Books are not made for furniture, but there is nothing else that so beautifully furnishes a house. ~Henry Ward Beecher
My father recently summoned me up to his sitting room where he proudly sat; brandishing his new toy like a little kid at holiday time....a Kindle. As he excitedly explained how he got the larger sized tablet so as to be more 'book sized', I felt my heart sink a bit. "But Da..." I protested..."won't you miss the touch of a book, the smell, the weight in your hand? I don't understand?!". He chuckled a bit and I began to rethink my obsession with books. Was I too stuck in the Stone Ages to appreciate new and exciting technology? Is my romantic notion about the thrill of a hard cover book antiquated and out-dated? How could scrolling to the last page possibly compare with running my hand down to the last word and excitedly slamming the book shut? How could a shiny electronic screen compare to the the wonderment of discovering where a book has been and who has held it? Of course, I was having this debate with a man who doesn't believe in library books (for the booger factor*) so I would have to take that into account. Okay. I suppose I can admit to the fact that there is something fabulous with being able to just download a book; no wait, no drama. Of course, I like the drama. I love getting home from work and finding a message from the library that a book has come in...skipping over, wondering every moment which of my selections is now available. I adore perusing through the book store and running my hands over the book covers; deciding which of the quick blurbs on the back cover grabs me the most to make the investment. On the flip side, I like that this new format might make reading more palatable to the younger generation. As soon as I had that thought...I was seized with another notion. WOULD THE INTRODUCTION TO THE KINDLE MEAN THE END OF BOOKS AS I KNOW IT?! My father assured me that a book had to have at least ONE copy for the Library of Congress (little comfort) and technology like this has a ways to go before its affordable for all...thus the acceptable norm/replacement (phew). So, that is that. I don't know what side of the fence I lay on. To kindle or not to kindle...that is the question.
*For those of you who do not know my father...the booger factor is defined as follows: the fear that patrons of the library have picked their nose while reading a library book and wiped said boogers within the pages of said book.
I feel similarly Leah. The thought of having any book I want literally at the tips of my fingers in quite enticing. However, nothing makes me happier (or sadder if it's a really great read) then watching my book mark slowly travel through a book over the course of the weeks (ok, lately months) that it takes to read it.
ReplyDeleteI thought seriously about a Kindle, but the price kept me from being too serious. The price came down a bit...but not enough to entice.
But somehow, I can't imagine my "to be read" pile not leaning up against a door in my house and instead being electronically held in the tiny, but complex "brain" of a 21st century gadget.