The Binding

I definitely took my time with this one, the perk of not overscheduling my reading obligations at the moment, and I'm really glad I did because it was...unusual. I can't say it was love at first page turn, but I was certainly intrigued. So many questions arose after each passage was read! Now don't get me wrong, I had a feeling about some things as things progressed, but wow...the moment you think you just about have them figured out, they just turned all sorts of topsy turvy. The whole BINDING concept went from an act of kindness to a twisted self indulgence in a heartbeat. I mean how could something be so bad that you want it locked away for all time? What of the lessons learned from it? What of the new beginnings opened by it? show more Although perhaps some things are just too much for a heart to bare.

As for the writing, the author was able to draw you into the past and back to the present with such fluidity, were it not for the change in tone or character voicing the chapters, you'd never realize the journey you've actually taken. The characters she created were STRIKING and MEMORABLE, even when they were suppose to fade into nothingness. The power of the written word is definitely on full display here, as are the consequences that go along with hiding away our true selves, or even giving our truths over to someone else fully without baring the weight of any of the lessons learned from them.

All in all, I gotta say this was definitely an INTENSE, UNUSUAL, UNEXPECTED, and CURIOUS read. It's a story that certainly makes you think twice about what you put down on paper, and reconsider the memories we choose to hold on to versus release and vice versa...as well as the WHY. My only real complaint with the book was that ONE SCENE...and I mean it was enough to make we second guess if I would have read the book knowing it was in it. What can I say, I'm an animal lover and it just didn't sit right with me. (That scene was more of a reason for having a binding done than any other!) Otherwise, I was good...thoroughly surprised since it wasn't anything like what I thought it would be, but still good. So, do I recommend it? Yes...just go in being warned about that one scene, so you can either bulldoze through it, or skip the page.


**ARC received for review; opinions are my own show less

4.75*
This was beautifully written! I loved the concept of people being able to have their memories removed and kept in the pages of a book even if it wasn't always being done for the best of reasons. The relationships felt so natural and had an enchanting love story. This read like an adult Disney movie and I loved it! The only thing that keeps me from giving it a full 5* was that the beginning was a little slow and I went into this thinking it was going to be more of an action story. There was also something about the way the passage of time was written that I didn't enjoy as much. I could tell that time was passing in the indirect way that Collins wrote about it, but it didn't feel quite as natural to me.

I listened to this as an show more audiobook and while I didn't enjoy the narrator at first he grew on me, and after a while I didn't want to stop listening to it. show less

The Binding by Bridget Collins is another unusual novel with a premise that most book lovers would find horrifying and utterly unimaginable. After all, in Ms. Collins’ world, books are not for reading but instead are objects of fear and loathing. It is a difficult premise to acknowledge, let alone accept. Difficult, that is, until you learn why the people in Ms. Collins’ world fear books and anyone having to do with them. Then the true horror fills you.

The Binding appeals to fans of historical fiction with its lush prose and exquisite details of a long-ago time and place. Ms. Collins makes it easy to imagine every aspect of Emmett’s life, from the manual effort it takes to run a farm to the simple chore of heating a house topped show more with thatch. At its heart, however, it is a fantasy novel, one in which books are nothing more than memories taken from desperate people, sometimes against their will, an idea that repulses and attracts the reader as much as it does Emmett.

The Binding is also something extra in that it is a novel that encourages tolerance and acceptance of all walks of life. It uses the power of books to teach such lessons, even while the story of stolen memories appears to be to its sole purpose. I was not expecting this important sideline story, but once it started to take shape, it impressed me with its fervency and openness, and it continues to impress me with the tenderness and care with which Ms. Collins approached such a topic.

I devoured The Binding with its story of magic and mystery, cruelty and love, power and submission. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this unusual story where books are objects to avoid, but what I discovered was a memorable, well-written story that ended too soon. I want to get to know more of Emmett’s world, and I want to learn more about bookbinding and the magic behind it. I can only hope Ms. Collins intends to write a sequel to this fascinating book so that I can continue to explore her fascinating world. show less

Oh, this wonderful, wonderful book. Where to begin. If I'm completely honest, I wasn't sure what to expect or whether it was going to be a book that was my thing or not. But the whole bookbinding element was most definitely enough to tempt me into trying it and I was bowled over by the complexity and the cleverness of this story.

The Binding begins with us following Emmett Farmer as he becomes the apprentice to a very old bookbinder called Seredith. She lives in the marshes, well away from the farm where Emmett's parents and sister, Alta, live and where Emmett works the land.

These are no ordinary books though. These are people's memories, sucked out of them so they can no longer remember. Ultimately, the idea is to take away the bad show more memories and the guilt but it can be misused, memories stolen for titillation, for the amusement of others. There are even fake books called novels. However, those with a true vocation, like Emmett, do it right, not for profit. The catalyst for parts two and three of the book is when Emmett finds a book with his own name on. From there we remember Emmett's past along with him and I must admit that I found that section the most beguiling.

The whole of The Binding is most beautifully written. The prose is perfect and I was thoroughly absorbed by it. I loved Emmett as he's such a kind and strong person, struggling with his feelings at first. All of the characterisations are fabulous. I hated the people I was meant to hate and loved the ones I was meant to love. All are so well-drawn, so perfectly formed.

And that story. It's so incredibly clever. I am in awe of Bridget Collins and the story that her mind has conjured up. It has a slight hint of fantasy (obviously, people can't really take your memories and bind them up into books) but it has such plausibility, such possibility. It's a little bit frightening too - imagine your deepest, darkest secrets getting into the wrong hands.

The most powerful part of this book is a love story though and it's stunning in every way. I experienced it all along with the characters: the realisation, the denial, the highs and lows, the intensity, the loss, the joy.

The Binding is something special, a book that will stay with me. If I didn't have masses of other books to read I would be tempted to go back to the beginning and read it again. It's going to be huge in 2019. show less

This was my last book for 2021 and what a banger it was! I absolutely loved it. I think it has one of the most original main plots I have come across in a long time. The concept of being bound, being able to forget entire parts of your life, and then that constituting a book is phenomenal. It is one of those ideas I wish I had come up with.
This is the story of Emmet Farmer and how he is destined to be a binder, a profession frowned upon, but widely used by people. As he is doing his apprenticeship, he comes across a book that has his name on it, and that sets out to be one of the most beautiful stories there are.
Please do read this book. It is original, moody, uplifting and heartbreaking at the same time. Like I said, a banger.

I loved the idea of this book, most of the writing and the world it promised to explore... However, I was quickly let down when I started reading, namely by the book's nonsensical structure and its pacing.

The book's premise of "Binding" (storing memories into books so they may be forgotten by their holder) is great, and could have been taken in so many different directions. Instead, it's used as the backdrop to a mediocre haters-to-lovers romance, with characters that seem to change on a whim or are otherwise pretty bland and unconvincing. There were definitely sweet moments between the two main protagonists, but not enough to compensate for the lack of story or substance (and certainly not enough to stretch over 400 pages).

I think my show more biggest gripe with the novel is its structure: the first part is charming, but sluggish and repetitive; the second part is the highlight of the book, delivering a big reveal through a flashback, but one that ultimately creates discord with the other two parts; the third and final part was so far detached from the rest of the novel, and so poorly executed, there is hardly any reason to read it.

I would also add that while the worldbuilding appears to have been led with lots of creativity, we see so little of it. What does get delivered ultimately feels clumsy (references to France despite its fantasy setting?), or watered-down. And this is an awful shame, because the writing was gorgeous for the most part.

I truly think the book could have benefited from more planning and developmental editing, as it let down a fascinating premise by strange narrative decision making and underwhelming characters. show less

‘’I laid my hand over the bruises on my arm, fitting my fingers into the marks. The wind murmured in the thatch and drove another gust of rain against the window-pane, but the house was thick-walled, solid, as old as rock. Binder’s fever, not madness or weakness.’’

Emmett is suffering from a strange affliction. His parents is of little help, engrossed in how to find a wealthy husband for his sister, absorbed by their wish for money without even trying. When a strange call arrives, Emmett has to answer. And so it happens and his path is crossed with a fascinating woman, a binder who specializes in unique books. Emmett has to fight. He has to understand his vocation, he has to learn how to stand up to the ones who want to use him show more as a tool, against a world that doesn't understand.

What if we could erase every negative memory from our minds? What if we could capture all those incidents that made our lives a struggle into a book, bind them and store them away, out of sight and out of mind? What if this gift fell into the wrong hands? What if vile men forced their victims to have their memories erased so that they could come clean and unpunished?

Bridget Collins has written one of the most interesting novels you’ll ever read and has presented the readers with a number of complex moral questions. Everyone’s mind is full of moments that we wish had never happened. They have hurt us, they still hurt and will go on hurting us. We all have wished for them to disappear and leave us be. However, aren’t these exact moments a part of who we are? They have shaped our course, our principles, our future choices. That embarrassing moment has taught us to be wiser, that pain, seemingly unbearable, has made us stronger, that failure has made us more cautious and determined. And how do we erase the memory of someone who entered our lives and vanished, along with all the moments we spent together?

Don’t you just love it when a book provokes endless discussions with yourself and with others? Collins depicts the dilemmas within an alternative 19th century England, through the eyes of a young man who tries to untangle the knots in his difficult life. Despised and scorned because of his low social status, recognised by a wise old woman for his gift and courage, burdened with an emotional load that has dire consequences. Collins creates a very approachable character in the face of Emmett. His insecurities and doubts, the naive choices he may make are a token of a human disposition, a youth standing on a crossroads. Even though he likes to think he is unimportant, he is courageous and honest. The evil lies with the people who surround him, the ones who oppress and terrify him. They are the problem.

I had high hopes for this beautiful book and I wasn’t disappointed. The only issues I faced had to do with the romance plotline which was tiresome and not to my personal taste but this is my approach to every romance included within a story so it was to be expected. The dialogue was lacking in quality when compared to the prose and all the hullabaloo concerning Alta and everyone’s love troubles left me cold.

Collins created a world where moral dilemmas clash with social norms, where gifted people are used to the benefit of the aristocracy, where books can be a salvation or a tyranny. A perfect novel for dark autumn nights…

''An owl called, distant and then closer; something scuttled in the corner of the yard. I imagined the owl circling,, silent now, waiting for the glint of tiny eyes, the twitch of a tail. A death like that you wouldn't hear it coming.''

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com/ show less