What do you think?
Rate this book
The Binding
Books are dangerous things in Collins's alternate universe, a place vaguely reminiscent of 19th-century England. It's a world in which people visit book binders to rid themselves of painful or treacherous memories. Once their stories have been told and are bound between the pages of a book, the slate is wiped clean and their memories lose the power to hurt or haunt them. After having suffered some sort of mental collapse and no longer able to keep up with his farm chores, Emmett Farmer is sent to the workshop of one such binder to live and work as her apprentice. Leaving behind home and family, Emmett slowly regains his health while learning the binding trade. He is forbidden to enter the locked room where books are stored, so he spends many months marbling end pages, tooling leather book covers, and gilding edges. But his curiosity is piqued by the people who come and go from the inner sanctum, and the arrival of the lordly Lucian Darnay, with whom he senses a connection, changes everything.
448 pages, ebook
First published January 7, 2019
5743 people are currently reading
146583 people want to read
About the author
Bridget Collins
12 books3,151 followersBridget Collins has works written under the name B.R Collins.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 13,005 reviews
November 1, 2020
if i could bind my memories into a book, i would start with the time i spend reading this. not because i would want to forget, but so that i could always remember. to have something tangible, documenting how spellbound i became by this story. i guess this review will have to suffice.
while this story radiates pure magic and enchantment to captivate bookworms everywhere, this is also a stunning love story. its humble and unassuming and so very touching. while i would have loved more world-building and development of how the book binding magic works and how binders are created, i cant find myself willing to fault this because of how enamoured i was with emmett and memories.
effectively structured, beautifully written, and heartwarmingly tender, this book is one i never want to forget.
↠ 4.5 stars
while this story radiates pure magic and enchantment to captivate bookworms everywhere, this is also a stunning love story. its humble and unassuming and so very touching. while i would have loved more world-building and development of how the book binding magic works and how binders are created, i cant find myself willing to fault this because of how enamoured i was with emmett and memories.
effectively structured, beautifully written, and heartwarmingly tender, this book is one i never want to forget.
↠ 4.5 stars
January 3, 2019
I'm starting to become a little disillusioned with upcoming releases by unknown or new-to-me authors. THE BINDING has an excellent marketing campaign, a gorgeous cover, and was a book I wanted to get into my hands, desperately, due to a (inaccurate) comparison to a book I love. However, for this reader, the insides don't match the outsides.
This book has three parts to it. The first act is slow, plodding, and mired in the familiar 'other characters know things but cannot tell the protagonist for reasons' trope. Act two is a major reveal, a flashback, and the only part of the story I enjoyed. Act three is a new perspective, misery, and extra unpleasantness.. when there was already a lot of that to go around.
The concept of binding memories, locking away emotions, is fascinating. There was something of a cultural clash of the rural, old-world, respect for such an exchange, versus the more urbane and materialistic -- and not to mention vile and/or wicked -- reasons for doing so. But ultimately all it did was introduce more terrible characters into a book that wasn't filled with many good ones to begin with. Infact.. I struggle to think of more than one.
There is darkness to this story, unpleasantness, and any of the magic I was hoping for was really just limited to the strange practice of the binding and the few binders who could do it. This was a lot less fantastical than I thought it would be and the only surprise was that there is a queer romance within these pages.
If I rated this book by the parts of it, it would be a slow terribly paced two star for part one, a sweet blush of a three for the middle, and an awful one star for the final section. There is a HEA of sorts but.. yeah, I don't know. This was just a lot more depressing or maybe just.. stark? bleak?.. than I thought it would be.
Great premise. Some potential. And when I was reading it, it was a smooth read; though once put down it was hard to build up the desire to pick it back up. Overall, though, I wish I could bind my memories of THE BINDING and go back to when I still had stars in my eyes at the thought of reading something new and wonderful.
** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
This book has three parts to it. The first act is slow, plodding, and mired in the familiar 'other characters know things but cannot tell the protagonist for reasons' trope. Act two is a major reveal, a flashback, and the only part of the story I enjoyed. Act three is a new perspective, misery, and extra unpleasantness.. when there was already a lot of that to go around.
The concept of binding memories, locking away emotions, is fascinating. There was something of a cultural clash of the rural, old-world, respect for such an exchange, versus the more urbane and materialistic -- and not to mention vile and/or wicked -- reasons for doing so. But ultimately all it did was introduce more terrible characters into a book that wasn't filled with many good ones to begin with. Infact.. I struggle to think of more than one.
There is darkness to this story, unpleasantness, and any of the magic I was hoping for was really just limited to the strange practice of the binding and the few binders who could do it. This was a lot less fantastical than I thought it would be and the only surprise was that there is a queer romance within these pages.
If I rated this book by the parts of it, it would be a slow terribly paced two star for part one, a sweet blush of a three for the middle, and an awful one star for the final section. There is a HEA of sorts but.. yeah, I don't know. This was just a lot more depressing or maybe just.. stark? bleak?.. than I thought it would be.
Great premise. Some potential. And when I was reading it, it was a smooth read; though once put down it was hard to build up the desire to pick it back up. Overall, though, I wish I could bind my memories of THE BINDING and go back to when I still had stars in my eyes at the thought of reading something new and wonderful.
** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
April 4, 2024
We’ve been called witches since the beginning of time. Word-cunning, they used to call it—of a piece with invoking demons…We were burned for it too. The Crusade wasn’t new, we’ve always been scapegoats. Well, knowledge is always a kind of magic, I suppose.Emmett Farmer is a young man with issues. He used to think that he would inherit his family’s farm. It was the life he was used to and the road he expected to follow to, and beyond, the horizon. But he has not been himself lately. His abilities have deteriorated. He loses himself, in time, suffering dizziness, nausea, and weakness. Some say he was cursed by a witch. When he is offered an apprenticeship with a bookbinder, it offers a way out, however frightening the career and his mentor might be.
Bridget Collins - image from United Agents, UK
Despite some raw similarities, bookbinding in Bridget Collins’s world is not quite the same as it is in ours. Emmett trains with the elderly Seradith, a woman seen as being a witchy sort by some of the locals. In fact, bookbinding is seen as a dodgy sort of work. What is bound in books here are memories. Instead of sharing recollections or stories, as they do in our reality, the memories bound into beautifully crafted leather books in this world are removed from clients by binders. Unlike books in our world, which are designed to be shared, these books are meant to be hidden. Being on the NY Times Top Ten list would kinda defeat the purpose.
At least that is the intent. Cheat on your taxes? Pay off your mistress to keep quiet at the height of a political campaign? Sell out your nation’s security in return for real estate consideration by a foreign enemy? Awkward. But there is a solution, well, for part of it, anyway. Go to a binder and the memories will be nicely removed, leaving your tiny mind virginally memory and guilt free, and ready for that sit-down with whoever might be heading an investigation. If memory-cleansing bookbinding existed in our world, I imagine there would be a long line of potential clients. Of course, it might be a challenge to find binders with the innate talent to make those memories move from a client’s brain to the page. One can train in how to work the leather, sew the pages, and do all the material steps entailed in constructing such a book, but only those with a special gift can smooth the passage from one medium to the other. Emmett Farmer, it turns out, has such a gift. It does not help much with tilling fields, but is crucial for this special craft.
…the hours passed slowly, full of small, solid details; at home, in the busyness of farm life, I’d never had the time to sit and stare, or pay attention to the way a tool looked, or how well it was made, before I used it. Here the clock in the hall dredged up seconds like stones and dropped them again into the pool of the day, letting each ripple widen before the next one fell.Emmett acclimates to Seradith’s remote locale (out in the marshes), begins to learn the manual end of the binding craft, and is eager to move beyond to learn what bookbinding is really all about (he does not actually know). He is particularly curious about what goes on beyond certain forbidden doors at Seradith’s emporium, but even glancing inside such doors causes him major episodes of what his boss calls Binder’s Disease, costing him days of consciousness and bringing forth strange visions. These strains increase when certain clients arrive. When he finds a book with his name on it, Emmett realizes that he is less than whole.
Part Two of the novel is Emmett’s bound story as reported in that book. Part Three returns us to Emmett’s now, and how he deals with what he has learned. More than that about the goings on risks spoiling a key plot twist. But it does touch on forbidden love and the dangers of loving outside one’s class, however that may be defined.
The Binding is an engaging page turner of an historical fantasy, particularly the first third, in which we are introduced to Collins’s world, an amalgam of the medieval and circa 1890 rural England. The mystery of Emmett’s affliction is enticing and his experience at Seradith’s is riveting. I found Part Two, Emmett’s bound story, interesting, but nowhere near as gripping. Part three is pretty much a continuation of Part Two, but with Emmett aware of his history, so is more of a cloth with the second than the first part. Not to say that the latter two are not good, just not so fabulous as the opening, in terms of the engagement of the story, at least. In terms of looking at the socio-economic implications of binding, they are wonderful.
One fascinating thing is how Collins came up with her concept. She was working as a volunteer at Samaritans, a non-profit that offers people who will listen for people who need to talk. What would it be like if I could reach out and winch that memory from you? She was also taking a book-binding class at the time, and a happy combination was conceived. In setting her story in late 19th century rural England she uses some history of the era to correspond with events in the created reality. For example, the Binding Law of 1850 in Emmett’s world corresponds to the 1850 legalization of gin (I’ll drink to that!) in English law. The Crusades here, for example, were not about perceived Middle Eastern outrages, addressed with European outrages, but were focused on scapegoating binding for the social and economic disruptions brought about by the rise of capitalism. Binders are viewed as women accused of witchcraft have been in our world, dealers in mysterious practices, necessary for providing needed services, but not to be trusted, and maybe evil.
There are many novels that use memory loss as a core mechanism. Some elements of these are fairly common. How is memory lost? Literature is rich with examples, usually of the traumatic sort, usually involving violence, typically a blow to the head. These tend to populate books in which memory loss features as a Maguffin for propelling a thriller or mystery. Next down the list is memory lost through illness, typically Alzheimers’ disease. Still Alice fits in there nicely. There are stories in which memory loss is via external misadventure of a broader, science-fictiony sort, things like plagues. The Book of M is a wonderful example. Less populous is the sort in which memory is willingly surrendered, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind pops to mind. (and we elect to keep it there, for now) The Binding relies on the last of these, substituting a bit of magic for the sci-fi explanation offered in Eternal Sunshine.
What lifts The Binding above the crowd of memory-loss novels is its consideration of the societal implications of voluntary forgetting. There are complications, of course, and they are wonderfully explored. Some with power want others to forget what they have done. Think of it as an employment contract, or a user agreement for partaking in pretty much any software. You agree to this and that, and such and such, which will entail the surrender of some inalienable rights. Just click agree at the bottom of the mouse-print form. But damn, you need the job, or want to use the software. However, what if what you are surrendering to the seller, or employer, is the right to your own memories? And what if the person in power has done something they would rather you not remember? You might find yourself (or what is left of you) wearing out a path to the binder’s shop for a bit of a memory trim (Boss just sent me over. Says you should just take a bit off the top, please, and close on the sides, ok?) I will leave to your imagination (and the book of course) how such a system might be abused. So, we have an author who looks at political power in a very personal way. Workers of the world unite! You have nothing to lose but your…wait, what was that again? Continuing the image, what if you are starving and selling your memories as a way to put food on the table, the way many in poverty engage in sex work to make ends meet? Puts me in mind of the Beggarwoman from Sweeney Todd (Hey, don’t I know you, Mister?”) Which of course presumes that there are binders out there with somewhat lower ethical standards than the very righteous Seradith. Shocking, I know.
To lift the novel even higher is a parallel consideration, the significance, the power of books themselves, what it means to write a book, to read a book, and to share the experiences of another through the written page. I was reminded of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and The Book Thief.
What if we look at books as a manifestation of self? Not exactly a stretch. Do authors lose a part of themselves when they commit their thoughts to the page? Is reading a book written by someone else a form of voyeurism? Just as in our world, books can be used for benign or malign purposes, books are treated as treasured valuables by some and as a form of personal or mass-produced filth by others. Seradith, essentially, amputates memories, as a physician would take an unhealable limb, a benign act, and saves the bound memory in a beautifully crafted book, kept safe in a vault. Others may make use of such books for corrupt purposes. You, yes you, reading this, you know the power of books, how they can act like a drug, slaking, temporarily, an unquenchable thirst. Very drug-like, no? How about the power of books to heal? Ever read anything that made you feel better? Certainly any well-written memoir can offer one a view of someone’s inner life, but at least in our world, that does not require that the author forget what she has written. Books change lives, whether we read or write them. For writers, a part of themselves definitely finds its way onto the page. And a world in which all books are locked away sounds rather medieval.
Collins offers a bit of wry perspective on writing.
There’s a growing trade in fakes, you know. Does that concern you?” He paused, but he didn’t seem surprised not to get an answer. “I’ve never seen one—well, as far as I know-but I’m curious. Could one really tell the difference? Novels, they call them. They must be much cheaper to produce. You can copy them, you see. Use the same story over and over, and as long as you’re careful how you sell them, you can get away with it. it makes one wonder who would write them. People who enjoy imagining misery, I suppose. People who have no scruples about dishonesty. People who can spend days writing a long sad lie without going insane…My father, of course, is a connoisseur. He claims that he would know instantly if he saw a novel. He says that a real, authentic book breathes an unmistakable scent of…well. He calls it truth, or life. I think maybe he means despair.I doubt that despair is what you will experience on reading The Binder. This is a marvelous read, a thoughtful, engaging novel, featuring a large dollop of Dickensian social commentary, while following an appealing everyman through the perils of coming of age, and offering in addition insightful observations on memory-as-self and the power of books. I was sure I had something more to say, but I seem to have forgotten what that was.
Review first posted – January 4, 2019
Publication
-----UK – January 10, 2019
-----USA – April 16, 2019
----------April 21, 2020 - trade paper
This review is cross-posted on my site, Coot’s Reviews, all in one piece. Stop by and say Hi!
==========In the summer of 2019 GR reduced the allowable review size by 25%, from 20,000 to 15,000 characters. In order to accommodate the text beyond that I have moved it to the comments section below in what is currently comment #5.
December 12, 2018
Bridget Collins has written a beautifully imagined piece of fantasy historical fiction, a sumptuous love story, of poor farmer's son, Emmet Farmer, and the wealthy, privileged Lucian Darnay, doomed to be star crossed lovers. In this world, books are not what we would recognise them to be, books are for all those things that people feel destroyed by and cannot live with in their lives. They are extraordinary hand crafted, leather bound repositories of actual peoples memories, their secrets, grief, and pain, erased for good after being stored in a book. Books are feared and forbidden, as Emmet finds to his cost when he is drawn to buy one. An unwelcome letter arrives for Emmet, an apprenticeship he cannot refuse, he will train to be a bookbinder under Seredith's tutelage, a sacred calling. For a while, Emmet has been ill, unable to contribute to the farm as he once did, but he, like others is afraid of bookbinders, a profession surrounded with ignorance, prejudice and superstition. He travels to Seredith's remote home, and surprisingly finds solace in his daily tasks, surrounded by a silence that turns out to be what he needs to bear his illness.
The narrative goes back and forth in time, from the time Emmet and his sister, Alta, meet Lucian Darnay, to the development of their relationship, and to Emmet's experiences with other bookbinders and their clients. The reader comes to understand how Emmet came to develop his mystery illness, and the effects and repercussions of bookbinding on his and Lucian's lives. Seredith turns out to be a remarkably ethical and moral bookbinder, storing and safely locking away the books in her vault. This is in sharp contrast to others, some bookbinders are happy to practice a corrupt, horrifyingly venal form of bookbinding for the rich and powerful that uses and abuses people. These bookbinders illegally sell and trade the books for profit, often to those with a prurient interest in the secret lives of others, and for the purposes of blackmail. In a story of murder, magic, separation and ruthless powerful forces, do Emmet and Lucian's love stand any chance in a hostile world?
Collins engages in complex world building in this utterly beguiling novel, making this world come vibrantly alive with her detailed descriptions of time and place, whilst relating a moving and original love story that charms and captivates. This is Romeo and Romeo for the modern age, the characterisation is compelling, with Emmet and Lucian’s love crossing the social class divide, moreover a love story that crosses boundaries in so many other senses too. This is brilliant storytelling, that immerses the reader in a past where books are a dangerous and secret commodity, and a forbidden love that threatens to destroy Emmet and Lucian. Highly recommended. Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.
The narrative goes back and forth in time, from the time Emmet and his sister, Alta, meet Lucian Darnay, to the development of their relationship, and to Emmet's experiences with other bookbinders and their clients. The reader comes to understand how Emmet came to develop his mystery illness, and the effects and repercussions of bookbinding on his and Lucian's lives. Seredith turns out to be a remarkably ethical and moral bookbinder, storing and safely locking away the books in her vault. This is in sharp contrast to others, some bookbinders are happy to practice a corrupt, horrifyingly venal form of bookbinding for the rich and powerful that uses and abuses people. These bookbinders illegally sell and trade the books for profit, often to those with a prurient interest in the secret lives of others, and for the purposes of blackmail. In a story of murder, magic, separation and ruthless powerful forces, do Emmet and Lucian's love stand any chance in a hostile world?
Collins engages in complex world building in this utterly beguiling novel, making this world come vibrantly alive with her detailed descriptions of time and place, whilst relating a moving and original love story that charms and captivates. This is Romeo and Romeo for the modern age, the characterisation is compelling, with Emmet and Lucian’s love crossing the social class divide, moreover a love story that crosses boundaries in so many other senses too. This is brilliant storytelling, that immerses the reader in a past where books are a dangerous and secret commodity, and a forbidden love that threatens to destroy Emmet and Lucian. Highly recommended. Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.
May 12, 2024
“Liber vos liberabit - The book shall set you free”
If good marketing and stunning art cover lured you here under the pretence that you are going to read some genre-bending fantasy, you need to know that you have been deceived. This is essentially a romance set in a 19th century UK with such tiny dash of magic that an English tea has more milk in it, and as much plot and suspense as a shepherd’s pie recipe offers.
In fact, a book-burning scene is the unequivocal highlight of this novel.
The book comprises of three parts and two distinct POVs. It offers a first person narrative which is prone to ruminations and slowing down the pace of plot advancement (luckily there is nothing to advance here so that’s not a big problem). Nonetheless, this type of narrative is entirely character-dependent and that proves to be a bit of an obstacle because the main protagonist, one Emmet Farmer, is unbearable.
I wasn’t convinced that Emmet has anything substantial to offer because he knows nothing, is insecure and not that smart. He is a kind of “the ground lifted off its anchor and rocked on a sea of darkness” protagonist. Imagine someone wobbly, fainting and unsteady on his feet for the first part and then just an ordinary push-around. There is no character development (no, whining does not count) and at no point does Emmet show some other, surprising side to his personality. The scene when the antagonist (?) (I am really in a quandary here, as for me every single person in this book - save Seredith perhaps - was an antagonist) is introduced, the scene that is meant to show how insensitive and callous this individual is, in fact only shows the complete spinelessness of the MC. Being bossed around your own territory is not a thing that will make you my friend. I can accept a couple of paragraphs for the sake of character development, but not the 300+ pages of it.
OK, so here we are: the novel is overtalked, there is nothing pro- about the ‘tagonist’ and thus the interesting setting and original idea is the last hope. Especially that the description promises a whole lot of things riding on the bookbinding concept. This whole bookbinding business is half-confession and half-lobotomy (with divine forgetting instead of divine forgiving); a process that erases part of the person and transfers it into a book. It is a fiendishly clever idea! I wanted to know more: where does this power come from? how does it work? why is it that Emmet is a powerful binder (what makes the person a powerful binder and what is the difference between a mediocre one? what is exactly his strength?) how does the binding happen? None of the above is answered and the last problem is dealt with ONE SENTENCE and it reads: “how it works is a mystery boy.”
Jolly good!
Which basically means that at some point, the author had this vague idea and instead of working out the details that could be used as building blocks for the story, she just uses it as a premise without further consideration because who cares (I do!) and she is writing a gay romance first and foremost so other things are more important. In my book, this is unforgivable. Why? Because there is an infinite WEALTH of possible PLOTS abandoned just like that and blanks the author has not bothered to fill:
We are told that bookbinding a sacred calling, but there are just random people doing things in vastly different ways with no organised guild, and no laws (the whole world is rather lawless) outside of the invisible supply and demand hand of the market. There are ruthless upper-class miscreants but no king that would be in a position to create a veritable dystopian autocracy of bookbound citizens. There are private vaults, but there are no libraries. There are snippets from history (oh there were crusades, ages ago like 50 years back, so everybody forgot already and it’s business as usual) but it is not properly explained why bookbinding is kept secret (bizarre as secrecy jeopardises the whole idea!) and then how is it that some people know and are totally indifferent about it.
None of these elements have been thought through and the consequences are only alluded to which frustrated me to no end. Even worse: the blurb insinuated that books are dangerous things. But books are not dangerous in this novel. People are. It is not a book about books (and I love those) as they have no agency whatsoever. It is a story how power corrupts and how humans abuse it: how bindings are being sold without consent, how people become prostitutes selling memories and therefore their selves, bit by bit ceasing to be, how memories are taken without explicit consent in order to perpetuate abuse and exploitation, how you can be blackmailed with a book or outright destroyed.
And what do these two fine male specimens do in this slightly dystopian, and unjust world? Do they fix or break the system? Do they try to alter the processes? Perhaps they attempt to straight some individual wrongs? The correct answer is: Nothing. They do nothing that transcends their personal entanglement. They can prevent a murder but they don’t bother in the end. They also terrorise an innocent maid threatening her with an abuse of the binding powers, but all for a good cause so don’t pay heed. This good cause is their own happiness and this is all the Binding is about.
This book is nothing but a soft-paranormal romance and I am sure some readers will be fine with it. Cool, there is nothing wrong with romances, I read them too provided that they have acceptable premises and likeable protagonists. The Binding does not have those. The only thing you can desperately clutch here is the fact that the romance happens between two boys and across the societal strata so if those things excite you, you might give this plotless, dreary tale a go.
If good marketing and stunning art cover lured you here under the pretence that you are going to read some genre-bending fantasy, you need to know that you have been deceived. This is essentially a romance set in a 19th century UK with such tiny dash of magic that an English tea has more milk in it, and as much plot and suspense as a shepherd’s pie recipe offers.
In fact, a book-burning scene is the unequivocal highlight of this novel.
The book comprises of three parts and two distinct POVs. It offers a first person narrative which is prone to ruminations and slowing down the pace of plot advancement (luckily there is nothing to advance here so that’s not a big problem). Nonetheless, this type of narrative is entirely character-dependent and that proves to be a bit of an obstacle because the main protagonist, one Emmet Farmer, is unbearable.
I wasn’t convinced that Emmet has anything substantial to offer because he knows nothing, is insecure and not that smart. He is a kind of “the ground lifted off its anchor and rocked on a sea of darkness” protagonist. Imagine someone wobbly, fainting and unsteady on his feet for the first part and then just an ordinary push-around. There is no character development (no, whining does not count) and at no point does Emmet show some other, surprising side to his personality. The scene when the antagonist (?) (I am really in a quandary here, as for me every single person in this book - save Seredith perhaps - was an antagonist) is introduced, the scene that is meant to show how insensitive and callous this individual is, in fact only shows the complete spinelessness of the MC. Being bossed around your own territory is not a thing that will make you my friend. I can accept a couple of paragraphs for the sake of character development, but not the 300+ pages of it.
OK, so here we are: the novel is overtalked, there is nothing pro- about the ‘tagonist’ and thus the interesting setting and original idea is the last hope. Especially that the description promises a whole lot of things riding on the bookbinding concept. This whole bookbinding business is half-confession and half-lobotomy (with divine forgetting instead of divine forgiving); a process that erases part of the person and transfers it into a book. It is a fiendishly clever idea! I wanted to know more: where does this power come from? how does it work? why is it that Emmet is a powerful binder (what makes the person a powerful binder and what is the difference between a mediocre one? what is exactly his strength?) how does the binding happen? None of the above is answered and the last problem is dealt with ONE SENTENCE and it reads: “how it works is a mystery boy.”
Which basically means that at some point, the author had this vague idea and instead of working out the details that could be used as building blocks for the story, she just uses it as a premise without further consideration because who cares (I do!) and she is writing a gay romance first and foremost so other things are more important. In my book, this is unforgivable. Why? Because there is an infinite WEALTH of possible PLOTS abandoned just like that and blanks the author has not bothered to fill:
We are told that bookbinding a sacred calling, but there are just random people doing things in vastly different ways with no organised guild, and no laws (the whole world is rather lawless) outside of the invisible supply and demand hand of the market. There are ruthless upper-class miscreants but no king that would be in a position to create a veritable dystopian autocracy of bookbound citizens. There are private vaults, but there are no libraries. There are snippets from history (oh there were crusades, ages ago like 50 years back, so everybody forgot already and it’s business as usual) but it is not properly explained why bookbinding is kept secret (bizarre as secrecy jeopardises the whole idea!) and then how is it that some people know and are totally indifferent about it.
None of these elements have been thought through and the consequences are only alluded to which frustrated me to no end. Even worse: the blurb insinuated that books are dangerous things. But books are not dangerous in this novel. People are. It is not a book about books (and I love those) as they have no agency whatsoever. It is a story how power corrupts and how humans abuse it: how bindings are being sold without consent, how people become prostitutes selling memories and therefore their selves, bit by bit ceasing to be, how memories are taken without explicit consent in order to perpetuate abuse and exploitation, how you can be blackmailed with a book or outright destroyed.
And what do these two fine male specimens do in this slightly dystopian, and unjust world? Do they fix or break the system? Do they try to alter the processes? Perhaps they attempt to straight some individual wrongs? The correct answer is: Nothing. They do nothing that transcends their personal entanglement. They can prevent a murder but they don’t bother in the end. They also terrorise an innocent maid threatening her with an abuse of the binding powers, but all for a good cause so don’t pay heed. This good cause is their own happiness and this is all the Binding is about.
This book is nothing but a soft-paranormal romance and I am sure some readers will be fine with it. Cool, there is nothing wrong with romances, I read them too provided that they have acceptable premises and likeable protagonists. The Binding does not have those. The only thing you can desperately clutch here is the fact that the romance happens between two boys and across the societal strata so if those things excite you, you might give this plotless, dreary tale a go.
Read
December 24, 20192.5 stars. I had high hopes for this book, really loved the premise, but I think it’s one of those cases that it delivered something else than promised. The idea sounded very original; people’s bad memories binded in a book, so that they don’t remember them anymore. It sounded like it has fantasy elements, some magic with interesting characters. The book is divided in 3 parts. I loved the first part, but things went into a completely different direction starting from the second part. The rest of the book is just a romance story. It’s remotely related to the overarching idea, but in my opinion it was too much, too predictable, too slow. Also, there are lots of trigger warnings in this book, rape, sexual abuse, murder. This darkness and the amount of pages spent on it took me by surprise. So, I think that original idea is lost in between attempts of a bit of LGBTQ content and too much darkness. In addition, there are characters we spent a lot of time on in the first part, that were not touched upon in the other parts. It was lacking character development. Then, there was no explanation on where this magic is coming from, why some people have it, what’s the set up? Although Collins’ writing was flowing nicely, in my opinion, the plot was far from perfect and complete. In the end, it was not for me.
Thanks so much to Harper Collins for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks so much to Harper Collins for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
July 2, 2019
Magical realism is never my first choice and it is the genre I hardly ever decide to read but I never refuse a novel that manages to incorporate it into a good story. And this is a splendid example of such combination that forced me to continue reading till late hours. The idea of binding your memories into books and leaving none left is both brilliant and terrifying.
The Binding cast a spell on me that I will take some time to reverse provided I want it …
The Binding cast a spell on me that I will take some time to reverse provided I want it …
August 25, 2020
Finishes book.
*Blinks.*
*Blinks again.*
SLAMS book fucking shut.
S E E T H I N G: AGAHSKAKPZKWOAOVJWOAPWLFYCIAOWKZ— (unintelligible garble insert here). WHAT!!!!!?!?!?!,??? WAS !!!!!?!?!?!,??? THAT !!!!!?!?!?!,???
I AM SO ANNOYED NOW WTF. NO ONE TALK TO ME RIGHT NOW.
I want to give this book ONE STAR AFTER THAT ENDING. So pointless....
Stupid, stupid, s t u p i d.
RTC.
1.5 STARS
*Blinks.*
*Blinks again.*
SLAMS book fucking shut.
S E E T H I N G: AGAHSKAKPZKWOAOVJWOAPWLFYCIAOWKZ— (unintelligible garble insert here). WHAT!!!!!?!?!?!,??? WAS !!!!!?!?!?!,??? THAT !!!!!?!?!?!,???
I AM SO ANNOYED NOW WTF. NO ONE TALK TO ME RIGHT NOW.
I want to give this book ONE STAR AFTER THAT ENDING. So pointless....
Stupid, stupid, s t u p i d.
RTC.
1.5 STARS
February 10, 2019
I had such high hopes for this book, and I'm left feeling dreadfully disappointed. This book was overhyped, and that I'm positive of. I really couldn't wait to get my hands on this. The plot sounded intriguing and I adored the cover. Lets be honest, it is quite something, and I was kind of lured in by it.
This book consists of three parts. The first part was slow, and it really, really dragged. The second was better, as I think it is the only part of the entire book that I liked and was tolerable, and the third part was another tedious drag, and I was itching to get to the end.
The concept of binding memories really excited me. I thought Collins was on to something good here, but unfortunately, it turned out very differently than I had expected. There are no likeable characters in this. Everyone is dark, unpleasant and unlikeable to the core. Every three pages or so someone is either feeling nauseous, or is vomiting. It got kind of samey, and caused plenty of eye rolling with me, I'll admit. I was surprised to come across a queer romance in this book, which actually really made this read more bearable.
This was the kind of book that I had near enough no desire to pick back up again, once I'd put it down, which is a shame, as forcing your way through a book for the sake of being able to toss it aside is never a good sign. This had potential, but was a disappointment!
This book consists of three parts. The first part was slow, and it really, really dragged. The second was better, as I think it is the only part of the entire book that I liked and was tolerable, and the third part was another tedious drag, and I was itching to get to the end.
The concept of binding memories really excited me. I thought Collins was on to something good here, but unfortunately, it turned out very differently than I had expected. There are no likeable characters in this. Everyone is dark, unpleasant and unlikeable to the core. Every three pages or so someone is either feeling nauseous, or is vomiting. It got kind of samey, and caused plenty of eye rolling with me, I'll admit. I was surprised to come across a queer romance in this book, which actually really made this read more bearable.
This was the kind of book that I had near enough no desire to pick back up again, once I'd put it down, which is a shame, as forcing your way through a book for the sake of being able to toss it aside is never a good sign. This had potential, but was a disappointment!
November 15, 2019
I don’t care. Not for me. Won it in a goodreads giveaway. Skim read because it bored me. Yay for everyone that loved it 😘
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
October 20, 2020
Ciekawy koncept, za to zupełnie niespodziewana strona, w którą cała książka poszła. Momentami się męczyłam, a chwilami płynęłam i nie mogłam jej odłożyć. Baaardzo nierówna i specyficzna. Ale generalnie mogę ją polecać, ja się naprawdę dobrze bawiłam! Nieco klimatem podobna do 10 tysięcy drzwi, ale zdecydowanie lepsza.
July 27, 2020
This was a magical and incredibly well written novel.
Emmett is sent away by his parents to work as a Binder’s apprentice. If people want certain bad memories to be taken away they can visit a Binder and be ‘bound’. The resulting book is then kept safe so that the person will never have to relive the memories again.
But there are certain Binders who sell books, who treat the trade or its patients with zero respect. When Emmett sees a book with his name on, he wonders what secrets it holds. But the only way to unbind a person is to burn their book if you begin to tell someone their secret it can cause awful pain.
I loved the characters, the writing is gorgeous and it is a wonderful premise. The only reason it missed 5 stars for me is because the premise didn’t feel brand new to me. I’ve read
Emmett is sent away by his parents to work as a Binder’s apprentice. If people want certain bad memories to be taken away they can visit a Binder and be ‘bound’. The resulting book is then kept safe so that the person will never have to relive the memories again.
But there are certain Binders who sell books, who treat the trade or its patients with zero respect. When Emmett sees a book with his name on, he wonders what secrets it holds. But the only way to unbind a person is to burn their book if you begin to tell someone their secret it can cause awful pain.
I loved the characters, the writing is gorgeous and it is a wonderful premise. The only reason it missed 5 stars for me is because the premise didn’t feel brand new to me. I’ve read
January 2, 2026
4/5 ⭐
This book came to me as a surprise and I cannot say I hated it.
I remember wanting to buy a physical copy of this book a while ago, because it was on a good deal and the cover was stunning. However, something happened and by the time I wanted to add it to my card it was already sold out (it was only one copy on that website). So naturally, I forgot about it...until now.
A few days ago I discovered an audiobook of it and I suddenly remembered that hey, I actually wanted to read this one! So I listened to it instead :P
Given the fact that this was more like a fantastical historical fiction, the narrator's very English accent was the absolute best choice for the audiobook. I felt like I was in a magical 19th century Yorkshire village and I lived for it.
The story started off quite boring if you ask me. The premise was so good and intriguing, there are people of the books, people with magical calls, people who can weave and bind other people's memories into actual books. Just imagine letting someone take away your darkest, most unpleasant and terrifying memories, putting them into a book you can simply keep on your shelf, without you remembering any of the trauma all those memories imprinted on your mind and soul. Basically, that's the promise of this book, the whole backbone of the narrative.
Well, a slow build-up has been delivered at first, but then it became darker and darker. That's when I realised this isn't, actually, teen fiction. It's dark, twisted and to be fair a little bit kinky too.
And I also have to say that this book has one of the most disgusting character ever created, in the form of a father figure. I would've gladly tortured him to his death. And trust me, if you read this book, you would join me too! We will demand blood!
It is dark, it is twisty, it is atmospheric and it also has so many deeper meanings through the actions of the characters.
This book came to me as a surprise and I cannot say I hated it.
I remember wanting to buy a physical copy of this book a while ago, because it was on a good deal and the cover was stunning. However, something happened and by the time I wanted to add it to my card it was already sold out (it was only one copy on that website). So naturally, I forgot about it...until now.
A few days ago I discovered an audiobook of it and I suddenly remembered that hey, I actually wanted to read this one! So I listened to it instead :P
Given the fact that this was more like a fantastical historical fiction, the narrator's very English accent was the absolute best choice for the audiobook. I felt like I was in a magical 19th century Yorkshire village and I lived for it.
The story started off quite boring if you ask me. The premise was so good and intriguing, there are people of the books, people with magical calls, people who can weave and bind other people's memories into actual books. Just imagine letting someone take away your darkest, most unpleasant and terrifying memories, putting them into a book you can simply keep on your shelf, without you remembering any of the trauma all those memories imprinted on your mind and soul. Basically, that's the promise of this book, the whole backbone of the narrative.
Well, a slow build-up has been delivered at first, but then it became darker and darker. That's when I realised this isn't, actually, teen fiction. It's dark, twisted and to be fair a little bit kinky too.
And I also have to say that this book has one of the most disgusting character ever created, in the form of a father figure. I would've gladly tortured him to his death. And trust me, if you read this book, you would join me too! We will demand blood!
It is dark, it is twisty, it is atmospheric and it also has so many deeper meanings through the actions of the characters.
February 28, 2019
4****
This book was spellbinding and included an original concept (about books!) that I had never read before; it completely ensnared me into its pages.
The tale starts of with Emmett, a farmer from a small house in the country, plagued by nightmares which in turn effect his work. Suddenly one afternoon, he receives a letter, telling him that he must go to be a binder, a job that promotes fear, prejudice and superstition among communities.
Emmett goes to be an apprentice as a binder so that one day he can do it himself. In this remote house of his mentor, he will learn to craft beautiful books and will learn to create something, each time, that is unique; a memory. A book binder's responsibility is to help those who want to forget and erase memories. His role is to assist and take these memories and place them in beautiful bindings where the person never has to remember the memory again. However, not all memories are good memories and not everyone wants to forget. This novel really explored the dark side to bookbinding and the manipulation and exploitation used by those who rely on the craft.
One day, to Emmett's complete surprise, he finds a book with his name on, curious as to what the pages hold...
This book was completely intriguing and compelling. I loved how it used books as a way of holding sacred memories, not imagination, whether these be good or bad memories from a persons past. This book also had a sweet romance and historical fiction thrown in as well. 💙 Also the cover is gorgeous!
This book was spellbinding and included an original concept (about books!) that I had never read before; it completely ensnared me into its pages.
The tale starts of with Emmett, a farmer from a small house in the country, plagued by nightmares which in turn effect his work. Suddenly one afternoon, he receives a letter, telling him that he must go to be a binder, a job that promotes fear, prejudice and superstition among communities.
Emmett goes to be an apprentice as a binder so that one day he can do it himself. In this remote house of his mentor, he will learn to craft beautiful books and will learn to create something, each time, that is unique; a memory. A book binder's responsibility is to help those who want to forget and erase memories. His role is to assist and take these memories and place them in beautiful bindings where the person never has to remember the memory again. However, not all memories are good memories and not everyone wants to forget. This novel really explored the dark side to bookbinding and the manipulation and exploitation used by those who rely on the craft.
One day, to Emmett's complete surprise, he finds a book with his name on, curious as to what the pages hold...
This book was completely intriguing and compelling. I loved how it used books as a way of holding sacred memories, not imagination, whether these be good or bad memories from a persons past. This book also had a sweet romance and historical fiction thrown in as well. 💙 Also the cover is gorgeous!
April 22, 2019
I was excited to begin this book with its interesting premise and the promise of a blend of fantasy and reality. And I was not disappointed at first. I was intrigued by the Victorian style world the author created, one in which books aren’t filled with fictional stories that are for purchase, but rather, ones that are filled with memories of people who chose to have them removed from their minds by book binders. Those memories would then be kept safe in beautiful books the binders fashioned for their clients, which meant they’d be locked away, never to be seen or read. This also kept the books safe from physical harm, since if a book were ever to be destroyed, the memories in it would return to the person. Bindings could only be done for those giving their permission. However, this rule did not take into account those being coerced into giving their permission. And it didn’t account for unscrupulous binders who might discreetly sell such books to collectors. And then, there were those people desperate enough to sell their memories, even the good ones, to those same unscrupulous binders. Such books were often indistinguishable from those labeled novels. Novels, unlike books, were clearly filled with fictitious contents and were permissible to be sold.
All these elements of binding were a rich field in which to grow an abundant story. But this is where my disappointment came in. The author never did explore many of these elements in any depth beyond how they connected to her main characters. She hardly explored that world at large or the act of binding itself and the morality involved. Instead, the book focused on the relationship between the two main male characters, to the exclusion of all else, in the second and third parts, comprising the bulk of this story.
By far, section one was my favorite when focusing on its Dickens-like character, Emmett Farmer, a young man suffering from some emotional strain and physical ailment that left him unable to work on his family’s farm and kept his parents and sister at an emotional distance from him. He doesn’t even know why any of this is so.
I couldn’t remember getting sick; if I tried, all I saw was a mess of nightmare-scorched fragments. Even my memories of my life before that—last spring, last winter—were tinged with the same gangrenous shadow, as if nothing was healthy anymore.
How he came to be in this state and why his family acted toward him as they did and why a wealthy young man named Lucian Darnay, visiting his uncle on a neighboring farm, disquiets him so much—all these elements were teeming with gothic mystery which added to the tension and suspense and made me feel for Emmett Farmer. Eventually, Emmett is sent away to train as a book binder, something he feels is a punishment. This is where the story really took off for me as Emmett trains with an old woman named Seredith who lives out in the marshes and whom people think of as a witch.
So what happened after this point that had me feeling disappointed in this book? In parts two and three, the relationship between Emmett and Lucian dominated the story. I felt this was detrimental to the story at large and to the premise it was built on. I enjoyed their relationship, but the details of it became repetitive and drawn out, and very little about bookbinding was explored outside of their lives. The morality and philosophy of bookbinding would have made for an interesting discussion among the characters who might question their world a little more and get the reader thinking along with them. Instead, I was a bystander in the story, able to sympathize with the characters, but not able to fully immerse myself in all that was happening after part one. I wanted to see more of that world and have the peripheral characters better developed such as Emmett’s sister who only had one thing on her mind. Villainous characters, likewise, were one dimensional. It was as if the author had used all her energy on Emmett and Lucian and had little left over for much else besides describing the environment around them. In this, the writing is highly descriptive and often poetic, which is both a compliment and a complaint. On the positive side, the author is an expressive and extremely observant person who details her story in beautiful and surprising ways.
Here the clock in the hall dredged up seconds like stones and dropped them again into the pool of the day, letting each ripple widen before the next one fell.
I settled myself again, and after a while I felt my body loosen, as if the silence was undoing knots I hadn’t known were there. The fire had nearly gone out; ash had grown over the embers like moss. I ought to tend to it, but I couldn’t bring myself to get up. I moved my fingers through the focused ellipse of lamplight, letting it sit above my knuckle like a ring. When I sat back, it shone on the patchwork quilt, picking out the curl of a printed fern.
But on the negative side, those same details sometimes got out of hand and overpowered the scenes in which more dialogue or action would have been welcome, rather than the moment by moment observations she stuffed into the characters’ heads and onto the page. It teetered on the edge of ridiculousness at one point when one character spat a huge wad of phlegm and another character watched it land on the ground in the shape of a leaf. Uh...no. This is not an observation that anyone would probably have in this instance or one a reader would care to have thrown their way.
So this book has many good things to recommend it—a fascinating premise, sympathetic main characters, plus one very good supporting character, many instances of beautiful and atmospheric writing, a gothic style setting, and plenty of mystery. But the relationship between the two main characters took center stage after part one, which I feel took something away from the general story and left no room for the author to explore the act of binding or its effect on that society, especially with a change in viewpoint. The ending was also a bit too tidy for me and didn’t answer some lingering questions.
I do think this would make a nice first book in a series if, in later books, the art of bookbinding was actually the focus and practiced in numerous circumstances beyond the few times portrayed in this book. I’d read another book by the author if she decided to go that route and to broaden her scope to include some examination of the conflicts inherent to binding. As it stands, I’m glad I read this book, but I can’t help feeling it could have been better.
All these elements of binding were a rich field in which to grow an abundant story. But this is where my disappointment came in. The author never did explore many of these elements in any depth beyond how they connected to her main characters. She hardly explored that world at large or the act of binding itself and the morality involved. Instead, the book focused on the relationship between the two main male characters, to the exclusion of all else, in the second and third parts, comprising the bulk of this story.
By far, section one was my favorite when focusing on its Dickens-like character, Emmett Farmer, a young man suffering from some emotional strain and physical ailment that left him unable to work on his family’s farm and kept his parents and sister at an emotional distance from him. He doesn’t even know why any of this is so.
I couldn’t remember getting sick; if I tried, all I saw was a mess of nightmare-scorched fragments. Even my memories of my life before that—last spring, last winter—were tinged with the same gangrenous shadow, as if nothing was healthy anymore.
How he came to be in this state and why his family acted toward him as they did and why a wealthy young man named Lucian Darnay, visiting his uncle on a neighboring farm, disquiets him so much—all these elements were teeming with gothic mystery which added to the tension and suspense and made me feel for Emmett Farmer. Eventually, Emmett is sent away to train as a book binder, something he feels is a punishment. This is where the story really took off for me as Emmett trains with an old woman named Seredith who lives out in the marshes and whom people think of as a witch.
So what happened after this point that had me feeling disappointed in this book? In parts two and three, the relationship between Emmett and Lucian dominated the story. I felt this was detrimental to the story at large and to the premise it was built on. I enjoyed their relationship, but the details of it became repetitive and drawn out, and very little about bookbinding was explored outside of their lives. The morality and philosophy of bookbinding would have made for an interesting discussion among the characters who might question their world a little more and get the reader thinking along with them. Instead, I was a bystander in the story, able to sympathize with the characters, but not able to fully immerse myself in all that was happening after part one. I wanted to see more of that world and have the peripheral characters better developed such as Emmett’s sister who only had one thing on her mind. Villainous characters, likewise, were one dimensional. It was as if the author had used all her energy on Emmett and Lucian and had little left over for much else besides describing the environment around them. In this, the writing is highly descriptive and often poetic, which is both a compliment and a complaint. On the positive side, the author is an expressive and extremely observant person who details her story in beautiful and surprising ways.
Here the clock in the hall dredged up seconds like stones and dropped them again into the pool of the day, letting each ripple widen before the next one fell.
I settled myself again, and after a while I felt my body loosen, as if the silence was undoing knots I hadn’t known were there. The fire had nearly gone out; ash had grown over the embers like moss. I ought to tend to it, but I couldn’t bring myself to get up. I moved my fingers through the focused ellipse of lamplight, letting it sit above my knuckle like a ring. When I sat back, it shone on the patchwork quilt, picking out the curl of a printed fern.
But on the negative side, those same details sometimes got out of hand and overpowered the scenes in which more dialogue or action would have been welcome, rather than the moment by moment observations she stuffed into the characters’ heads and onto the page. It teetered on the edge of ridiculousness at one point when one character spat a huge wad of phlegm and another character watched it land on the ground in the shape of a leaf. Uh...no. This is not an observation that anyone would probably have in this instance or one a reader would care to have thrown their way.
So this book has many good things to recommend it—a fascinating premise, sympathetic main characters, plus one very good supporting character, many instances of beautiful and atmospheric writing, a gothic style setting, and plenty of mystery. But the relationship between the two main characters took center stage after part one, which I feel took something away from the general story and left no room for the author to explore the act of binding or its effect on that society, especially with a change in viewpoint. The ending was also a bit too tidy for me and didn’t answer some lingering questions.
I do think this would make a nice first book in a series if, in later books, the art of bookbinding was actually the focus and practiced in numerous circumstances beyond the few times portrayed in this book. I’d read another book by the author if she decided to go that route and to broaden her scope to include some examination of the conflicts inherent to binding. As it stands, I’m glad I read this book, but I can’t help feeling it could have been better.
February 16, 2021
H O L Y
S H I R T B A L L S
This book is my life. I am stunned by how incredible the writing was, how incredible the characters were, how incredible the storyline is. The Binding is such a unique and interesting book, and as are the ideas that fuelled this book. A book about books, and what amazing books they are. Memories, captured and preserved and taken from a person forever. To be used for good or used for evil, this idea is stunning and I loved reading about it.
And then there were the characters. The characters in this book were so beautifully described, and though I may have found Emmett annoying at times, what character isn't? Lucias added a whole new part to this book, and the romance? Well damn, I was about half-way through the book and then suddenly my gaydar was tingling and I was like 'am I sensing something here?'. And damn, what a thing that was. I rarely read such beautiful romantic build-ups, and believe me, I read a lot of books.
And god, what a relief to not have an intense cliffhanger at the end.
Do yourself a favour and read this book.
S H I R T B A L L S
This book is my life. I am stunned by how incredible the writing was, how incredible the characters were, how incredible the storyline is. The Binding is such a unique and interesting book, and as are the ideas that fuelled this book. A book about books, and what amazing books they are. Memories, captured and preserved and taken from a person forever. To be used for good or used for evil, this idea is stunning and I loved reading about it.
And then there were the characters. The characters in this book were so beautifully described, and though I may have found Emmett annoying at times, what character isn't? Lucias added a whole new part to this book, and the romance? Well damn, I was about half-way through the book and then suddenly my gaydar was tingling and I was like 'am I sensing something here?'. And damn, what a thing that was. I rarely read such beautiful romantic build-ups, and believe me, I read a lot of books.
And god, what a relief to not have an intense cliffhanger at the end.
Do yourself a favour and read this book.
April 21, 2019
If this was a recipe it would be 1 cup romance with a teaspoon of fantasy and a sprinkling of fun . It’s a male to male romance in 1800s I’m guessing though it never specifically says, in a world where all bad memories or anything you want to forget can be binded in a book and stored safely away, or so it is supposed to be. Dun dun dunnn. I liked it I got it as an arc on a giveaways here on goodreads . I started it as soon as it came in the mail.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
April 16, 2020
Book binding is an art. A very real one. Collins infused her fictional binders with the additional ability to weave secrets and memories into their end papers, which freed individuals from the burdens of their guilt and fears. But with these life-altering abilities comes the fear of the other and the lurking allure of abusing this bestowed gift.
The Binding was a very different story to the one I had anticipated. The synopsis conjured a whimsical and fantastical alternate history. The book, however, held its roots firmly in reality for much of the novel. All it did deliver made my longing for the former vanish entirely, though. What an incredible concept and a compulsively readable story-line!
The Binding was a very different story to the one I had anticipated. The synopsis conjured a whimsical and fantastical alternate history. The book, however, held its roots firmly in reality for much of the novel. All it did deliver made my longing for the former vanish entirely, though. What an incredible concept and a compulsively readable story-line!
January 15, 2021
Well that was incredibly brilliant in every conceivable way. It has genuinely been years since I read a book I enjoyed that much. I highly, highly recommend this one.
June 26, 2019
"Which was worse? To feel nothing, or to grieve for something you no longer remembered? Surely when you forgot, you’d forget to be sad, or what was the point? And yet that numbness would take part of your self away..."
There are times in life we all go through painful things, things we wish hadn't happened, and which make us sad and anxious, or worse, to remember. What if you could have those memories removed? What if you could choose what you remember, to keep the good and get rid of the bad?
In The Binding, we enter a world where such things are possible. Binders are those with the gift to be able to extract peoples' memories and place them within a book. It is impossible for the person to ever again remember these things; indeed, they cannot even hear someone talk about them. The only way in which to remember is if the book is destroyed. As you can imagine, there are people who will pay a lot of money to read someone's dirty secrets, to dive into their darkest memories, to immerse themselves into someone else's pain and heartache. Thus, it is illegal to sell or give away books whilst a person is living, though it does happen. There are also trade books which are made up stories, and educational books where a scholar, at the end of her/his life, will impart their knowledge into a book.
Emmett Farmer is a binder's apprentice, and this is his story. It is also the story of a rich young man whose path crosses Emmett's several times, though neither of them remember. To say more I would need a spoiler alert and so, rather than trying to entice you to read the book by giving away the story, I will suggest you pick up the book instead. This is a fantastic story, imagining the depths we will go to escape our pain, and what the results would be if we removed all the negative memories from our minds. Would you still be you without your memories? Would you feel as though a part of you was missing? Would you be less of a person because part of your life has disappeared?
Bridget Collins has created a mesmerizing story; I found myself immediately drawn into it. The characters are so real. There is hope and dreams, avarice and pain, drama and mystery, and characters who wish to do good and ones who delight in harming others. I loved this book and highly recommend it.
August 6, 2019
Set in the Victorian age with a dusting of fantasy, The Binding is a gritty, realistic love story. It was surprising in many ways and I would caution the reader not to read the flyleaf. It is broken into three parts, each very different, the first two are from the point of view of Emmett, a farmer's son, the last is in Lucian's mind, a rich aristocrat with a brute for a father.
Everything about the setting is the same as Victorian England, except for the subject of books. Books are taboo in this culture, because of the process called binding, in which a person can divest themselves of a horrific memory by placing it in the mind of a binder who writes it into your book. Your book becomes the sacrosanct property of the binder, never to be divulged, or that is what is supposed to happen. Unfortunately, this is not always the case and unscrupulous binders sell people's books or let criminals repeat their crimes, by erasing the memories of the victim.
I believe a second book would be lovely. I would like to have the story of Seredith and her son told. Why is such an honorable mentor and teacher cursed with such a terrible child? I would give this a 3.5 if possible, because although the beginning is slow, I loved the second part and the happy ending, but was not entranced so much by the constant mentions of having to piss. Some things are better left unsaid.
Everything about the setting is the same as Victorian England, except for the subject of books. Books are taboo in this culture, because of the process called binding, in which a person can divest themselves of a horrific memory by placing it in the mind of a binder who writes it into your book. Your book becomes the sacrosanct property of the binder, never to be divulged, or that is what is supposed to happen. Unfortunately, this is not always the case and unscrupulous binders sell people's books or let criminals repeat their crimes, by erasing the memories of the victim.
I believe a second book would be lovely. I would like to have the story of Seredith and her son told. Why is such an honorable mentor and teacher cursed with such a terrible child? I would give this a 3.5 if possible, because although the beginning is slow, I loved the second part and the happy ending, but was not entranced so much by the constant mentions of having to piss. Some things are better left unsaid.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2020
A slow start, but I'm so glad to have continued The Binding, as I ended up really enjoying the rest of the story!
“May your darkness be quiet and the light come sooner than you need,”
~★~ What is this book about? ~★~
Emmett Farmer is plagued by an illness that renders him nearly useless to his family’s livelihood. When he is requested to be a binder’s apprentice, his family believes this is a chance for Emmett to be of use somewhere. Except binders make books of people’s memories they wish to forget- which is why books are forsaken. Emmett knows nothing of binding, and wants nothing to do with the craft, though it seems like the only option left for him.
~★~
It was hard for me to connect with this story in the beginning. The intricate descriptions and vague plot set-up had my attention dwindling. I actually considering putting The Binding down, but thankfully I pushed through, and by part two I was hooked!
The main thing that captivated me was the characters. Emmett was enticing in his mystery; I loved uncovering bits of his lost past in the same moments he did. The romance was heartbreaking and lovely, taking up a greater portion of this story than I could have anticipated. Thankfully it was well written and unraveled wonderfully!
For first person narrative, the writing was surprisingly poignant and graceful. The atmosphere and setting was developed particularly well, I had no trouble establishing the world of The Binding in my head.
This unique prose held an incredible amount of potential, and while most of it was delivered well, I was left wanting a tad more in terms of plot. I wished for more information on binding and its history, though otherwise this was a great book.
“May your darkness be quiet and the light come sooner than you need,”
~★~ What is this book about? ~★~
Emmett Farmer is plagued by an illness that renders him nearly useless to his family’s livelihood. When he is requested to be a binder’s apprentice, his family believes this is a chance for Emmett to be of use somewhere. Except binders make books of people’s memories they wish to forget- which is why books are forsaken. Emmett knows nothing of binding, and wants nothing to do with the craft, though it seems like the only option left for him.
~★~
It was hard for me to connect with this story in the beginning. The intricate descriptions and vague plot set-up had my attention dwindling. I actually considering putting The Binding down, but thankfully I pushed through, and by part two I was hooked!
The main thing that captivated me was the characters. Emmett was enticing in his mystery; I loved uncovering bits of his lost past in the same moments he did. The romance was heartbreaking and lovely, taking up a greater portion of this story than I could have anticipated. Thankfully it was well written and unraveled wonderfully!
For first person narrative, the writing was surprisingly poignant and graceful. The atmosphere and setting was developed particularly well, I had no trouble establishing the world of The Binding in my head.
This unique prose held an incredible amount of potential, and while most of it was delivered well, I was left wanting a tad more in terms of plot. I wished for more information on binding and its history, though otherwise this was a great book.
February 19, 2021
3.5 Stars - This was a hard decision but I am not convinced we needed the horrific descriptions of the painful memories as it was essentially a romance. For me it would have been enough to hint at the horror and then move on.
CW: There are some significant triggers in this book with some particularly distressing content.
Well I thought the memory book binding was an interestingly dark concept.
It is however, important to mention that this is absolutely a romance, with very little time spent on any other elements in this intriguing world. Luckily I had read some informative reviews so it came as no surprise to me. And what a well written, swoon-worthy romance it was! My favourite section was actually from Lucian's POV in the last part. My poor heart was willing love to triumph over adversity.
In and amongst this however, is some deeply disturbing content. It was actually quite jarring. Some of the memories people had erased from their minds and bound in books made for difficult reading. I would advise checking out the content warnings. Dark parts aside, and as contradictory as it sounds, this was mostly a lovely romance book!
CW: There are some significant triggers in this book with some particularly distressing content.
Well I thought the memory book binding was an interestingly dark concept.
It is however, important to mention that this is absolutely a romance, with very little time spent on any other elements in this intriguing world. Luckily I had read some informative reviews so it came as no surprise to me. And what a well written, swoon-worthy romance it was! My favourite section was actually from Lucian's POV in the last part. My poor heart was willing love to triumph over adversity.
In and amongst this however, is some deeply disturbing content. It was actually quite jarring. Some of the memories people had erased from their minds and bound in books made for difficult reading. I would advise checking out the content warnings. Dark parts aside, and as contradictory as it sounds, this was mostly a lovely romance book!
June 19, 2021
2.5 Stars
This is a world where if wanted, one could willingly bind away their worst memories into a book, forgetting and leaving them there for safe keeping for all eternity. In its best light, such an event is looked upon as a type of medical treatment, allowing a person to move on from horrors they’ve experienced like it never occurred in the first place. However, in this alternate universe, what happens most often, mainly in the upper echelons of society, depravity and evil is hidden so that tormentors and abusers can go on forever in their wicked ways. In the lower realms of society, the business of binding is looked upon with superstition and fear.
In and amongst this dark and grim setting is Emmett, a newly discovered Binder who is slowly learning the trade. Emmett’s world is turned upside down because being a Binder isn’t something you choose, it chooses the person and one can’t ignore such a calling. Despite planning a life as a farmer, Emmett is forced to leave all he’s ever known to become an apprentice to a mysterious old lady. When she dies suddenly, Emmett’s life is further upended as he’s dragged to the city to continue his training and there, he quickly learns that bound memories are a hot commodity among the rich. When Emmett sees a book with his name on it, he’s understandably shocked and is rashly forced to burn it to release its truth. What he learns is awful, wonderful, and heartbreaking as it’s all tied to the elusive Lord Lucian.
This was not a fun book to read. The main characters for me were hostile, angry, often with a huge chip on their shoulder. There was a tragic love story here, forbidden because MM isn’t accepted, and the obvious stark divide between classes is also a huge barrier. It doesn’t help that the world both Emmett and Lucian live in is nothing bright or happy or special and I too would want to be bound to live in a cloud of ignorance than to face the awful machinations of this created society that loves to see others miserable, being able to lock up their dreadful secrets in private despicable libraries of their own making.
Overall, I never warmed up to Emmett, Lucian, or any of the other characters who had way too many faults that impeded my liking this story and impeded my ability to root for the MC’s to get their happy ending. Points for originality, points for well written detailed prose that definitely immersed the reader in the gloomy world Collins created, but this took me forever to finish. Despite all the descriptive minutiae, there were still so many unanswered questions and ultimately, an unsatisfying win that frustrated me with its abrupt ending that should’ve been so much more.
This is a world where if wanted, one could willingly bind away their worst memories into a book, forgetting and leaving them there for safe keeping for all eternity. In its best light, such an event is looked upon as a type of medical treatment, allowing a person to move on from horrors they’ve experienced like it never occurred in the first place. However, in this alternate universe, what happens most often, mainly in the upper echelons of society, depravity and evil is hidden so that tormentors and abusers can go on forever in their wicked ways. In the lower realms of society, the business of binding is looked upon with superstition and fear.
In and amongst this dark and grim setting is Emmett, a newly discovered Binder who is slowly learning the trade. Emmett’s world is turned upside down because being a Binder isn’t something you choose, it chooses the person and one can’t ignore such a calling. Despite planning a life as a farmer, Emmett is forced to leave all he’s ever known to become an apprentice to a mysterious old lady. When she dies suddenly, Emmett’s life is further upended as he’s dragged to the city to continue his training and there, he quickly learns that bound memories are a hot commodity among the rich. When Emmett sees a book with his name on it, he’s understandably shocked and is rashly forced to burn it to release its truth. What he learns is awful, wonderful, and heartbreaking as it’s all tied to the elusive Lord Lucian.
This was not a fun book to read. The main characters for me were hostile, angry, often with a huge chip on their shoulder. There was a tragic love story here, forbidden because MM isn’t accepted, and the obvious stark divide between classes is also a huge barrier. It doesn’t help that the world both Emmett and Lucian live in is nothing bright or happy or special and I too would want to be bound to live in a cloud of ignorance than to face the awful machinations of this created society that loves to see others miserable, being able to lock up their dreadful secrets in private despicable libraries of their own making.
Overall, I never warmed up to Emmett, Lucian, or any of the other characters who had way too many faults that impeded my liking this story and impeded my ability to root for the MC’s to get their happy ending. Points for originality, points for well written detailed prose that definitely immersed the reader in the gloomy world Collins created, but this took me forever to finish. Despite all the descriptive minutiae, there were still so many unanswered questions and ultimately, an unsatisfying win that frustrated me with its abrupt ending that should’ve been so much more.
May 19, 2019
Brilliant story, very cleverly written. I liked the first 100 pages best, after that it became grim. The ending was satisfactory, but the book was completely different from what I expected and I'm still not sure if that is a good thing or not.
Want to read
July 12, 2018ugh - tell me this technology is available and sign me up, please.
also, sign me up for the book, double please.
also, sign me up for the book, double please.
March 3, 2021
I got bound.
Ouuff, what a story! I was utterly spellbound from the very first words. In this universe where books are dangerous, love is passionate and stories are realities; i lost myself. If only i could bind those past two days of reading this story into a book i would; not to forget but to always remember it. I see myself re/reading this in the future because i would want to feel everything all over again.
Go in blind, and get spellbound - in every literal sense to the word.
Ouuff, what a story! I was utterly spellbound from the very first words. In this universe where books are dangerous, love is passionate and stories are realities; i lost myself. If only i could bind those past two days of reading this story into a book i would; not to forget but to always remember it. I see myself re/reading this in the future because i would want to feel everything all over again.
Go in blind, and get spellbound - in every literal sense to the word.
February 10, 2021
SPOILERS AHEAD
I loved this! And the gays get a happy ending!!!! 2019 is treating us good!!
Emmett is a sick young man, but he is handed off by his parents to a binder - a woman who can take traumatic memories and bind them in books to make you forget. She has specifically requested Emmett as her apprentice.
Emmett is a conflicted, flawed but wonderful young man with good morals. Lucian is a trapped middle class brat who wants what he can’t have due to his social standing.
It is a overlapping book of thematic schemes but they are woven beautifully together in this novel.
I loved this book. The plot, the way the plot developed, the well rounded and fleshed out characters, amazing start to the year!
I loved this! And the gays get a happy ending!!!! 2019 is treating us good!!
Emmett is a sick young man, but he is handed off by his parents to a binder - a woman who can take traumatic memories and bind them in books to make you forget. She has specifically requested Emmett as her apprentice.
Emmett is a conflicted, flawed but wonderful young man with good morals. Lucian is a trapped middle class brat who wants what he can’t have due to his social standing.
It is a overlapping book of thematic schemes but they are woven beautifully together in this novel.
I loved this book. The plot, the way the plot developed, the well rounded and fleshed out characters, amazing start to the year!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2019
Some books entice you with their details , their wonderfully alluring premise, and work their way so very well into your imagination, that you are ever so sad to see them end. This was such a book.
Emmett Farmer is to become a book binder. This is no wonderful thing for him since this is a profession that is feared, filled with suspicion and ill omens, and one he is loath to consider, and yet here he is apprenticed to Seredith. She is an old binder and although Emmett has been drawn to books, he fears them for they contain something so special and dangerous, memories. Seredith is a master craft person, and she leads Emmett down the path to becoming one who can capture memories and erase them from the bearer's mind.
There is evil afoot in the guise of tradesmen, who use this skill and what the books contain to their own wants. While Seredith is a master, teaching Emmett how to weave these stories into beautiful bound books, others are out for their own gratification and Emmett is about to fall into their web.
This is a mysterious story, one that brings together love in the case of Emmett and Lucien. It is a story of family, of mystery, and of how our memories erased can change exactly who we are and how we face the future unknowing of the dangers that have been erased.
Bridget Collins evokes a world of mystery, one of magic where as the story weaves back and forth through Emmett's life, his family, and of course his interactions with Lucien. We are taken into a place where memory reigns, where a secret relationship can bring ruin, and where books are feared. I recommend this story as a well written, compelling tale that takes the reader on a journey that is filled with danger, magic, characters that are vivid, evil, and loving, and a wonderfully authentic different adventure. It's a journey well worth taking.
My review and an author interview can be found here: http://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpress...
Emmett Farmer is to become a book binder. This is no wonderful thing for him since this is a profession that is feared, filled with suspicion and ill omens, and one he is loath to consider, and yet here he is apprenticed to Seredith. She is an old binder and although Emmett has been drawn to books, he fears them for they contain something so special and dangerous, memories. Seredith is a master craft person, and she leads Emmett down the path to becoming one who can capture memories and erase them from the bearer's mind.
There is evil afoot in the guise of tradesmen, who use this skill and what the books contain to their own wants. While Seredith is a master, teaching Emmett how to weave these stories into beautiful bound books, others are out for their own gratification and Emmett is about to fall into their web.
This is a mysterious story, one that brings together love in the case of Emmett and Lucien. It is a story of family, of mystery, and of how our memories erased can change exactly who we are and how we face the future unknowing of the dangers that have been erased.
Bridget Collins evokes a world of mystery, one of magic where as the story weaves back and forth through Emmett's life, his family, and of course his interactions with Lucien. We are taken into a place where memory reigns, where a secret relationship can bring ruin, and where books are feared. I recommend this story as a well written, compelling tale that takes the reader on a journey that is filled with danger, magic, characters that are vivid, evil, and loving, and a wonderfully authentic different adventure. It's a journey well worth taking.
My review and an author interview can be found here: http://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpress...
April 15, 2020
I meant to write an actual review a couple days ago already, but I'm still lacking the words for the time being.
All I know is that this is one of these rare, magical books that pulled me in to take a piece of my heart and never give it back again.
It's almost impossible for most readers, me included, to name just one book when asked about a favorite title. But this one has definitely made it onto the short list I usually give people.
All I know is that this is one of these rare, magical books that pulled me in to take a piece of my heart and never give it back again.
It's almost impossible for most readers, me included, to name just one book when asked about a favorite title. But this one has definitely made it onto the short list I usually give people.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 13,005 reviews