MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - "I Won't Read a Great Novel on an eReader"

Worldwalker · 06-16-2010, 07:25 PM

I'm a multi-sensory person. That is, for me an experience isn't just about the sight, or sound, or taste, or whatever. Think about eating dinner in a good restaurant. Not only is your meal tasty, it's plated in a visually appealing way with a nice garnish, your fork feels right in your hand, there's pleasant music in the background, and perhaps a vase of flowers on the table. It would still be the same food if it was dumped randomly on a plate, your fork was plastic, you had to listen to a local radio station whose format you hate, and the only thing you could smell was scorched grease from the Fry-o-Lator. But even though the food was the same, the experience wouldn't be as pleasant. I feel that way about most things. My taste in T-shirts depends less on what they look like (they're usually black anyway) and more on how the fabric feels when I wear it (how I miss the old Pluma extra-heavyweight tees). While the primary factor in choosing the breed of my cat was their intelligence, not only looks but the extra-soft feel of their fur came into it. And, yes, I like the feel of a book in my hand, the look of it on my shelf, the smell of it ... barely-dry ink in the new ones, old glue and a touch of mildew in the old ones, whatever it may happen to be.

And I have about 2,000 books from PG, etc., loaded on my 505. I read them on a daily basis. Great novels and all.

I enjoy the ritual of taking the 505 out of its stretchy sleeve, like laying out the tea implements. I love the smell of the M-Edge leather case, the feel of the leather, and the just-right weight of it. I open it up, feeling the slight bit of resistance as the closure tab pulls out of its slot, and see a blank screen, like a magic mirror into a thousand worlds, awaiting only a touch on its power switch to bring those worlds to life. And there it is, my great novel, opened to the page I left it at, all ready for reading. The page-turn buttons respond to my touch, and I read.

No, it's not the same experience as reading a paper book. Eating in a good Italian restaurant isn't the same experience as eating in a good Chinese restaurant, either. That doesn't mean that Italian food is bad because you can't eat linguine with chopsticks and they don't serve green tea. They're both good, and they're both enjoyable. Each has its own pleasures.

06-16-2010, 07:25 PM	#23
Worldwalker Curmudgeon Posts: 3,085 Karma: 722357 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: PRS-505	I'm a multi-sensory person. That is, for me an experience isn't just about the sight, or sound, or taste, or whatever. Think about eating dinner in a good restaurant. Not only is your meal tasty, it's plated in a visually appealing way with a nice garnish, your fork feels right in your hand, there's pleasant music in the background, and perhaps a vase of flowers on the table. It would still be the same food if it was dumped randomly on a plate, your fork was plastic, you had to listen to a local radio station whose format you hate, and the only thing you could smell was scorched grease from the Fry-o-Lator. But even though the food was the same, the experience wouldn't be as pleasant. I feel that way about most things. My taste in T-shirts depends less on what they look like (they're usually black anyway) and more on how the fabric feels when I wear it (how I miss the old Pluma extra-heavyweight tees). While the primary factor in choosing the breed of my cat was their intelligence, not only looks but the extra-soft feel of their fur came into it. And, yes, I like the feel of a book in my hand, the look of it on my shelf, the smell of it ... barely-dry ink in the new ones, old glue and a touch of mildew in the old ones, whatever it may happen to be. And I have about 2,000 books from PG, etc., loaded on my 505. I read them on a daily basis. Great novels and all. I enjoy the ritual of taking the 505 out of its stretchy sleeve, like laying out the tea implements. I love the smell of the M-Edge leather case, the feel of the leather, and the just-right weight of it. I open it up, feeling the slight bit of resistance as the closure tab pulls out of its slot, and see a blank screen, like a magic mirror into a thousand worlds, awaiting only a touch on its power switch to bring those worlds to life. And there it is, my great novel, opened to the page I left it at, all ready for reading. The page-turn buttons respond to my touch, and I read. No, it's not the same experience as reading a paper book. Eating in a good Italian restaurant isn't the same experience as eating in a good Chinese restaurant, either. That doesn't mean that Italian food is bad because you can't eat linguine with chopsticks and they don't serve green tea. They're both good, and they're both enjoyable. Each has its own pleasures.