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I think Franzen has a valid point and that it is being missed. eBooks are subject to constant revision, and ultimately to revision by someone other than the author, whereas once a book is printed to paper, that version of the book remains -- there is a permanence to it that ebooks may not emulate.
I'm not one who dislikes ebooks (obviously, or I wouldn't be participating here or own a couple of reading devices), but I distinguish between two categories of books: (1) those that I want "permanently" and as written and (2) those that once read are disposable. For me, the former category is made up of the hardcover books I buy whereas the latter category is made up of the ebooks that I buy.
Having said that, I also need to note that on an increasing number of occasions, I am buying both the hardcover and the ebook versions of a book. The hardcover version becomes a permanent part of my library and is the reference version I refer to; the ebook provides me with the means to read the book conveniently.
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