Comments on: Reading: The Old Fashioned Way

By: M K Aston

M K Aston — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 14:34:12 +0000

No question about it, Kindles are amazing things for instant and convenient access like most things digital but they lack soul. iPods are another example – so handy and usable but for quality sound a vinyl on a good turntable is somehow more real, more organic. And it’s the same with a book.

By: Samuel Shiro

Samuel Shiro — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 17:10:31 +0000

I completely agree with you. To me, what separates a lot of books is how fat or thin they are, how they smell, how old or new they look, the colour, the cover, and even where they came from.

The Kindle rips the soul out of all of this. I spend most of my time reading from a computer screen, I don’t want to turn my book reading time into reading words on a screen.

By: Rachael Aimee Orr

Rachael Aimee Orr — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 11:16:44 +0000

I’m glad others have the same passion for the printed book.

You’re right, Michael, we spend far too long in front of computer screens anyway; the printed book is a welcome break from technology!

Jennifer, I love finding personal dedications inside second-hand books. If there are two copies of the same book, I will always buy the copy with the dedication!

By: Richard White

Richard White — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 10:22:34 +0000

In reply to Michael J. McFadden. That's always been my concern too. The Kindle is quite unique in that it looks like real paper, but i can't imagine reading a book on a backlit product like the iPad

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 01:05:42 +0000

Yes! Someone else who understands why I will always still buy books. No Kindle will ever replace my beautifully embossed worn copy of Treasure Island someone wrote “Donated to the Soldiers” inside!

By: Michael J. McFadden

Michael J. McFadden — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 22:29:09 +0000

Rachael, I fully agree, and not just for the wonderful reasons you listed so well. There’s also the fact that so many of us spend so long every day today staring at a monitor screen for various reasons.

To retreat from that to holding a book in one’s hands and reading print on paper is relaxing to both the eyes AND the mind!

– Michael