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A review by serendipitysbooks
The Binding by Bridget Collins
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The Binding is the story of Emmett Farmer who, after a health crisis, is sent by his family to become an apprentice bookbinder. Bookbinding in Emmett’s world means something a little different to ours. Bookbinders listen to people’s memories, transcribe them to paper and then bind them into books, in the process wiping the person’s memories of those events. This sounds like a real blessing for those haunted by a traumatic past. But the reality is a lot more complex. It is when highlighting these complexities, the possible disadvantages and the potential for abuse that the book was at it best.
It is a fantasy novel with a setting that feels akin to nineteenth century England with some medieval overtones, but it has a lot to tell us about modern day social and political issues and power imbalances. Who gains and who loses when there are subjects we are told to forget and that are not to be talked about? Memories, personal, institutional, national and global, may be painful but they serve many important functions.
I appreciated the detailed writing which fully immersed me in both the setting and the thoughts and feelings of the main characters. The intense feelings between Emmett and Lucian were especially potent and patent.
I listened to this on audio and in retrospect think I may have been better to read it. The book is divided into three sections, all narrated in the first person, two by Emmett and one by Lucian Darnay. Sadly, the audiobook had just one narrator and it was disconcerting to hear Lucian narrating in Emmett’s voice.
It is a fantasy novel with a setting that feels akin to nineteenth century England with some medieval overtones, but it has a lot to tell us about modern day social and political issues and power imbalances. Who gains and who loses when there are subjects we are told to forget and that are not to be talked about? Memories, personal, institutional, national and global, may be painful but they serve many important functions.
I appreciated the detailed writing which fully immersed me in both the setting and the thoughts and feelings of the main characters. The intense feelings between Emmett and Lucian were especially potent and patent.
I listened to this on audio and in retrospect think I may have been better to read it. The book is divided into three sections, all narrated in the first person, two by Emmett and one by Lucian Darnay. Sadly, the audiobook had just one narrator and it was disconcerting to hear Lucian narrating in Emmett’s voice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Homophobia, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Gaslighting