1.42k reviews for:

The Bookbinder

Pip Williams

4.03 AVERAGE

hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

audratk's review

3.75
emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
informative inspiring slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Slow reading,  maybe due to recuperation 
emotional hopeful reflective medium-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: Complicated

Lovely read , I think this could have been condensed to 200 pages .
The varied characters ,their lot in life , their unmet desires , the invisible lines drawn to keep people out were beautifully laid bare .
It’s a story of twin sisters who work at the Oxford
University press in Jericho set in the background of World War 1.
I found the few discussions and quotes from the classic very enjoyable, I wish there was more of it .
The way Peggy treated Bastiaan was no different to how her father treated and abandoned her mother , the irony of it , was she didn’t even realise that .
Bastiaan obviously had a large heart and didn’t hold a grudge and accepted her back when she realized her prospects didn’t improve .
The cruel realities of war and the profound loss that cannot be measured , is another poignant reminder that war has to be avoided .
Diplomacy , peace has to prevail .
Books like these highlight the importance of the tragedies of war. Reading history it is so clear that there was a complete decline in morality and family values leading to a very fractured society after the second world war .The post trauma effects of war , made people just run wild.

This was such a lovely detailed book that takes you on a heart-warming journey. The characters are incredibly well written and you can't help but root for them and hope for a happy ending. I could also tell how well researched this was and it is amazing seeing how far the world and treatment of women has come (although of course there are still major problems) yet Peg and Maude are incredibly resilient. Overall this was an amazing book and I highly recommend.
challenging emotional reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

I think this is a very well written and constructed historical fiction! I really enjoyed the theme of literature and the way it was reflected and talked about. I also do think that it tells a very mundane story (considering the time) in a way that is still interesting. 

However, I unfortunately learned that I’m just not a fan of historical fiction at all. It is not a genre I enjoy and I did find myself bored quite a bit… 
hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

grecoce's review

5.0
emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes