Large Print
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Westerns | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Large Print | Formats | Books | Biographies & Memoirs | Children's Books | Health, Mind & Body | History | Literature & Fiction | Mystery & Thrillers | Nonfiction | Philosophy | Poetry & Short Stories | Reference | Religion & Spirituality | Romance | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Alternative Reading Formats
ASIN: 0708977650 |
Average customer rating:
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A Killing Spring
GAIL. BOWEN
Manufacturer: McClelland & Stewart
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KFWUO4 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Winnipeg Free Press, published by Thomson Gale on June 3, 2007. The length of the article is 1318 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: A killing thaw; Early northern spring again threatens wildlife.(Focus)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication:
Winnipeg Free Press (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 3, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: b5
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Customer Reviews:
second prequel to dread empire series.......2006-07-31
this book is the second prequel to the dread empire trilogy, and follows directly the events of The Fire In His Hands. It continues describing the rise of El Murid, the development of the relationship of bin yousif and ragnarson, and introduces the background of Mocker at some point after his kidnapping as an infant (in the original trilogy), as well as his introduction to bin yousif and bragi.
the book deals with the war and politics between the quasi-islamic state founded by el murid and the various quasi-christian states directly and indirectly threatened by him, as well as character development and exposition of many things shown in later books. Enjoyable to read, and worth buying used if you enjoy cook's in-print books. It helps to have read the original dread empire trilogy, and is almost necessary to have read The Fire in His Hands.
More adventure in the shadows of the Dread Empire.......2000-03-31
This book is a sequel to The Fire in His Hands. It stands alone as a novel, but some of the character interaction is lost without reference to the first book.
With Mercy Towards None continues the saga of El Murid, a prophet whose rise threatens to burst forth from the dessert and plunge the nations of the west into religious war. Bragi, Haroun and Mocker each take their places in the forces opposing El Murid, and the novel provides interesting insights into these characters for anyone who has enjoyed the other novels of the Dread Empire series. While the book deals with dessert warfare, religious zeal and shadowy manipulations of history, it is at heart a character piece detailing how ties of friendship and duty can bind men together and drive them apart. A good read.
Book Description
Shows readers how they can treat themselves to a face lift through facial massage.
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- Salamandastron (Redwall, Book 5)
- Shem Creek: A Lowcountry Tale (Lowcountry Tales)
- Simply Unforgettable
- Slightly Settled (Red Dress Ink)
- Songs in Ordinary Time (Oprah's Book Club)
- Straight Talking: A Novel
- Suburbanistas
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