When was the last time you bought a book?
Not a book for work, or school, or even a cookbook, but a novel or a book just for self-education, whether it’s the latest John Grisham (he’s still writing novels, right?) or Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman
I think of this as I lament the exciting, sometimes frightening changes sweeping the publishing industry. I think of this not only as a reader who can’t imagine a day without having read at least one page of anything — not a web page, mind you, but a page of a magazine, book, or even a damn brochure — but also as a writer who has dreamed since she was seven and pecking happily away at a Fisher-Price typewriter (pale blue with darker blue trim) of someday writing an actual book. Not an e-book. That sounds less like a work of creativity and art and more like a cold promise of education, not emotion. The physical beauty and heft of a printed book, with its thick, hardbound cover and hand-cut pages — a writer can feel that her words have manifested themselves not simply as elements of a story but also as artifacts of history, art, literature, and everything else that gives life its many, many dimensions.
Even the venerable Poets & Writers, which I greedily devour whenever it appears in my mailbox (if I had the money, I would make it a monthly or even a biweekly, rather than its current quarterly schedule, but I know that’s a financial decision), has taken to offering up — however gingerly — the benefits of e-books.
- They allow authors otherwise unable to land a traditional publishing contract the opportunity to share their work with an audience in a relatively inexpensive and very efficient way.
- They allow readers to purchase books in a portable format, which is especially useful for someone like me who likes to carry anywhere from 3 and often more books on even the shortest trips. (When B. and I went to Singapore in 2008, I carried no fewer than three books, but returned with about 12. Seriously. Plus about a half-dozen magazines.
- They allow books to be distributed to a much wider audience, particularly given the bells and whistles that come with Internet-enabled e-book readers, which can hypertext links to related sites such as authors’ websites, similarly-themed books, and the like.
- I won’t go into the economics of e-books themselves, since they don’t seem to be much cheaper than physical books, thus negating any financial benefits. However, with the price of the Amazon Kindle slashed below $150, and aforementioned portability, the efficiency and space-saving factors alone mustn’t be ignored.
Still. Surely I’m not the only budding writer out here who still dreams about publishing a real book? What would it be like to be sitting next to someone on a plane bound for who-knows-where, and then realizing that they’re reading your book? That they spent their hard-earned money to read your story? That they thought it worthy of their precious time, especially when you consider how carefully many people choose their reading material on a plane? (I spend more time trying to decide which book s to take with me on a trip than I do on which clothes to pack!)
Seeing someone turn on their Kindle or Nook or iPad or whatever and watching your book cover digitally unfold on the screen couldn’t possibly compete with the thrill of seeing the person’s hands open your book, their eyes resting on your words, the pages rustling over the roar of the engines.
Booklovers longing for the golden era of publishing (when exactly was that?) are often accused of romanticizing the past and turning books into fetishes. I say, So freakin’ what? If you ever had a childhood like mine, or a childhood like millions of others around the world whose emotional lives were transformed — saved – by books, you would understand that the romance of books isn’t merely about their status as symbols of a civilization but also about their physical reality as cherished friends in the imaginations of all curious, longing, lonely, hungry little minds.
So herewith, my plan to save civilization, not simply for myself and my dream of publishing a book, but for children whose lives deserve more than ephemeral bits and bytes: I want to buy more books. Not just secondhand books, but at new bookstores and online shops, so that my money will go towards supporting publishing houses, editors, literary agents, and yes, the writers who make it all possible. I’ve spent tens of thousands on food, clothing, shelter, transportation, and the occasional movie or two, but I’ve been shockingly skimping on what arguably satisfies me the most: books. Money is tight, as it always has been, and the debt isn’t disappearing as rapidly as they should be, but there will always be an excuse not to buy books, right? But if I thought of books as not simply a means of entertaining myself or even self-education but also an investment in my ambitions as a writer, then surely a few dollars every month towards the purchase of new books is worth every single penny?
Since we’re barely hanging on to middle-class respectability, we’re talking a mere 2 or 3 books a month, which will probably come to about $50 or so (less if I can find good paperbacks, although there’s nothing like a good hardback to really warm up a room, eh?). I’m looking at my expenses from the previous two weeks alone, and already I see a $20 expense for a manicure. Nothing wrong with pretty nails, but they’re nothing compared to the pleasures of a book.
What are your thoughts on this? Do you buy books anymore, or are they now luxuries rather than necessities, as I used to think of them? If you buy books, what do you buy? Some people will only buy nonfiction and borrow fiction, and vice-versa. Do you have the same rules about buying books?
Photo credit: “Craning for a book,” by gaspi*yg on Flickr.com.
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{ 7 comments }
I love to hold a book, but don’t like to read in bed with one because it’s too cumbersome to sit at the proper angle to keep the book open. So, I am afraid I have become a Kindle girl. I love turning the pages on there and it makes it very easy to take notes or share with my sons who are away at school!
We can all read the same book at the same time which saves money and time and allows us to all discuss one book at the same time!
Good luck with your long-term goals! Writing here is one important step in the right direction!
Cheers!
Thanks, Priscilla! You know, I checked out a client’s iPad the other day, and although I can see the appeal, even he said that one big problem with it is having to type at a weird angle, which is usually still necessary in today’s text-based Web.
I do love a Kindle and hope to get one in the next year or so, but for reading in bed, nothing quite replaces the tactile pleasures of a physical book! I like reading while sitting up and need to pile a bunch of pillows behind me to prop myself up in the right way, but that just ups the cozy factor.
You know, I read somewhere that during the Clinton years, both Hillary and Bill would often each have a copy of the same book on their respective bedside table. They could read the book at the same time and then chat about it as they did so. I always thought — and here’s the bibliophile geek girl in me — that that was so romantic!
Merci for the lovely comment!
Salut,
Marjorie
I am definitely a book girl. I love everything about the physical presence of a book! Sometimes I even like to make notes in them – I love knowing that someone after me will read this book and know that I enjoyed a particular piece of dialog or description. Not to say that I wouldn’t enjoy a kindle, because I know I would, but I don’t think I could ever give up the pure joy that a printed and bound book brings!
I buy fiction and nonfiction, but if I’m buying new tend to stay within my collection – which means most of my nonfiction is quilting books! And I don’t buy often, because my shelves are pretty full, but I thoroughly enjoy a browse through any bookstore. I found a wonderful quilting book in Paris and bought it, it is a perfect souvenir as it is written in french (and english) and will be something I enjoy working from. It was more expensive that my usual budget for books allows, but will always remind me of a wonderful trip and will be useful also – so well worth the cost.
I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who enjoys books!
I’m definitely a book girl but I’m toying with buying a Nook as a book-loving friend has highly recommended it. I also enjoy the tactile experience of a book and love to hunt though used bookstores, consignment shops, and thrift stores, looking for new treasures. On the other hand, when I travel, it would be so much more convenient to have all my reading materials in a slender volume. I have said I won’t buy an electronic book reader until I’ve read all the unread books I own, but then I keep adding to my collection….which is another problem. I’m trying to eliminate clutter in my life and I think e-books might be a good step in that direction.
As a person who loves to read, I jumped at the chance to buy an Amazon Kindle as soon as it was within my price range. Honestly, I see no difference in how a person reads a book, as long they read one, or even listen to one. I love my Kindle because it’s a library of books all in one easy-to-use device. The screen also looks exactly like the page of a book. New books cost quite a bit less for the Kindle than buying a new hard-cover edition. We’re talking $10-$12 vs $25-$30 and classic novels from the 1920′s and earlier are only about $1. I can read any of my books whenever I want and wherever I am. I can also get practically any book I want whenever I want and wherever I am. That works for me. Also, when I packup and move, I won’t have boxes full of heavy books to deal with, which is a very good thing. eReaders like the Kindle, the Nook and all the others were created for book lovers. My Kindle is so easy to use and convenient that I don’t miss paper pages at all.
I’m a hardcore book girl, proud to be
I kinda splurge on books every week, sometimes thrice, depending how many times Fully Booked texts me to let me know my order has arrived. Truly, there is nothing more fun than touching a page, inhaling its scent, highlighting quotes and feeling the right group of pages thin out {sometimes scary because I don’t like stories to end}.
I can kind of understand people and Kindle/iPads, my favorite reason being it paperless and all. I have tried reading through those, too but I can’t stick with it.
The last books I bought were all fiction {Anagrams, What He’s Poised to Do and Norwegian Wood} but I read nonfiction, too like Into the Wild and a Madonna biography
Merci, Marjorie! Been following MIFG for months and love it!! Great article…. Guess I’m old-school; but for me, there’s no way any version of an electronic book – Kindle, Nook, or otherwise, can compare to the pleasure wrought by an actual book. Preferably hard-cover, a book provides an experience that satisfies all the senses – from the fabric (if you’re lucky) cover that just plain ole’ feels good in the hands to the paper pages, no matter heavy or light, to that familiar smell (give me “used bookstore” over “seasonal potpourri” any day) to the printed word we see.
We bring home both fiction and non- and almost never say “no” to book requests from our children. There’s plenty that’s still unread in our house, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’d like to think we’re contributing to the effort…
I get it – the convenience factor of the electronic book is way up there, but even my super-techie husband holds out for the real thing. He, on the other hand, is a HUGE fan of the on-line bookstore, whereas I prefer to walk in and touch. I can’t imagine a world without actual books and bookstores; and even my kids, 10 and 17, have shown little or no interest in giving up the printed page for the ones on the screen. Guess we’re doing something right…..
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