When I read "How The E-Book Will Change The Way We Read And Write" my first gut reaction was no. No we can't get rid of books and go to all e-books. That's insane. That was obviously the old school reader in me screaming out. I have always loved reading. My mom taught me to read when I was four and I have been eating books up ever since. During the summer if I'm not taking classes I will read two to four novels in a week. The thought of losing that tactile sensation of picking up a new book, that just off the shelf smell (yes I know I'm a total book nerd) makes me feel disheartened. I can't imagine reading in any other sense other than curling up with a book in hand at the end of a long day and diving inside another world waiting inside the pages. Then I got to thinking- e-books would not take that all away. It would change the experience of course, but it will open up a whole different way of reading and finding new reading material that is great. Instead of driving to Barnes &Noble or ordering books at Amazon.com, and waiting three to five days for their arrival, I can just pop on a Kindle (which I am now seriously thinking of purchasing) and buy one right then and begin to read in minutes. That is very exciting to me (again I'm a total book nerd). The e-book would make it easier for anyone and everyone to start reading.
The flip side of this is the point brought up in the article that it will also make it easier for people to stop reading. If you are reading an e-book on your iPhone, there is bound to be hundreds of possible distractions that will stop you from ever finishing. You read a line in the story about a character checking their e-mail, and now you just have to check yours, and its right at a touch of the screen. Reading an actual physical book somewhat repels these distracts. When you read that same line while reading a physical book, you will have to set the book down, go to the nearest computer, and then check your email. While that is all easy enough, it is not half as easy as when you were reading the e-book form. Maybe its just because of my own personal love of reading, but I really want people to read. I think it is a truly unique and wonderful experience that is almost indescribable being placed in another time or place through simple words on a page. Sure you can go to Rome, which would be a great experience, but when you read about some character going there in a novel, you can get a completely different feel, and not to mention its much cheaper. Reading for me also can relive stress or make me feel better on a bad day. By immersing myself in some character's problems and troubles, I can forget my own. I think that that is something everyone should enjoy, without all the distractions the web has to offer.
In all, I think e-books could really be a great thing, even though I will always miss my hardcover books if and when we switch completely over to e-books. They would make it easier for everyone to read, even if the huge potentially for distractions would come into play, and everyone reading I think would be wonderful thing.
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I completely agree with you. The E-books thing has its good and bad points, but I think that it could be a good thing. It would be nice to be able to carry what would be a huge book in light weight form in your pocket. For me it would never replace actual books that I can physically touch and turn the pages of. I also think that staring at the little screen is a bit harder on the eyes. Even if we completely switch over to E-books (I doubt it would happen but still) I would be locked in my dusty basement surrounded by books and thinking how much the outside world is missing.
ReplyDeleteWow, Sarah, I commented on the same article and I sounded like a whiny child, but you actually made some good points. The way you describe reading (as an indescribable experience) really captured the way I feel about reading, too. I just want everyone to experience it; that's why I am becoming a book editor. And I agree with you--reading books will be a lost joy when they all move online. There is so much competition for books online (music, games, email, social networks, etc.) that I am afraid it wouldn't be long before they became obsolete.
ReplyDeleteI think some of the world would implode if all the major book sellers morphed all their tall shelves for a bunch of computers. I know that I personally would implode. I, too, am a total and complete book nerd and will probably be the last person to buy a Kindle. Not that I'm against them, I just don't see the need for myself.
ReplyDeleteLet’s not let the E-books take over the hardcover books. The regular books need to stay around, I personally don’t want to curl up with my computer or kindle to read a book, I want a real book. But it is always a personal choice. I would probably not think of purchasing a kindle because of the lack of time I have. I only can get reading in for my classes, reading for fun what’s that??...
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