The idea behind The Binding - that memories can be wiped and stored in a book - is a very clever one, and Bridget Collins has worked out her concept with ingenuity and skill, but though the premise and the endorsements promised much, in the end it didn't meet my expectations.
Crisp cutting would have ensured that scenes were not laboured, and some variety in the emotional register - for it's all very urgent and febrile - would have made the reading experience less wearing. There's a lot in it that's praiseworthy, but a firmer editorial hand would have made it a better book.
