Passing vs The Souls of Black Folk: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Afro-Americans, Race Relations, Criticism and interpretation, Fiction
Passing
“It was the last letter in Irene Redfield's little pile of morning mail.”
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First published to critical acclaim in 1929, Passing firmly established Nella Larsen's prominence among women writers of the Harlem Renaissance. Irene Redfield, the novel's protagonist, is a woman with an enviable…
The Souls of Black Folk
“BETWEEN me and the other world there is ever an unasked question: unasked by some through feelings of delicacy; by others through the difficulty of rightly framing it.”
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Du Bois' 1903 collection of essays is a thoughtful, articulate exploration of the moral and intellectual issues surrounding the perception of blacks within American society.
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate The Souls of Black Folk highest: The Souls of Black Folk 4.3 · Passing 4.0.
- The Souls of Black Folk has the widest readership — 45888 ratings behind its score.
Scores by source
| Passing | The Souls of Black Folk | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | — | 4.3 (45888) |
| Hardcover | 4.3 (3) | — |
| Google Books | — | 4.5 (3) |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (107) | 4.5 (137) |
Reception
| Passing | The Souls of Black Folk | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 107 | 45888 |
| Editions | 74 | 412 |
| Citations | — | 139 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | — | 86733 |
| Reading it now | — | 7561 |
| Written reviews | — | 2580 |
| Wikipedia attention | 4299 | 3479 |
| Pages | 182 | 232 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Passing or The Souls of Black Folk?
The Souls of Black Folk has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Souls of Black Folk 4.3/5, Passing 4.0/5).
Which is shorter to read: Passing or The Souls of Black Folk?
Passing is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Passing (182 pages, ≈ 3 h 22 m); The Souls of Black Folk (232 pages, ≈ 4 h 18 m).
Which is harder to read: Passing or The Souls of Black Folk?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Passing: Demanding; The Souls of Black Folk: Demanding.
Have both books been made into films?
Passing: 4 film adaptations; The Souls of Black Folk: no film adaptation on record.