Customer Reviews

Passing Through

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Colin Channer's Passing Through is a brilliant episodic novel that traces the lives of several characters who live on the island of San Carlos and under the threat of a volcanic eruption. His characters grapple with faith and sexuality, commitment, and the pettiness that sometimes makes island life claustrophobic. The threat of mortality adds a poignancy and intensity to their lives and Channer sustains this central metaphor throughout the novel as a backdrop that adds meaning to the most mundane acts.
And then there are the beautifully wrought sentences, "But instead of discipline, she got instead of the lips, a smile whose backward peeling, like the fruit that holds the life sustaining pulp and nectar of a fruit, aroused an appetite, which in time to come would have a name."
Nearly every chapter in the book has sentences like this that makes one aware of Channer's craftsmanship and his keen ear for the cadences of language.
This is a book to be savored.

In Passing Through, Colin Channer's collection of interconnected stories set on the fictional Caribbean island of San Carlos, a divergent cast of characters are portrayed in matters of the heart, race, class, culture, and the frailties of the human spirit. At the apex of the storyline is St. William Rawle, whose witty epistles at the beginning of each story, is a window into the soul of the book.

The stories extend over a century beginning in early 1900s. In the High Priest of Love, Eddie Blackwell is an American priest with an interracial background of black and white parentage. He has gained the respect and trust of the locals while all along he is fighting the demons of his lust when he chucks it all and takes sail on a ship. There he encounters his underage lover, Eugenia, who is of mixed blood and able to pass for white and Rosalyn, a woman who is classified as a lady of pleasure and dark-skinned, who both vie for his affections and his soul. What happens on that ship is the catalyst for the ensuing storyline.

The Girl with the Golden Shoes is symbolic on so many levels. Estrella Thompson's dreams of books and learning literally drive her from her small, backward village onto a sojourning quest of self-awareness. Her travels take her to a village of East Indians, through a tribe of Caribe Indians, among Island blacks, Creole Spanish and Whites where she learns the hierarchy of racial superiority. Her quest for the shoes that will give her the respect and status she desperately seeks will also give her the backbone and tenacity to become the kind of woman that will chart her own course despite her African heritage. Relationships and love was a reoccurring theme and it was not always acceptable love by society's standard. Incest and lesbianism were handled with sensitivity and a poignant carefulness that explored the frustrations of women and men who are bound by tradition. In the title story, Passing Through, we meet Rebecca who is Arab and Cornelia, an American Black, among a myriad cast of other characters of various ethnicities and cultures who come together at a dinner party that becomes prophetic.

The witty Poetic Justice in present day San Marcos will have readers guessing just how much poetic license the author took with his characters, as they are strikingly familiar. Blacks of the Diaspora are featured as they are in Revolution (anthologized in After Hours edited by Robert Fleming) and throughout the book. As a matter of fact, the global nature and sense of place in this well-written book is as much a part of the author as was related at his book signing at Marcus Book Store in Oakland. Channer waxed philosophically about his writing process and how this book came to be. He was very adamant about his feelings regarding Black writers expanding their scope in writing about characters who are other than Black, as it is known that White writers feel very comfortable writing about us.

Superb and lyrical, this reviewer reread passages over and over, not because it was difficult but because I became lost in the fluid language and the eloquent handling of prose and wanted to read out loud. The whole time, characters, theme and setting are knitted and threaded together and seemingly meshed in a logical and satisfying ending. As in his last novel, Satisfy My Soul, this is a work of literary art that should be appreciated and promoted to crossover appeal. Channer's love of storytelling as well as his love of women shines through. I am already pining for his next offering.

Dera Williams
APOOO BookClub

Having read all of Colin Channer's previous works (including his contributions to several compilations and anthologies), I was eager to begin reading "Passing through". As everyone knows, the better the work the artists produces, the higher the expectations on subsequent works -- thereby making the artist his/her worst enemy and stiffest competition.

Mr. Channer, however seemed undaunted by these considerations when he put pen to paper to create this masterpiece and it shows on every page! Clearly, raising the bar for himself and every other writer of fiction was a mere side effect of pouring himself into this work and holding nothing back from the reader, to my sheer delight!

I literally could not put it down -- and often read and re-read certain passages -- not only because of the graceful and poetic prose style, but because the plots were so seamlessly and intricately weaved into the fabric of the characters' development that it was difficult to believe that a fiction work this profound could even be crafted on purpose.

It was more like a literary cosmic accident that created an explosion of random words onto a page creating a thing of indescribable, magnificent beauty. (Seriously, it's quite apparent that each and every word was meticulously and intentionally selected with purposem care and intent, like a master chef selects each seasoning, ingredient and piece of cookware before starting a recipe).

Between these pages I read words that made me laugh out loud, frown up my face and shed tears uncontrollably.

The truest mark of a good story is a conflict of emotions at the end: sadness that the story has ended, satisfaction at its resolution and gratitude that I was blessed to experience these characters and their stories.

Estrella, St. William, Shookie and even Father Blackwell have left permanent impressions on my brain. Let there be no doubt that if I get any advance notice of Mr. Channer's next work hitting the presses, I will camp out at my nearest bookstore a week in advance to be sure I get the first copy when it is unloaded off the truck.

If you are a true fan of fine literature and seeking an author who has truly mastered the craft of writing fiction and is cut above the rest, then Passing Through by Colin Channer is one work you cannot afford to miss.

P.S. I have NEVER reviewed any book on Amazon before and I have read (and enjoyed) many.

Colin Channer's latest release, PASSING THROUGH, is not your typical novel. Instead, it is a culmination of characters and their lineage, represented in short stories that almost take on the characteristics of journal entries. Letters from one of the major characters to the government of the island where the stories take place are also included in the book. These letters are key informational components; if I would have skipped these letters, much of the background and connecting information would have been lost to me.

PASSING THROUGH possesses an underlying theme of heritage and also of people who come into one's life for a brief or fleeting moment, yet leave their essence behind, be it in a positive way, or in a way that scars a person for life. Channer connects everyone he introduces in the book in one way or another, whether it's by blood, love, or just passing through, as the title suggests.

Before PASSING THROUGH, I had not read any of Channer's works, although I have heard many a reader rave about the soul that his characters embody. These claims have been substantiated and corroborated as I passed through this fabulous book. Channer's writing is powerful, as he enlists metaphors, lyricism, and fluidity to make this reading experience a moving and intense one.

Reviewed by CandaceK
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

This is a book that delighted and challenged me in turn. I find myself reading Channer's books for many reasons. In Passing Through, I read for the characters such as Eddie Blackwell, whose calling as a priest I finally believed when he considered living without his faith. I read for the images such as the steam boat with a proper Edwardian promenade on deck and a Caribbean fiesta below, rendered with detail and texture that this bald statement does not do justice. I read for the perfectly turned and sculpted sentences, such as 'In those days, marriage was, for women, a profession, a serious occupation that required teams of coaches, grooms and scouts'.

Most of all, like the characters, I must come to terms with the events and interactions that occur. The situations are simple enough, the responses are what hold the interest. There is a strong, morally complex celebration of life which redeems the characters, and the work as a whole.

As with all Channer's work, with Passing through I find myself thinking about the connections and patterns and meanings after I put it down. A phrase about kindness pops back into my mind connected with A Street Car Named Desire. The significances of the volcano are suddenly so clear I almost think I saw them all along. And I see new ways to interpret events in my own life that I thought I already understood.

I recommend that you read one of Colin Channer's other novels or the novella before you read Passing Through. "Waiting in Vain", "I'm Still Waiting", or "Satisfy My Soul" will allow you to become familiar with the way Channer uses erotic situations and family history to focus on the characters' issues and relate their issues to larger human concerns. This will help you to see the subtle connections within the episodic novel structure of Passing Through. Passing Through is not a book to pick up at random, to while away a dull hour and promptly forget. Indeed, for those who enjoy the resonances and seek out the insights, this is another great book from a great author.

For me Passing Through was an enchantimg experience. I didn't just read, I was drawn into the stories. Mr. Channer certainly has a way with words like no other writer I have come across. His descriptions are very detailed and opens the reader's imagination to a world outside of their very own. What I have always enoyed most are the conversations between the characters, somehow they say everything we want to say in our own experiences and yet never do. I can laugh with them and be very angry or sad with them.

This book is so not like any collection of stories I've ever read. The stories are all independent of the book and yet grafted completely in such a way that they compliment each other. From the novel we get history and love stories - bad and good love stories. When I say bad love stories I mean we come up on people totally unsuited for each other, we love them indidvidualy but wish nothing more than for them to be a part and at times it even looks that way and yet they find ways and means of staying together. And isn't that life? The novel brings fictional relationships to life.

You won't be bored for a second but you really have to be one who appreciates versatility and difference in a writer. If you have read anything by the master before you can certainly expect to be pleased. This book is for me, honestly, the best contemporay romance novel in awhile. A truly magical experience.

Caribbean readers fall inlove...again

The rest of the world...fall inlove caribbean style.

I purchased and read Passing Through the day it was released. Colin Channer is truly a masterful word smith. So much so, that it is difficult to put together words that are worthy of describing his writing and this masterpiece he calls Passing Through. His writing is almost like poetry and the stories in passing through are so much more than mere stories, they are more like parables.
There are not many authors who are able to make readers laugh out loud at one sentence and then almost come to tears at the next. Mr. Channer's writings are sensual and enticing, yet never vulgar. He posses the unique talent to actually make the reader feel as if they are a part of the story.
I feel that I must caution that Mr. Channer's writing is not for everyone. The story does not unfold at lightning speed. There are passages that must be read twice to fully grasp their weight. I believe that only patient readers will truly be able to enjoy this authors style. People who not only enjoy a good story, but how the story is put together. This is a novel for those who love to dissect sentence structure and word choice; for those who want to find the deeper meaning of the work.
Once again, it is extremely difficult to describe the resounding emotions Passing Through left me with, so in short I'll just have to say, I loved this book!

I've read most of CC's work. Passing Through is the most impressive in the way it combines history, sensuality, emotion, and cultural insight with great storytelling. The writing is versatile and superbly crafted, and the styles of the stories roughly mirror the historical periods of their settings.
The memorable characters in these compelling stories tell fascinating truths about Caribbean cultures. CC is able to show how the political becomes the personal, and vice versa, in fresh ways. And there's lots of sometimes biting wit and humor, particularly in the latter stories.
Highly recommended.

I discovered Colin Channer a little less than a year ago when I found his first novel WAITING IN VAIN in the laundry room of my building in Brooklyn. I was drawn in by his Brooklyn roots and promises of a sexy tale.By the time I finished reading it I was totally seduced, enchanted, delighted, and disturbed. I had never read erotica written quite so well by a man. Colin gets into the minds, bodies, and souls of his characters and with his special talent for manipulating words allows his readers to experience the story from the inside . After finishing, I proceeded to order the rest of his works from Amazon ,read them all twice, and I told everyone I knew about this gem of a writer.

His lastest book, PASSING THROUGH, is a collection of seven distinct stories, that are told over a hundred years on the fictional island of San Carlos in the Caribbean. The characters in the seven stories are connected by blood and other ties. Each story can stand alone but together, they read as a novel. PASSING THROUGH is different from his other books because there are no nice little love stories here. These seven stories deal with themes such as incest, S&M, immoral love, obsessive love, narcissism, adultery, vengeance, and the separation of the classes, races, and sexes. All these stories are told with Colin's unique use of language which this reader cannot describe in a way that will do his talent justice. If the promise of a good story does not bring new readers to this great artist, the promise of good sex should. No one writes sex and provocative dialogue quite the way Colin does. Ladies, don't say I didn't warn you.Thank you Colin for sharing your gift. I can't wait for your next one. May you be blessed with a long life.

Colin Channer takes me into his world, on to his island and into the lives of all his marvellous characters. I just finished reading the entire collection and have started it again much to the dismay of my girlfriends who all want to borrow it. But not this time, girls, you all have to buy your own copy. This one is staying right beside my bed with all the "good" parts highlighted and pages marked so I can find them easily!!!