I was reading a conversation in the March 2013 Harper's with Maurice Sendak and Emma Brockes of The Believer (Dec.2012). It is all interesting, as Sendak is, but his answer to: "What do you think of e-books?" is what stopped me.
"I hate them," he said. "A book is a book...really like a lover...I think I spent more time sniffing and touching them than reading."
I recalled conversations with my wife about e-books versus real books. We agreed as aged and avid readers that we preferred the old fashioned kind, and couldn't understand why anyone would rather have a Kindle or Nook. Well, now we both have e-readers and read from them daily. We do not frequent the library as before, but usually are into a pages-bound-with-glue-book that lies nearby. We do digital and paper.
I wondered if other famous authors have answered the question posed by Brockes, or have given their thoughts about e-books. Yes they have.
"There is no future for e-books because they are not books." Ray Bradbury.
Ray is wrong there, about the first part anyway.
"A paperback has a sense of permanence...I can spill water on it and it will still work." Jonathan Franzen.
And drop it and throw it without worry.
“It seems to me that anyone whose library consists of a Kindle lying on a table is some sort of bloodless nerd.” Penelope Lively
Best quote I've heard in a while.
“How do you press a wildflower into the pages of an e-book?” Lewis Buzbee
That's what old books are for, Lewis.
“I read fast, carelessly, superficially on the screen, and don’t enjoy it. I don’t know why.” Ursula K. Le Guin
I sometimes experience this as well.
“Life without a Kindle is like life without a library nearby.” Franz McLaren
Sure. But if I had a choice, give me the library.
And there are the kids:
"You can tap on a word to see what it means and you can make the words big or small." – 9 year-old girl
More at: ebookfriendly.com kids e-book quotes.
One more thing (This is true):
A few days ago before turning off the light and going to sleep, I used my Kindle as a bookmark, saving my place in the hardcover of a Harlen Coben mystery I am reading.
"I hate them," he said. "A book is a book...really like a lover...I think I spent more time sniffing and touching them than reading."
I recalled conversations with my wife about e-books versus real books. We agreed as aged and avid readers that we preferred the old fashioned kind, and couldn't understand why anyone would rather have a Kindle or Nook. Well, now we both have e-readers and read from them daily. We do not frequent the library as before, but usually are into a pages-bound-with-glue-book that lies nearby. We do digital and paper.
I wondered if other famous authors have answered the question posed by Brockes, or have given their thoughts about e-books. Yes they have.
"There is no future for e-books because they are not books." Ray Bradbury.
Ray is wrong there, about the first part anyway.
"A paperback has a sense of permanence...I can spill water on it and it will still work." Jonathan Franzen.
And drop it and throw it without worry.
“It seems to me that anyone whose library consists of a Kindle lying on a table is some sort of bloodless nerd.” Penelope Lively
Best quote I've heard in a while.
“How do you press a wildflower into the pages of an e-book?” Lewis Buzbee
That's what old books are for, Lewis.
“I read fast, carelessly, superficially on the screen, and don’t enjoy it. I don’t know why.” Ursula K. Le Guin
I sometimes experience this as well.
“Life without a Kindle is like life without a library nearby.” Franz McLaren
Sure. But if I had a choice, give me the library.
And there are the kids:
"You can tap on a word to see what it means and you can make the words big or small." – 9 year-old girl
More at: ebookfriendly.com kids e-book quotes.
One more thing (This is true):
A few days ago before turning off the light and going to sleep, I used my Kindle as a bookmark, saving my place in the hardcover of a Harlen Coben mystery I am reading.
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