The Death of Written Word

The Death of Written Word

The Scourge of Electronic Books

By: Courtney Fletcher

     With new technology come many advances in the way in which we live our lives. Perhaps it can be argued that the piece of technology that has most altered the literary world is that of electronic-books. The likes of Kobo Reader®, Kindel® and many others are seemingly replacing the need for tangible copies of books and novels. Recently there was a video made showcasing the bookstore, “Type”, at 833 Queens Street West, Toronto, Ontario. The creator Sean Ohlenkamp created the video, “The Joy of Books”, to showcase the books used in stop animation. The message at the end of the video is on the cover of one of the animated books, “There is nothing like a real book.” This writer is inclined to agree.

     What do the masses think about this radical new shift toward Electronic Books? What do the people think about the closures of bookstores and libraries due to disinterest? This writer asked two students, both the age of eighteen about the state of the written word. Virgina Waterson and Kate Hillard’s answers differed in certain areas, but both are valuable insight into the issue:  

Fletcher― Electronic-readers, such as the Kobo Reader®, have become very popular, what do you think of virtual books?

Virgina Waterson― I think they are okay for people, if that suits them but for myself...I don’t like them.

Kate Hillard― [Electronic readers are] useful if you travel a lot, but if you are not traveling. They’re cheaper, but I don’t buy books.

Electronic-books, could they replace real, tangible books?

Waterson― I hope not. I like looking at them [books] on the shelf. I like having a physical copy of each book I have read. I find them [books] easier to read.

Hillard- I certainly hope not. As useful as virtual books are, nothing beats a book with pages.

Were you aware of the recent closures of many libraries and bookstores?

Waterson- Yes.

Hillard- No.

Do you believe that electronic books are the cause?

Waterson- Maybe, maybe more so computers [are the cause]. With computers there is a disinterest in books and people don’t want to buy them [books].

Hillard- Partly yes, and partly people’s short attention spans mean that they can’t read books.

     There is a sense that Electronic books are much harder for a person to read. Eye strain is a constant concern for any avid reader. Perhaps, despite the constant claims by companies that the electronic book readers are easy to read, this is nothing more than a marketing campaign. Most of us know how taxing it can be to deal with the glare from computer screens; then electronic-readers could be just as hard on your eyes.

     What about the costs of books? Granted the cost of electronic versions of books are cheaper than buying the actual tangible copies. The initial outrageous costs of the electronic-readers are then justified by the small cost of the actual books being stored within the hard-drive. One question: When have you heard of paper crashing? When that electronic-reader breaks down-like the old “Pinto” we know it is-the costs would be enormous to replace the reader and all of the lost books. This is just something to think about when the aliens invade and destroy our electronics.

    Now, what about the very nature of real books? There is the crisp smell that fills your senses as you inhale not only the scent of the pages but the anticipation of what awaits you in the words on the paper. Then there is the coarse yet smooth texture of the pages turning to the whim of your mind and your fingers grazing the pages. The real book that you read then is placed on your shelf, a reminder that you loved a piece of writing and something that someone else created for you to enjoy.

     Best of all, a real book is a piece of the one who reads it. The pages are worn down by how many times you journeyed inside the books pages again. You can look upon the book sitting on a shelf and see the person who first enjoyed it, when you discovered what the writer created, the world you inhabit. A real book is a time capsule, a small fragment of your life. The pages are someplace safe to go when the real world is bearing down upon you.

     I can rant that electronic-books are the end of literature, as I see it. The point is if you cannot feel what you are reading, how can you truly read it at all?    

-Courtney