Scent is a powerful memory trigger, and that vanilla-like smell reminds me of running my hands over my Nanna’s books, sniffing them to try and figure out why they smelled so good. I think back to snuggling up on a chair, or when I was much younger on Mum or Nanna’s lap to read. Like Hermione Granger, I was the sort of kid to walk around hugging a book. On a plane home from Melbourne this year, I woke up hugging my (signed- and yes I squealed) copy of Tim Ferguson’s The Cheeky Monkey. I’m a chronic book-hugger, always have been.
E-readers don’t hug, and they don’t smell like old book.
In fact, my E-reader is doing little besides turn me into a grumpy old lady. I don’t like the idea of leasing a book (or album, or movie…), especially when Australia pays more for a digital file than most other countries. I don’t like the feeling of sliding my fingers across glass instead of paper. I loathe paying for a book, and having chunks of text missing from the file. And I certainly don’t like that the same techno-magic that delivers my digital books can delete them without my consent. The idea that a hunk of irritating plastic and glass could replace my beloved books? Heresy.
Last week, I finally got a chance to read The Future of the Book is the Future of Society by Bob Stein. There’s something beautiful about the idea of the book “as the vehicle humans use to move ideas around time and space.” Suddenly the book is a TARDIS. I’m ok with that. And in the same way that the TARDIS evolves to suit whoever is using it, the book is changing to reflect the new ways we interact. It’s becoming collaborative.
Stephen Fry has said that “books are no more threatened by the Kindle than stairs by elevators”, and I agree. The book has always been, will always be, a vehicle of change. Reading was once an act reserved for the devout or the wealthy. It’s grown from a source of exclusion, to a solitary activity, to an all-embracing collaboration. The changing face of the book isn’t just about whether it’s printed or digital, or who is able to read it. That’s thinking small. As writers and creatives, there’s a chance to redefine every element of the book or online text. As Stein notes, even something as simple as moving the comments from the bottom of the text to the side creates a shift in dynamics. It takes the us and them and morphs it into us: a group of people sharing ideas, asking questions, and undertaking our own hero’s journey. Even a book-hugger like me has to admit that it’s a fascinating premise.
So what about you? Are you a book-hugger, or an e-reader aficionado? And, most importantly, what should a book be? Should it be tactile and sensory, lightweight and portable? What is your perfect book, and how should it be used?
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The Future of the Book article: http://futureofthebook.org/blog/2013/03/18/the_future_of_the_book_is_the/
iTunes price disparity: http://www.macstories.net/stories/the-great-disparity-in-global-itunes-prices/
Book Dedications: http://bookdedications.wordpress.com/
Amazon scandal: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/18/technology/companies/18amazon.html?_r=0
The Cheeky Monkey: www.cheekymonkeycomedy.com
Old book smell: http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews/2013/06/that-old-book-smell-is-a-mix-of-grass-and-vanilla/
Smell and Memory: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20120312-why-can-smells-unlock-memories
They need to sell both together like they do with DVD and digital download, that way I don't have to carry around my complete Jill Kismet omnibus for the next couple of weeks.
ReplyDeleteI really like that idea. It would make it so much easier to read larger books on the go, like your Jill Kismet omnibus. It could also be useful for textbooks, so students could have both a physical copy at home, and a digital copy they could take to class. It'd be interesting to see how publishers could package the combined formats without damaging the book.
ReplyDeleteSomeone on Twitter shared this good article on http://www.theminimalists.com/reading/. It says that while you may read more when you have an e-reader, it doesn't feel the same as having books.
ReplyDeleteIt may be easier to tote around an e-reader, but it just doesn't create the same feelings as turning the pages of a book.
ReplyDelete