Sunday, February 23, 2014

On Reading in The Technical Age

This week I downloaded the Kindle application for my smart phone. I did it to support an author I know who released his first novel on the electronic media. The novel hasn't been released in a physical form. It is a drastic change for me since the last novel I read was a Japanese Nobel Prize winning book that dates back to the 50s or 60s.  A book that has aged, developed dog-ears and creases, and even yellowed with age.

Purchasing the new book was easy and downloading the app was a breeze. The kindle app is really ease to use with my touch screen phone. It even saves my place. However, if I drop my phone I risk an expensive deductible. I need my phone and gadgets so I can't afford to misplace it and my electronic book for months on end.

In short it is not a book. It does have it advantages and I could grow to like it. However, I am am old fashioned reader. I like the feel of a book in my hand as I read it. I even embrace technology to hunt down a book I want to read. I like searching through thrift stores, flea markets, and those great used book stores.

I fear technology. Book stores could vanish like record stores. Yes, I called them record stores when I purchased cassettes and compact discs as well. Libraries are shrinking will this technology make them landmarks of the past.

Am I wrong to hold on to the outdated books? Do outdated books turn into classics? Will classics still be made when you flick screens instead of turning pages? 

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