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    The Binding: A Novel
    The Binding: A Novel
    The Binding: A Novel
    Audiobook15 hours

    The Binding: A Novel

    Written by Bridget Collins

    Narrated by Carl Prekopp

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Proclaimed as “truly spellbinding,” a “great fable” that “functions as transporting romance” by the Guardian, the runaway #1 international bestseller arrives in America.

    ""A rich, gothic entertainment that explores what books have trapped inside them and reminds us of the power of storytelling. Spellbinding.” — TRACY CHEVALIER

    Imagine you could erase grief.
    Imagine you could remove pain.
    Imagine you could hide the darkest, most horrifying secret.
    Forever.

    Young Emmett Farmer is working in the fields when a strange letter arrives summoning him away from his family. He is to begin an apprenticeship as a Bookbinder—a vocation that arouses fear, superstition, and prejudice amongst their small community, but one neither he nor his parents can afford to refuse.

    For as long as he can recall, Emmett has been drawn to books, even though they are strictly forbidden. Bookbinding is a sacred calling, Seredith informs her new apprentice, and he is a binder born. Under the old woman’s watchful eye, Emmett learns to hand-craft the elegant leather-bound volumes. Within each one they will capture something unique and extraordinary: a memory. If there’s something you want to forget, a binder can help. If there’s something you need to erase, they can assist. Within the pages of the books they create, secrets are concealed and the past is locked away. In a vault under his mentor’s workshop rows upon rows of books are meticulously stored.

    But while Seredith is an artisan, there are others of their kind, avaricious and amoral tradesman who use their talents for dark ends—and just as Emmett begins to settle into his new circumstances, he makes an astonishing discovery: one of the books has his name on it. Soon, everything he thought he understood about his life will be dramatically rewritten.

    An unforgettable novel of enchantment, mystery, memory, and forbidden love, The Binding is a beautiful homage to the allure and life-changing power of books—and a reminder to us all that knowledge can be its own kind of magic.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateApr 16, 2019
    ISBN9780062898722
    The Binding: A Novel
    Author

    Bridget Collins

    Bridget Collins is the international bestselling author of The Binding and The Betrayals. She is also the author of seven acclaimed books for young adults and has had two plays produced, one at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Bridget trained as an actor at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art after reading English at King’s College, Cambridge. She lives in Kent, United Kingdom.

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    Reviews for The Binding

    4/5

    611 ratings63 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      Really enjoyed part 1, part 2 nearly had me dnf’ing this book but I am so glad I stuck it through - I went through every emotion in part 3. Changed my mind about the characters all the way through
    • 5/5
      Beautifully written and beautifully read. A story that will stay with me forever - even though it's probably one of those fake ones;)
    • 5/5
      it was slow at the beginning but wow was it worth it
    • 5/5
      Favorite read of the year. Heartbreaking and so beautifully written!
    • 5/5
      So much darker and heart wrenching than I was anticipating. TW for mentions of abuse, rape, and animal cruelty at times.
    • 5/5
      Great book. Interesting premise, sensuous and atmospheric writing, very romantic. A bit on the dark side, but not too much, highly recommended. A bit reminiscent of "Song of Achilles"
    • 3/5
      This Book is Super slow. in part. one.

      If i could rate this book by parts. it would be .
      Part 1. took me over a month to force myself to get through it. 1 star
      Part 2. couldn't stop reading was like a different book. 2 stars
      Part 3. I felt like why to much going on and didn't need it . 3. stars

      . I really wanted to love this book and at times I truly did. but as a whole not so good.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed the book overall, it has great character development for the two main characters but the ending felt slightly abrupt. Other than for the ending I really was swept away by the story.
    • 5/5
      This is a fabulous story. The characters are so well described through their thoughts, conversations, and actions, that I felt like I was in the plot, acting as an avid observer. I'm recommending this book to my friends.
      The narrator was also quite skilled.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this book. Part 1 was pretty slow. But it picked up for me with Parts 2 and 3. I enjoyed the different perspectives. I was very excited to hear Lucian's POV in Part 3 but then found myself missing Emmett's POV. Overall, it's a story of forbidden love and finding your way back together despite all odds.. with a bit of magic.
    • 5/5
      Hands down the best book I've read in awhile! The romance was a trip, the story kept me guessing, and the excitement had my heart racing. Cant recommend this book enough!
    • 5/5
      It was nothing like how i thought it would be.
    • 5/5
      Unbelievably captivating; I loved every moment of listening to this story unfold. The narrator is truly excellent as well, giving distinct voices to even minor supporting characters in a way that still feels honest and believable.
    • 3/5
      It was fine. Some major plot holes. Main character needed to stand up for himself my god
    • 1/5
      The story takes twenty minutes to handle a description that should take three. The main character is so genuinely stupid that he resembles a Trumper. I don’t know how it’s even possible to write a character this dumb. After 7 chapters I simply couldn’t take it anymore. The protagonist makes stupid choice, after stupid choice, after stupid choice and the author won’t let him see something that’s right in front of his nose just to drag her story out more.

      The story is interesting, however it’s so poorly written as to make it unreadable/listenable.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Slight spoiler but more of a TW. This book had a very interesting premise and I enjoyed the story. I wasn’t prepared for the graphic animal cruelty or the serial rapist. Both are pretty short passages - but know that it’s there.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 1/5
      This is nothing but a male gay romance novel. You have been notified.
    • 5/5
      4,6 stars

      I love the concept of book-binding in this world, in all it's myriad implications. I'm not usually a big fan of historical fiction, and this book didn't change my mind on that account, but I did very much enjoy this story despite the time period. Had it been present day (or future), I'd probably have loved it.

      I don't generally like to read books that make me uncomfortable. I read predominantly for escapism, and books that cause more discomfort than anything else are usually the ones I end up DNFing. This book held enough intrigue and eventual hope that I kept on pushing, and I'm glad I did.

      The thing I both liked and disliked was how open ended and/or abrupt the ends to different storylines were. Had it felt less intentional, it would probably have annoyed me more. I think the thing that most tipped the scales closer toward 5 rather than 4 stars was how much this book made me feel. Mostly negative emotions, but some positive ones as well, on occasion.

      I have a feeling that this is one of those books that'll end up popping up in my thoughts from time to time for a while yet.
    • 4/5
      I'm surprised how much I enjoyed this book!

      Started off very slowly, but then really picked up steam about 1/3 of the way through.

      This alternate universe looks very much like a historic version of rural England, with a twist of magical realism - books are dangerous. All "real" books are true stories, used to forget anything in your life you no longer want to remember. Or things that are too painful to remember.

      Young Emmett Farmer discovers he has a special affiliation for books and binding, altering the entire course of his life.
    • 2/5
      I don’t know what the make of this. It was….grim. It’s a unique idea and well written but I hated the story.
    • 3/5
      I was disappointed by this book. Great blurb and premise and the beginning at least was interesting. But it's another book where the fantasy element is just used as a hook for the actual story. It could have gone in so many interesting directions and just didn't! It obviously rocks the boat of many people but not me.
    • 4/5
      4 stars :* generous amounts of swirling snow* mystery* original conception* star-crossed loversBeautifully written. And I loved the imaginative premise of this novel, that memories can be removed then saved within a book binding; and Bridget Collins masterfully illuminates all the ramifications of that conceit.
    • 5/5
      A beautiful book. I loved it. what imagination, what pictures, and what a wonderful love story.

      Add to this, that it was absolutely beautifully narrated, and you have a book that can be recommended to anyone.

      A perfect escape from today's world into a wholly different world.
    • 1/5
      Dear me why did I bother. Awful. A mixture of sub-Dickens, a tiny dash of Tolkien and a huge dollop of Mills and Boon. A love story tied up in ribbons of normalised witchcraft. Overlong, over sentimental, lacking in proper research into the book binding of the title. Never again.
    • 5/5
      This is a book that I want to give more than five stars, in fact, all the stars. It's a very unique and interesting concept: people go to binders to get rid of bad memories which are put into a book. The books are supposed to be saved, but there's an illegal trade in marketing them and also writing a sort of fan-fiction which become novels. Emmett is a farmer's son who becomes very ill. When he recovers somewhat, he's sent to an old bookbinder to learn her trade. The story unfolds from there in a surprising and novel manner involving Emmett, his sister Alta, and the mysterious Lucien Darnay. It's a morality tale in some ways and a fantasy story that enchants the reader. Parts are very grim but the author writes in what I call word pictures that paint the story clearly while not being too graphic. That's probably not a good explanation, but I found the writing very immersive.This is definitely an author I'll read more from, and I recommend you should also.
    • 5/5
      I would describe this as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind meets a gay Pride and Prejudice and I think I'll pretty much leave it at that
    • 3/5
      An intriguing story told in 3 layers or parts.
      The concept of 'binding' was fascinating.
      Not so keen on the LGBT portrayal.
      I enjoyed the first part best.
      The middle part was a bit drawn out.
      The last part kept you reading to discover the outcome.
    • 4/5
      A very interesting premise and I was always engaged but I would have enjoyed it more if it had been written as an adult novel and had taken some of the elements a bit farther. I think even teen readers would find parts a bit too tame.
    • 4/5
      A fine disquisition on the nature of and meaning of memory, tied up in a love story and set against a Dickensian style background. I really enjoyed this book.
    • 4/5
      i did not see this book coming. there was not enough info on the back to hint at the plot, so all i knew about it was that it has a beautiful cover and my bookseller highly recommends it.needles to say, it took me by surprise. it was for me a difficult read, every page an effort for some reason. at times i even found the story cruel. but the beauty of the prose drove me forward, and it had touched something in me like no other book had in a while. by the end, i knew i'm going to read this book again. but not yet.