Hullfire #2.5: E-readers: The Debate

Originally published: December 2011

Hullfire URL: print only

This is an article debating the pros and cons on e-books and e-readers that I co-wrote with another great Hullfire writer, Lorna Goode, commissioned by the Arts editor. It was published a while ago, and there are two reasons that I am only just publishing it here now:

1) I come across as a bitter, nostalgic Luddite. Although I am ever so slightly more against e-books than I am for them, it would have been nice to be able to write both sides of the argument rather than just one, the negative side. Or at least the article could have been written in a way in which we both engaged with each other a bit more and came to a conclusion, but as I don't have a time machine (and quite right, too! So dangerous ...) this is how it happened. That being said, I still wholeheartedly agree with everything I say here, although I am aware of many of the benefits of e-books. 

2) I don't have the positive side of the argument, so it is rather unbalanced. It was never published online, but I do have it in print somewhere. I may try to track it down and transcribe it at a later date.

In spite of these reasons, I've decided that I may as well have all of my Hullfire writing on the blog to achieve a sense of completeness (as ironic as that sounds, given reason #2). So, belatedly, here is my last remaining article for your perusal.

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Cost

Although some e-books are cheaper than physical ones (especially when it comes to hardbacks), many – bafflingly – are more expensive.  Add that to the cost of the e-reader itself and suddenly libraries, eBay and second-hand book stores are looking very attractive.

Piracy

Despite it being highly illegal, the piracy of films, music and other digital media has practically become commonplace, and now thanks to e-readers books are also becoming a target of theft.  But unlike films and music, anyone can walk into a library and pick up a book for absolutely free.  To illegally download one would just feel morally corrupt, like stealing from a charity shop.

Reading is a sensory experience

When you read a book, it isn’t just about the words on the page.  It is also about the gorgeous cover art, the smell of the pages, the satisfaction of cracking the spine on a new purchase.  Books are tangible, providing a physical experience, all of which is lost through the process of digitisation.

Loss of the personal touch

There is a certain pleasure and nostalgia in loving a particular book so much that it shows, from dog-eared pages to your name scribbled inside the front cover.  It might even be that a book was passed down to you by mum or dad, who loved it when they were a child, or leant to you by a friend insisting that ‘you just have to read this.’  When you’re finished, you affectionately place it back on the shelf where it becomes not just a form of entertainment, but an ornament and a treasure.  E-books are certainly convenient, but they will never really capture the full reading experience.