“Reading was such a quiet activity, and the reader in their parlour or leaning against the trunk of a tree would never imagine all the hands their book had been through, all the folding and cutting and beating it had endured. They would never guess how noisy and smelly the life of that book had been before it was put in their hands. I loved that I knew this. That they didn’t.”
Pip Williams, The Bookbinder
Title: The Bookbinder
Author: Pip Williams
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 448 (Hardcover)
Published: March 28th, 2023
My Rating: ★★★
Read: 3/25/2024 – 4/4/2024
Review:
After such a lovely experience reading The Dictionary of Lost Words, I had high anticipation for this book. I sort of regret that now as I think I set it too high in the sense I was expecting to recreate my first experience with this author two years ago. I still enjoyed the essence of the book, it just hit differently this time. And that’s okay.
The story focuses on twin sisters Peggy and Maude, their careers as bookbinders, as well as WWI and the Spanish Flu epidemic. Each other the sisters have different personalities and are charming in their own right.
Though not a sequel to The Dictionary of Lost Words, there are mentions of Esme and her book scattered throughout. Both books are and can be read as a standalone.
I wish I knew what exactly, but something was lacking for me. It might just be me being in a different place, though I have seen some reviews that share my reaction. It didn’t feel the characters were as fleshed out as they were in the first book and I wonder if that is in part because we have two protagonists as well as very present supporting characters. I still loved the writing and highlighted several lovely quotes, it was just overall a different experience than I’d expected. I will likely revisit this one at a later time.
Likes & Dislikes:
What I liked:
- Beautiful prose.
- Sweet characters.
What I didn’t like:
- While this is the major theme in Pip Williams’ writing, I’d enjoy it more without the feminist edge. Just not my preference to read given the tension around the topic, particularly in a historical setting.
- Both the plot and the characters could use some more fleshing out and/or better pacing.
Afterthoughts:
It’s funny how certain books can hit you differently at different times in your life. Obviously, this book isn’t exactly the same as The Dictionary of Lost Words, but the vibes are similar. I’d be curious to reread that one now and see how I find it.
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