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Alexander Turcic · 07-21-2013, 07:08 AM

Hot on the heels of yesterday's proposal to keep bookstores alive, the Sunday Times is proclaiming that book fans are reverting to the traditional way of reading, at least in the UK. The article names various well-known authors, thinkers and journalists - among them Roger Scruton, Alain de Botton, Philip Stone (The Bookseller), Rosie Boycott (journalist), John Simpson (broadcaster), Jilly Cooper (novelist), and Richard Curtis (screenwriter) - as examples of critics who've been experiencing a growing antipathy towards e-books. Some of their reasons:

"irritation about "ugly adverts" to matters of art and aesthetics"
"whatever I read on my Kindle I couldn't really remember in the long term. It was as if I had never read it"
"The prospect of the bookshelf of the future -- just containing a slim tablet -- is truly depressing"
"I can't stand the sloppy, ugly, ignorant way ebooks are often presented"
"I'd much rather have the feel and look of pages with nice type to enjoy"
"I like to scribble all over [books]"

The articles cites the results of a poll that appears to support this negative sentiment. Adults asked what they'd take with them on holiday, 17% said e-reader, 32% said paper books, 26% don't know, 9% take both, and 16% take neither. Asked which one they'd prefer, 17% said e-reader and 65% said paper books. 32% of those who were polled owned an e-reader.

Full article: Kindle on the eshelf: book fans go back to paper (subscription required).

[image via Flickr]

07-21-2013, 07:08 AM	#1
Alexander Turcic Fully Converged Posts: 18,175 Karma: 14021202 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Switzerland Device: Too many to count here.	Trend Watch: Paper books back in vogue Hot on the heels of yesterday's proposal to keep bookstores alive, the Sunday Times is proclaiming that book fans are reverting to the traditional way of reading, at least in the UK. The article names various well-known authors, thinkers and journalists - among them Roger Scruton, Alain de Botton, Philip Stone (The Bookseller), Rosie Boycott (journalist), John Simpson (broadcaster), Jilly Cooper (novelist), and Richard Curtis (screenwriter) - as examples of critics who've been experiencing a growing antipathy towards e-books. Some of their reasons: "irritation about "ugly adverts" to matters of art and aesthetics" "whatever I read on my Kindle I couldn't really remember in the long term. It was as if I had never read it" "The prospect of the bookshelf of the future -- just containing a slim tablet -- is truly depressing" "I can't stand the sloppy, ugly, ignorant way ebooks are often presented" "I'd much rather have the feel and look of pages with nice type to enjoy" "I like to scribble all over [books]" The articles cites the results of a poll that appears to support this negative sentiment. Adults asked what they'd take with them on holiday, 17% said e-reader, 32% said paper books, 26% don't know, 9% take both, and 16% take neither. Asked which one they'd prefer, 17% said e-reader and 65% said paper books. 32% of those who were polled owned an e-reader. Full article: Kindle on the eshelf: book fans go back to paper (subscription required). [image via Flickr]