My husband and I (as the Queen likes to say) are both keen readers. My husband devours books, and although I don’t read as voraciously now as I used to, always have at least one on the go. Just shy of a year ago, I got my first e-reader, a Kobo. I gave my first impressions here after reading my first e-book. Shortly afterwards, my husband couldn’t resist taking a bite of the Apple, and we got our first iPad.
I was always a bit of a purist. I have always loved books for their aesthetics as well as their content. There is nothing like the feel and smell of a new book. The smooth cover, the pristine, unspoiled pages, the promise of a new world, exciting discoveries, wrenching emotions and new friends all waiting for me between the covers. So I really wasn’t sure what I would think about using an e-reader. I was prepared to try though – I’m always open to new technology.
These days at least 50% of the books I read are probably e-books, and I’ve read a number of books on both our e-readers. I see others debate the value of e-readers versus books, so thought I’d wade in. (I’ll compare the Kobo and iPad in another post if anyone is interested).
What I prefer about e-readers:
The Kobo (very similar to a Kindle) is very light. It’s brilliant to take when we are travelling. And you know we like travelling. I just load it with a bunch of books, and my bag is several kilos lighter. It’s also lighter in my handbag, and I don’t have to worry about the pages getting bent. An iPad is heavier, but takes the place of a paper diary, notebook for meetings, laptop etc, so does double duty.
An e-reader (Kobo or iPad) is much easier to read when eating or drinking. I do a bit of reading in coffee shops, with a nice cup of coffee. The other day I was having breakfast in a cafe, and was keen to start a Hilary Mantel book a friend had loaned me. After two pages, my coffee and toast had arrived, and I put the book away, and pulled out my iPad. I couldn’t keep it open to read, AND eat or drink at the same time. An e-reader just sits there, and the page turns with either a press of a button or the swipe of a finger.
Shopping is so much easier. I keep a list of books I want to read, as recommended by friends or when I hear reviews on National Radio. When I shop for books, I’d either write down a few titles, or print out my whole list (from Goodreads), and go find them at my favourite bookstores. Buying a book was a deliberate act. I rarely bought books on impulse. Now though, I can (and have) bought books on impulse. I can buy books when I’m in bed, using my iPad and connecting to Amazon or another site. If I run out of books, I don’t have to wait till I can get to a bookstore. I have them all at my fingertips.
E-books are cheaper. Yes, I miss the cover art, and the reviews on the back. But I’m prepared to sacrifice that if it means my books are about 30-50% cheaper (often more), and I can buy more of them. Books that were published some time ago are actually very reasonably priced as e-books, and so I tend to buy books I wouldn’t purchase otherwise. It actually widens my reading experience.
Holding an e-reader is actually easier, whether it’s in bed, at the breakfast table, or on the couch. I don’t have to keep the pages apart. I have arthritic tendencies in my hands (a genetic issue for me), and recently found reading a paper book to be quite uncomfortable.
I can change the font and font size on an e-reader. As I age, and my eyesight changes, this is a real advantage. It means I can read and watch TV at the same time, and not need to take my glasses off.
I can highlight phrases (on Kindle/iPad) or passages that I love, and want to go back to, and they’re really easy to find again.
On Kindle e-books, I can just select a word and look up its meaning instantly. This is particularly helpful when reading anything written by Stephen Fry. Though he even manages to defeat – quite frequently – the Kindle dictionary.
I don’t need the light on if I’m reading on the iPad in bed late at night.
What I prefer about books:
I can see them on a bookshelf. I like bookshelves. Once archived, I could forget I owned an e-book. But it’s hard to forget I own a paper book when it’s on the shelf.
I can loan out books, but not e-books (much to the chagrin of a friend of mine), although there may be a way to do this if we both had e-readers. I’d have to figure that out.
They’re more attractive – if it’s a good cover. But then, our bookclub always gives an annual Best and Worst Cover award. We frequently find there are a lot of ugly covers out there. And we rarely agree on the best. To each their own. Still, I miss the artwork in an e-book.
The proof-reading seems better. I’ve found a few formatting and even spelling errors in some e-books. Annoying! This rarely occurs in a paper book, though occasionally you come across pages that haven’t been cut properly.
A book doesn’t need to be re-charged, and you don’t have to wait on a plane until they say you can switch on electrical devices to be able to read a paper book.
I know when I’m coming to the end of a paper book. I recently read Kazuo Ishiguro’s first novel – A Pale View of Hills – as an e-book. I forgot to look at the gauge that shows how far through the book I am. (It is easily over-looked). And suddenly, I found myself on the last page. I gasped. I had been completely absorbed in the story, and felt as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown over me. The abrupt ending was a rude shock; it would have been much kinder in a paper book. (I found myself tempted to say “real” book, but that’s not fair to e-books, even if it shows a bias).
My conclusion:
E-books are much more practical and convenient. I love my e-readers, and would totally recommend them. Yes, there is a degree of romance and nostalgia about an old-fashioned, paper book. But don’t dismiss e-readers just because you are attached to the smell and feel of your books. After all, the important elements of a book – the story, the characters, the landscape and the language – are the same in both. Give an e-reader a try. You might like it.
I keep meaning to get an e-reader. Particularly after a holiday where I ending up reading the Long Walk to Freedom repeatedly, as I had little space in my backpack so picked the chunkiest book I own. I felt like I’d inadvertantly memorised more about Nelson Mandela than his mum by the time we went home.
I’d still miss books though.
LikeLike
I agree with all the pros & cons of both formats that you’ve listed. I got a Kobo at Christmas. I’ve only read one or two books on it so far — I have enough unread paper books to keep me going for quite a while! But I am sure, as you said, that it will be great to have for when we travel. Whenever we go to visit my parents (usually for at least a week, sometimes two), between dh & me, we probably bring 10-20 extra pounds of books.
My only fear is that the rise of e-books will mean the demise of bookstores. Already, our local megabookstore is carrying fewer & fewer books, and more kids toys, picture frames & other tschotchkes (sp?). Our Saturday night bookstore browse is a tradition I would hate to give up. 😦
LikeLike
I miss being able to borrow books! And lend them too of course 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you for this, Mali. I had been resolutely against e-books, but you’ve opened my eyes. With overflowing bookshelves in every room of the house, it’s time for a change.
LikeLike
I want an iPad or Kindle or somesuch very badly for just the reasons you list, but I also know there’s no way I’d give up my (several thousand) paper book habit either. So both! Yes! Absolutely!
LikeLike
Bookstores (like record stores) are disappearing already. It’s sad! But you make a lot of good points.
LikeLike
I have yet to try an e-reader. At this point, the only temptation has been when traveling…
Thanks for this!
LikeLike
E-everything seems to be causing the demise of many things I love: local dvd rental shops, bookstores that sell books, newspapers. For that reason, in spite of points you’ve raised and the fact that I’m sure they’re more environmentally friendly than regular books, I have no desire to try them. I love technology in many ways (look at how it brings us together!) but at the same time it feels like it’s causing too many things to go extinct.
LikeLike
Guilt! I now feel single-handedly responsible for the demise of bookstores. I do like bookstores. Honest!
In fact, one of the things we like to do in Bangkok is go to a good English language bookstore – they have lots of classics as well as the latest, and in all sorts of editions so you can find small, cheap versions rather than the large print, unwieldy volumes that seem to be in favour in Borders et al. (We do weird things in Bangkok, having seen all the sights 20 years ago).
And I do feel sad that it is going to be hard to sustain them, especially our local Unity Books. With our e-readers, I’m buying e-books, but I’m buying more e-books than I ever bought paper books. And I’m still buying paper books for bookclub!
LikeLike
Oh, I wasn’t trying to make you feel guilty Mali. You probably buy more “real” books than I do: I mostly get them from the library. I guess I’m just sad to witness the demise of physical spaces.
LikeLike