The Borough Press Binding

This was chosen as my latest book club offering and, since then, had been recommended by another friend so my expectations were high. I'd not heard of the book or it's author but am aware it is getting a lot of hype in the media. A book with a book theme is always attractive but I was apprehensive about the fantasy element.It's a strange book to read. 50 pages in and I had no idea what was going on - a few story lines had been introduced with two main characters emerging who were both difficult and uncomfortable to read. After 100 pages I felt that I could predict how the rest of the book would go and I wasn't too wrong. Having started the second part it became even more obvious. At this point I would have stopped reading if it were not for the book club obligation.I was fascinated by the world in which the book was set but we never found out enough about it. The cultural/historical setting had so much to offer but wasn't explored in any depth and could have offered richness to the book.The prose is overly drawn out and I lost the will to read to the end of some sentences. There is far too much description using language which was not appropriate for the period (even though I was never sure what period that it was!).The book is described as a combination of Sarah Waters and Philip Pullman which is a lazy comparison. Sarah Waters is so much better than this and the Philip Pullman link is just because of the fantasy connection.After the main character is swept up into his new world, the plot develops into its predictable gay man coming of age story. The capture and erasure of memories is an interesting idea but this gets swept aside as the book wants to focus on the more sensational elements of the relationship.I came to the conclusion that this book felt like a YA novel which was missing the subtlety that would make it a book more suitable to adults.

I nearly gave up reading this book as I didn't enjoy Part 1 at all. Emmett Farmer is recovering from a strange illness when he is chosen to go and work for a Binder. We are not told when this book is set and we never really find out how the Binding process works, or why normal books are viewed as something to be avoided, although we are told school children have access to them and Emmetts parents can read, even though they are poor farmers. Parts 2 and 3 were much better but the switch from Emmett narrating Parts 1 and 2, to Lucian Darnay narrating Part 3 confused me, as did the fact that the events in Part 1 happened between those of Parts 2 and 3!

You might think that this book explores the notion of memories being extracted and stored in books and the first part pretty much does that.The two other parts however are a Bronte style love story with a bit of violence.The book is well written with plenty of descriptive passages if that is your thing.I think that if the blurb had said more about the love story I might not have bought it, the "bindings" simply allow the leads to meet, fall in love, part and then meet again under bad circumstances.Buy it more for the romance than the magic.

Looked at this several times before buying. Readable moves along at a reasonable rateCharacters are ok, plot is thin and gets thinner.Disappointed it has enormous potential and without spoiling it the author could have gone so much further with it. A twist on Dorian Grey.I don't know who writes the reviews on the inside pages of these books or gives out the awards, but someone must have had some great lunches with some good wine.Perhaps they would let me write there book reviews, then you'd know if the book was worth reading.

After reading a few heavy going non fiction books I was looking forward to reading The Binding by Bridget Collins. The Binding is a fantasy historical story of young Emmett Farmer, who becomes a binder’s apprentice, following some sort of illness or mental health problem. His job is to hand-craft beautiful books but not just bind the books, he can also bind memories. Books in Collins’s world are magical and dangerous things. Binders are used if you want to forget something, a painful memory, a secret and with the binding goes the pain that the memory caused. The books are kept in a vault under his mentors workshop and one day Emmett makes an astonishing discovery. One of the books has his name on it.I found this book a superb read, written so well, with such mystery and suspense. The book is written in 3 parts. Emmett in the present day is the first part, then the second part is Emmett’s bound story after he gets his memory back and then the third part is from Lucian’s perspective. The Binding is a wonderful love story between poor farmer Emmett and the wealthy Lucian Darney, very well written and deeply moving. Atmospheric, well written, a brilliant plotline and well drawn characters.