Mynovel.ca

This Is Not a Book

We can’t hide from them, e-books are everywhere.  Everyone seems to like their practical, modern aspect. Everyone except me.

I read an article today. Here’s a tidbit. “The main advantage of e-book readers is their storage capacity. Thanks to electronics, you can store hundreds of books and thus keep your library in your pocket. No need to weigh your bags with your novels anymore!” Am I really the only one who doesn’t see this as a plus?

Personnaly, I always carry one or two books with me. I like their weight in my bag. And even if electronic devices appeal to me more and more, I have no intention of trading my good old books for their modernized version. Ever.  

Yes, I know. I’m swimming nonsense against the tide. “We can’t stop progress,” they say. Well, that progress will not enter my house.

I’d rather have 300 books piled up in a beautiful bookcase in my living room than 3,000 titles stored behind a screen. Yes, I may think like an old lady. I often catch myself saying, “Back in the day…” and it annoys me since I always promised I would never be the one to say that. But truth be told, I do not care. To me, the smell of the pages, the weight of the book, the trips to the bookstore… All those things are part of the reading experience. And since I’m the kind of girl who drops her books in the bathtub, I think it’s best I stay away from e-book readers…

To me, to love to read is to love books. And according to Merriam-Webster, a book is a:

noun \?bu?k\

1. set of written sheets of skin or paper or tablets of wood or ivory
2.  set of written, printed, or blank sheets bound together into a volume
3.  long printed literary composition

So an “e-book” really isn’t a book. I feel like it takes away from the importance of reading. It puts stories into the “fast food” category. We read on the screen, we forget, we delete to make space for a new quick download. It’s sad, really.

And what do you think?