My experience with electronic books is so extremely limited that I have guts even writing this. I know I've avoided the subject as it seemed to be in such opposition to the experience of a story. When I read a book, it is tactile. I feel the pages, and turn them and many times wander ahead in the story to return to an earlier part. The experience of falling into a book, is entering a world, finding myself inside of it and turning page after page.
Yet, the kindling world recent broke through my clear attachment to the traditional book form. I was at lunch with a friend sitting at a marble oyster bar and next to me was an almost elderly gentleman, enjoying his po-boy with an electronic book set up on a stand. It displayed two pages at at a time, and he could eat and read rather effortlessly. I became interested and we shared a conversation. He still loves books, real books, books with pages and covers that hold that paper and ink scent, yet, especially when he travels, the electronic book becomes a friend.
I get this, and may eventually get one, but find my thoughts meandering back to ancient words found on salt tablets and papyrus, the printing press, and how the future filled with words always presses on expressing as our technologies evolve.
2 comments:
I like your meandering through the history of our need to write down our stories and ideas-- from papyrus to the kindle-- and a great conversation with that fellow at the restaurant. I can certainly see the "neat" reading possibilities while eating- how many of my books are splattered with breakfast oatmeal and bits of jam! On the other hand... when I get my iPad (someday in the future), I will be more nervous about spilling coffee on it than a book. (Depending on the book, of course.)
guess we don't have to be purists--we can move forward an backward, loving new and old.
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