Scan barcode
ewmanaia's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
4.5
alju2404's review against another edition
4.0
3,5 stars
I wish we got to learn more about the bindings and binders. And the part in the middle felt dragged out, too long, and everything else too short.
I liked it, it was good, but it wasn't amazing. It just lacked something for me. Kind of as if for me I wish the bookbinding was the centerpiece of the story and the love story just a side story. But it felt the opposite, and apparently not what I wished.
I wish we got to learn more about the bindings and binders. And the part in the middle felt dragged out, too long, and everything else too short.
I liked it, it was good, but it wasn't amazing. It just lacked something for me. Kind of as if for me I wish the bookbinding was the centerpiece of the story and the love story just a side story. But it felt the opposite, and apparently not what I wished.
mathman329's review against another edition
3.0
2023 Book Review - Book No. 12: “The Binding”, written by Bridget Collins (narrated by Carl Prekopp)
Date started: 3/23/23
Date finished: 4/12/23
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (would recommend reading if you like pastoral settings, tales of forbidden love, and unexplained magic)
Spoiler free review: “The Binding” was highly recommended to me by a friend and was readily available from my library in audiobook format so I figured I’d give it a shot. The idea of “binding” being this magical practice where a person’s memories are cleaved from them and held in a book was intriguing to me, and I had high hopes for the novel. Unfortunately, I ultimately found I was a bigger fan of the idea than the actual execution.
For one thing, I didn’t love the story as a whole. It became a bit predictable and stale as the story went on. Parts one and two are told from Emmett’s perspective, a farmer’s son who comes to learn he has the gift of “binding” and soon becomes an apprentice. After going through the necessary set up of what a binder is in part one, he eventually learns he was bound at one point in his life. Thus, part two is then Emmett’s memory that was bound. At its core, this is a love story between Emmett and another man who begins courting Emmett’s sister before they develop a forbidden relationship with one another. Part three then shifts to the perspective of the courter and brings the story to a predictable end.
The narrator of the story was somewhat dull and didn’t lend much to the audiobook. The writing was inconsistent, at times making Emmett seem like a dim witted protagonist and creating an alternative Victorian-era England that wasn’t terribly intriguing. At other times, the pastoral settings evoked clear imagery of the countryside and made the actual setting of the bindery seem magical, but not enough.
In the end, I would have liked to learn more about binding and the history or creation of the practice. I went into this expecting a fantasy and instead was sold a romance, most definitely not my preferred genre. But, I think sometimes it’s good to read something outside of my preferred space, and this was absolutely the case with this book. I’ve definitely read worse, but I had hoped for something more than what I got here.
Date started: 3/23/23
Date finished: 4/12/23
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (would recommend reading if you like pastoral settings, tales of forbidden love, and unexplained magic)
Spoiler free review: “The Binding” was highly recommended to me by a friend and was readily available from my library in audiobook format so I figured I’d give it a shot. The idea of “binding” being this magical practice where a person’s memories are cleaved from them and held in a book was intriguing to me, and I had high hopes for the novel. Unfortunately, I ultimately found I was a bigger fan of the idea than the actual execution.
For one thing, I didn’t love the story as a whole. It became a bit predictable and stale as the story went on. Parts one and two are told from Emmett’s perspective, a farmer’s son who comes to learn he has the gift of “binding” and soon becomes an apprentice. After going through the necessary set up of what a binder is in part one, he eventually learns he was bound at one point in his life. Thus, part two is then Emmett’s memory that was bound. At its core, this is a love story between Emmett and another man who begins courting Emmett’s sister before they develop a forbidden relationship with one another. Part three then shifts to the perspective of the courter and brings the story to a predictable end.
The narrator of the story was somewhat dull and didn’t lend much to the audiobook. The writing was inconsistent, at times making Emmett seem like a dim witted protagonist and creating an alternative Victorian-era England that wasn’t terribly intriguing. At other times, the pastoral settings evoked clear imagery of the countryside and made the actual setting of the bindery seem magical, but not enough.
In the end, I would have liked to learn more about binding and the history or creation of the practice. I went into this expecting a fantasy and instead was sold a romance, most definitely not my preferred genre. But, I think sometimes it’s good to read something outside of my preferred space, and this was absolutely the case with this book. I’ve definitely read worse, but I had hoped for something more than what I got here.
drawde's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
3.75
ellenmorgan's review against another edition
5.0
There are so many feelings in this book, everyone go read it. Audiobook highly recommended.
sharmelon's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
culturekath's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
floatwiththesticks's review against another edition
4.0
For the first half, I was sure this book would be a 2.5⭐ read and THEN it hooked me. Part Two felt like such a shift in storytelling. I'm going to have to read this book again one day...