‘Passing’ — the original 1929 novel — is disturbingly brilliant

Passing, by Nella Larsen

The movie adaptation of Nella Larsen’s Passing is out now, and if you’re less familiar with the book, critic Carole Bell describes it as a “decades-early precursor to a Patricia Highsmith novel.”

(Image credit: Signet Classics)

The movie adaptation of Nella Larsen’s Passing is out now, and if you’re less familiar with the book, critic Carole Bell describes it as a “decades-early precursor to a Patricia Highsmith novel.”