Reviews tagging 'Classism'

The Bookbinder of Jericho by Pip Williams

17 reviews

oeinhorn's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Medical content, Grief, Death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and War

Minor: Death of parent and Classism

gondorgirl's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Classism, Medical content, Death of parent, Grief, Medical trauma, and War

serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

 

The Bookbinder of Jericho is a delightful novel, a companion to The Dictionary of Lost Words. The protagonist is Peggy, a young woman who has been working as an Oxford University Press bookbinder since she was 12 years old. Peggy is a fabulous character. Her love of books and reading, her thirst for learning, is so relatable and when she makes a concerted effort to achieve her dream and gain admission to Somerville College, Oxford I was rooting so hard for her to overcome the formidable odds and succeed.

Apart from Peggy and her educational ambitions there were so many other things to love about this novel.

Williams uses many different details to highlight the class system - the divide between “town” and “gown” in Oxford, the belief that family wealth signified worth and ability- which was one of the obstacles Peggy had to overcome.

The relationship between Peggy and her twin sister Maude was depicted beautifully and with a lot of nuance. Maude had autism and echolalia. Peggy felt very protective of Maude and responsible for her, especially after the death of their mother. Yet it became clear that Maude, despite needing some help, was more capable than Peggy realised, and that her overprotectiveness was holding them both back. I thought the way the author developed Maude’s echolalia, increasingly showing she used it to deliberately communicate, rather than simple mindless repetition, was very effective.

This story is set during World War I. Not only did it highlight the horrors of war, but also showed the changes it caused at home, particularly in terms of opening up opportunities across gender and class lines. Belgian and other war refugees arrived in Oxford, something I didn’t know before reading this book, and I found those storylines particularly interesting. Sadly the refugees weren’t always welcomed any more warmly than in the present day.

The love story between Peggy and Bastiaan was beautiful but I loved that Peggy didn’t sacrifice her ambitions for love.

There was a wonderful cast of richly drawn, memorable supporting characters. Tilda’s transformation from glamorous carefree actress to traumatised nurse was particularly effective.

I had a soft spot for Gwen with her larger than life, flamboyant personality, despite her upper class cluelessness and tact. And I loved the way Mrs Stoddard quietly encouraged Peggy.

The scenes of the women at work in the book bindery really came to life on the page. It was clear the author had conducted a lot of research but this knowledge was well incorporated into the story, rather than feeling like a non-fiction information dump.

So a satisfying story told well, one with great characters, a plot that was richly layered and well-researched with special appeal to book lovers. What more could I ask for? Well, as a bonus, Peggy and Maude lived on a canal boat, which happens to be a niche interest of mine. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Classism, Death, War, and Xenophobia

macaronoui's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.25

I was delighted when I got an earc for “the dictionary of lost words” by Pip Williams a few years ago. That book spans roughly 1890-1925 and follows the daughter of a man working on the letter A & B of the first oxford dictionary. It is one of my all time favorite books and such and intricate story about how wealth, opportunity and the patriarchy collide in acceptable words.

This is a book set in the same universe and as the previous book is historical fiction, like this book, some of the people mentioned are real.

We follow Peggy around 1914 as she works as a bookbinder in a factory in Oxford, UK with her twin sister Maude.

Maude is alluded to have, what I think is something on the autism spectrum / neurodivergent. In the book she is taken care of constantly by either her sister, neighbors or friends. I wonder if there was an austism sensitivity reader. I found some bits really infantilised her. I did however appreciate the loyalty of Peggy of taking care of her sister like then when other women might have married and started their own families.

The book is quite heavy as it is set during the first world war, and then the (misnamed) Spanish Flu.

It’s very interesting to read how a girl from “town” wants to be a “gown”, but many things prohibit her from going to the women’s uni. The book feels very well researched and heartbreaking. Also shines a light on all the invisible women, who took care of the soldiers and families during the flu. 

I recommend this to people wanting to know more about the forgotton people  in the first world war, and people interested in the process of printing, binding and making books.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Child death, War, Medical trauma, and Classism

thumbeleia's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Addiction, Genocide, Alcoholism, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Ableism, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, Classism, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Deportation, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Vomit, War, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Sexual content

pamela22's review

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I think I enjoyed this even more than The Dictionary of Lost Words. I was captured by all of the characters and the tales they had to add to the overall narrative.
Despite the novel beginning and ending with the start and end I of WW1, it’s a tale of hope and one that I found to be more uplifting than despondent.
Another well-researched effort and it enhanced my understanding of this time period in England. I really like how Williams give voice to those who have been on the margins of history. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Classism, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual harassment, Grief, and War

mel_s_bookshelf's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Death of parent, Classism, and Child death