The Binding

The Binding follows Emmett Farmer, a young man in an alternate Victorian-era England who is summoned to become a bookbinder's apprentice. In this world, books are not vessels of stories but rather containers of people's unwanted memories, which bookbinders extract and lock away in leather-bound volumes. As Emmett learns the ancient craft of binding under his mentor, he discovers a book with his own name on it. His search for answers about his bound memories leads him through secrets and revelations about his past. This gothic romance combines elements of historical fiction with speculative fantasy, exploring the nature of memory, identity, and desire. The book's binding profession serves as both a literal trade and a framework for examining how people choose to remember or forget pivotal moments in their lives. The novel wrestles with questions of ethics and human nature - particularly whether having the power to selectively erase memories is a gift or a dangerous tool for suppression. Through its Victorian setting, it also addresses class divisions, forbidden love, and the tension between societal expectations and personal truth.

Most readers note the book shifts dramatically between parts, with the first third reading like historical fantasy before transitioning to romance. The atmospheric writing and premise about binding memories into books draws readers in. Readers praise: - The rich, immersive Victorian-era setting - Beautiful prose and descriptions - The unique concept of memory-binding - The LGBTQ+ romance element Common criticisms: - Slow pacing, especially in the first section - Confusing timeline jumps - Limited exploration of the binding magic system - Misleading marketing as fantasy when it's primarily romance Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (83,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (9,800+ ratings) LibraryThing: 3.8/5 (1,200+ ratings) "The prose is gorgeous but the plot meanders," notes one Goodreads reviewer. Another Amazon review states: "Expected dark fantasy about books, got a love story instead - adjust expectations accordingly."

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🔖 Bridget Collins initially wrote The Binding for young adults, but rewrote it as an adult novel at her publisher's suggestion. 📚 The book's premise draws on historical practices where people believed books could store memories, similar to ancient Greek "curse tablets" and memory-storing rituals. ✒️ Before writing The Binding, Collins worked as a professional bookbinder, giving her intimate knowledge of the craft that features prominently in the story. 🌟 The novel spent multiple weeks on The Sunday Times bestseller list and was selected for the Radio 2 Book Club in 2019. 📖 The leather-bound edition of The Binding features intricate gold-foil designs that mirror the Victorian-inspired aesthetic of the story's alternative world.