Another blog post about the smell of "real books"

FizzyWater · 09-25-2009, 12:15 AM

Here's yet another blog post about the evils of ebooks ...

okay, I'm exaggerating a little, but this rhetoric gets old.

(And forgive me if this was already posted...I tried searching by a few of the key words and didn't come up with anything).

ficbot · 09-25-2009, 12:22 AM

I don't think the 'small' of books is all that fabulous

Most of mine either don't smell like much of anything, or they do smell, kind of musty and damp-ish. Certainly the pocket book kind of paperbacks, often that paper does not age well. The 'smell' of real books is hardly a selling point for me.

nomesque · 09-25-2009, 12:26 AM

Mmmm, I get a little grumpy with these sort of arguments too. My primary interest in books is the story/information. That's what I want. The smell, the 'experience' ... meh, whatever. On the bright side, it's good to know that there'll be people lining up to buy my books when I replace them with ebooks...

Blue Tyson · 09-25-2009, 12:45 AM

I actually had one that smelled horrible the other day - it was new - something to do with the ink used in the graphics maybe. Non-fiction, so I dumped it on the floor under the couch to hopefully destinkify. Unreadable like that.

Donnageddon · 09-25-2009, 02:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blue Tyson

I actually had one that smelled horrible the other day - it was new - something to do with the ink used in the graphics maybe. Non-fiction, so I dumped it on the floor under the couch to hopefully destinkify. Unreadable like that.

I am not completely sure if that is a joke, but either way I loved it!

Paper books stink with the smell of dead trees! eBooks have the lovely scent of ozone and millions of tiny microcapsules working in cohesive harmony and cooperative love!

Donnageddon · 09-25-2009, 02:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blue Tyson

I actually had one that smelled horrible the other day - it was new - something to do with the ink used in the graphics maybe. Non-fiction, so I dumped it on the floor under the couch to hopefully destinkify. Unreadable like that.

And the distinction between non fiction smelly paper books and fiction smelly paper books is a subtle, perplexing, but masterful stroke!

Juliette · 09-25-2009, 02:56 AM

I do love the smell of books, but since I have a ton of stranges allergies, it happens that sometimes I can't read some tome. This said, these days it's quite hard to have paper books that smell nice... much better an ebook

Alfy · 09-25-2009, 03:03 AM

Yeah, yeah, yeah... How many people will buy one edition of a pbook instead of another based on the smell?

doreenjoy · 09-25-2009, 03:06 AM

I miss the whole visceral experience of reading scrolls. Damn the paper book for doing away with the scroll!

Mr. Dalliard · 09-25-2009, 03:08 AM

"My dog has no nose"

"How does he smell?!"

"Actually, since switching to e-books, he doesn't need to."

Juliette · 09-25-2009, 03:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doreenjoy

I miss the whole visceral experience of reading scrolls. Damn the paper book for doing away with the scroll!

I miss the smell of parchment. That's really nice. Paper? A cheap substitute

pdurrant · 09-25-2009, 03:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Juliette

I miss the smell of parchment. That's really nice. Paper? A cheap substitute

Absolutely. We want to read from dead sheep, not dead trees.

M0zza · 09-25-2009, 04:10 AM

I miss the smell of stone tablets... especially damp ones. It's better than technology today, you can read in the bath, and if you drop it you don't need to buy a new tablet. Just a new bath and maybe new legs.

All those poor chisellers out of work as well. Nobody thinks of them!

aceflor · 09-25-2009, 04:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Absolutely. We want to read from dead sheep, not dead trees.

Well, really, who needs sheeps OR trees anyway ?

Teyrnon · 09-25-2009, 04:57 AM

Yes, books smell. Some books have really different smells. The inks or paper or something. In one case the smell of a particular book reminds me of the store I bought it in. That said, smelly books are overrated.

Given the troubles I've been having with allergies and sinuses this past couple years I think getting away from the smell of books is a pretty good idea. I just want to read.

09-25-2009, 12:15 AM	#1
FizzyWater You kids get off my lawn! Posts: 4,220 Karma: 73492664 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Columbus, Ohio Device: Oasis 2 and Libra H2O and half a dozen older models I can't let go of	Another blog post about the smell of "real books" Here's yet another blog post about the evils of ebooks ... okay, I'm exaggerating a little, but this rhetoric gets old. (And forgive me if this was already posted...I tried searching by a few of the key words and didn't come up with anything).

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09-25-2009, 12:22 AM	#2
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	I don't think the 'small' of books is all that fabulous Most of mine either don't smell like much of anything, or they do smell, kind of musty and damp-ish. Certainly the pocket book kind of paperbacks, often that paper does not age well. The 'smell' of real books is hardly a selling point for me.

09-25-2009, 12:26 AM	#3
nomesque Snooty Bestselling Author Posts: 1,485 Karma: 1000000 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Ipswich, QLD, Australia Device: PRS-650	Mmmm, I get a little grumpy with these sort of arguments too. My primary interest in books is the story/information. That's what I want. The smell, the 'experience' ... meh, whatever. On the bright side, it's good to know that there'll be people lining up to buy my books when I replace them with ebooks...

09-25-2009, 12:45 AM	#4
Blue Tyson Blue Captain Posts: 1,595 Karma: 5000236 Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Australia Device: Kindle Keyboard 3G,Huawei Ideos X3,Kobo Mini	I actually had one that smelled horrible the other day - it was new - something to do with the ink used in the graphics maybe. Non-fiction, so I dumped it on the floor under the couch to hopefully destinkify. Unreadable like that.

09-25-2009, 02:56 AM	#7
Juliette I eat books Posts: 601 Karma: 5124 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Milan, Italy Device: Gen3 PRS-505 PRS-600 PB360 PB302 K2 Opus BebookMini OnyxBoox K3 KDXG	I do love the smell of books, but since I have a ton of stranges allergies, it happens that sometimes I can't read some tome. This said, these days it's quite hard to have paper books that smell nice... much better an ebook

09-25-2009, 03:03 AM	#8
Alfy Liseur de Bonne Aventure Posts: 374 Karma: 2176666 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Paris, France Device: PRS T1	Yeah, yeah, yeah... How many people will buy one edition of a pbook instead of another based on the smell?

09-25-2009, 03:06 AM	#9
doreenjoy 01000100 01001010 Posts: 1,889 Karma: 2400000 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Polyamorous	I miss the whole visceral experience of reading scrolls. Damn the paper book for doing away with the scroll!

09-25-2009, 03:08 AM	#10
Mr. Dalliard Zealot Posts: 143 Karma: 35 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Osaka, Japan Device: Kindle 3	"My dog has no nose" "How does he smell?!" "Actually, since switching to e-books, he doesn't need to."

09-25-2009, 04:10 AM	#13
M0zza Geek... Apparently Posts: 211 Karma: 51260 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Herts, UK Device: Sony PRS-505 (Silver), ASUS Transformer TF300T, IPAD Air 2	I miss the smell of stone tablets... especially damp ones. It's better than technology today, you can read in the bath, and if you drop it you don't need to buy a new tablet. Just a new bath and maybe new legs. All those poor chisellers out of work as well. Nobody thinks of them!

09-25-2009, 04:57 AM	#15
Teyrnon Groupie Posts: 190 Karma: 384 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: South Eastern United States Device: jetBook, Kindle DX, Kindle 3, Kindle Fire, Nook Simple Touch	Yes, books smell. Some books have really different smells. The inks or paper or something. In one case the smell of a particular book reminds me of the store I bought it in. That said, smelly books are overrated. Given the troubles I've been having with allergies and sinuses this past couple years I think getting away from the smell of books is a pretty good idea. I just want to read.