Books or eReaders

 

"Books are no more threatened by Kindle than stairs by elevators"

                                                                            -- Stephen Fry

With this quote, I have a new favorite philosopher. Stephen Fry! You know, Jeeves to Hugh Laurie's Wooster. 

 

          That's him on the right as Jeeves.                             He'll be 65, August 24. 

                                                                                       Look at all the books behind him!                 

I don't remember when I first saw the very funny British comedy Jeeves and Wooster, I was certainly
an adult, probably over 50 when it aired in the U.S., probably on PBS, which has little to do with the topic of this blog post -- the contentious question Books or eReaders?

I do remember learning to read, though not exactly when. According to my mother, I was three. I  do very clearly remember actually learning. I would sit under the ironing board while my mother ironed and read to her. When I came to a word I didn't know, I'd spell it and she'd tell me what it was. By the time I was in the second grade, we were reading as a family. My mother, younger brother, and I would take turns reading aloud. Daddy enjoyed listening. There was no Amazon then and our town didn't have a public library so we read Momma's books from when she was a child.

My favorites were Johanna Spyri's Heidi and Anna Sewell's Black Beauty. By the by, did you know that that book's proper title is Black Beauty: His Grooms and Companions, the Autobiography of a Horse and it's one of the best selling novels of all time?! I didn't, either. Ain't Wikipedia grand!

             

I also don't remember when I got my first eReader, but I'm on my third one so however long it takes to wear out two of them, it's been that long ago.

Books or eBooks is a question that seems almost limited to my generation these days. To be honest, I really don't understand the fanatic loyalty to hard copy books that some of my peers seem to cherish.

At our age, vision is very often not as good as it used to be. You can adjust the light available on your eReader. You can adjust the font size. You can even have your eReader read to you. And eReader attributes that I appreciate are not needing to keep up with a bookmark or page number if you lose your bookmark. Not to mention, that if the book you're reading is lengthy and you like to read in bed, you don't have to worry about breaking your face if you fall asleep and drop the book.

Another thing about eReaders that I especially like is the ease with which you can acquire another book. I don't know about you, but I experience low-level panic if I finish a book and haven't another at hand to start. This can quickly lead to financial ruin if you automatically turn to an online book vender  in the middle of the night. A definite eReader negative.

But, spend a few pleasant moments with a librarian at your local public library and you'll learn how to download a digital book from the library for free. You don't even have to worry about late fees, because the digital book automatically reverts to the library on exactly the right date. Or, as icing on the cake, you can go online and renew the loan if you need more time to finish the book. You have the same 24/7 access to books as with an online vender, but the money you need to pay your electric bill is safe. 

When I first went digital, I said I'd never buy another hard copy book. Well, let me just say, I still can't take my credit card into an area where books are being sold or I'll get into financial trouble. I still bring hardcopy books home from the library. I cherish books people give me as gifts. I love the "Little Free Libraries" scattered around my town. And I even rescue and mend books I find lying on park benches.

So my answer to the question "Books or eReaders" is a resounding YES!!!

P.S. I like stairs and elevators, too,

especially if they're ornate and take me where I want to go.