I don't know.....Over on City Journal they have a nice article by Guy Sorman praising something being sold by Amazon called "Kindle." If I understand correctly it allows you to purchase downloads of books and read them. Supposedly it is lightweight, works well in all variations of lighted areas, etc., etc. And, per Amazon, all for only $359.00.
Now as a founding member of the "He who dies with the most toys wins," club I do have a certain attraction for such a device. With it I wouldn't be limited to just the blatherings of other bloggers, but would access to over 125,000 titles, including such important tomes as a bio of Chris Farley and a fantasy by Scott McClellan... my apologies to the ghost of Farley for associating the two..
And most of the books can be downloaded for about ten bucks.... Whether that is a purchase or a rental I haven't determined.. But it seems a fair price..
The problem is that is not a book.
Books have texture. They exist as "books" that you can remember. They exist as memories of how they felt, how they smelled.... Yes, I admit, I collect books as well as scifi and fantasy magazines... And would any of these have been made available as a digitial reproduction?
Books and magazines can be passed from friend to friend... from parent to child... generation to generation. They can be stored for years in closets and emerge to give pleasure again, just as they did years before. And since they haven't changed in appearance, their very existence in your hand can bring back memories of musty smelling libraries and the helpful library lady who was always questioning if this or that was "too old" for you...
I read "The Egyptian" when I was about 12. The Librarian Lady demanded a note from my Mother, which I promptly forged and returned with. I suspect she knew it was a forgery, but her bases were covered. "Did you understand it?" she questioned when I returned it. "Yes. Yes I did," I lied. She gave me a knowing look, as she had with the forged note, and laid it on top of the return pile. "Will you put these in their places?" she asked as she always did. Such honor I have not since received.
The world does turn and as someone who made his living in technology I guess I have no right to complain. But a world without texture, without smells and touches and the memories of how the paper felt will be a lesser place.
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I agree so much...I fell in love with books at the age of 5. I never wanted toys. I wanted books. I had my very own bookcase at the age of ten. I went around the family and friends: aunts, uncles, older cousins, and collected their school prizes: leather-hard-cover- illustrated books, with a gold trim. Jules Verne, Fenimore Cooper, Stevenson...They were all in French y'know. All I ever, ever, ever wanted in life:1000 books and a piano. Now I have more than a thousand of course. I never let go of one, even when it falls into pieces from too much re-reading.
ReplyDeleteI still tremble when I enter a library. Used bookstores are my passion. My treasure is "Histoire de Charles X11" with the beautiful, elegant signature of the owner: Albert Andrews, Sep 26th, 1859. I wrote his life in my mind many times.
I refuse, I absolutely refuse to read a book on the screen. Your last paragraph describes my need to hold, to smell, to touch and to turn each page with my fingers. Then to return my friend to his rightful place on the shelf.
A bit weird? Please, keep my secret. I trust you. I won't tell anyone about your library little white lie. ;-)
Our library when I was young was a square building next door to the jail. My Mother took ne to it when I was about nine, and I remember her telling me, "If you spend time here you won't be spending time there." (Pointing to the jail.)
ReplyDeleteI soon discovered Dr. Dolittle who talked to the animals and Tom Swift who invented such amazing things as "his electric car." Too bad he isn't around today. I worked my way through the Tarzan books, Robison Crusoe and Swiss Family Robinson before going on to The Red Badge of Courage and more mature material..
I think my Mom was right. If your child spends time at the library he won't be spending time in jail.
I'm with you...I still buy the local papers everyday even though you can get it all online...something about the crinkle sound and the smell and the ink on your fingers is very romantic to me. And I'm a big fan of good old fashioned books....I like to read 'em and give 'em away to spread knowledge.
ReplyDelete-kdog