fbpx
Politics Foreign Affairs Culture Fellows Program

Kindle-ing

Ezra Klein writes interestingly about the Kindle—Amazon’s new(ish) electronic reading device, the reader’s answer to the iPod. The obvious, important question: will the Kindle kill the book? Klein doesn’t say for sure, but he is very impressed by the screen technology, Imagine turning on your TV only to see the sky—not a broadcast of the […]

Ezra Klein writes interestingly about the Kindle—Amazon’s new(ish) electronic reading device, the reader’s answer to the iPod.

The obvious, important question: will the Kindle kill the book? Klein doesn’t say for sure, but he is very impressed by the screen technology,

Imagine turning on your TV only to see the sky—not a broadcast of the sky, but the actual sky, right there where your screen should be—and you’ll have some idea of what it’s like to look at the Kindle for the first time.

Klein explains how the Kindle might transform how we read books, in the way that the web has revolutionized journalism: readers will be able to comment on and discuss a text as they read it.

Fogeyish bookworms (usually conservatives) will no doubt smart at Klein’s suggestions. But you don’t have to be a reactionary to distrust the rise of electro-lit. Web-like commentary under every page–or window?–could turn into a nightmare. Books, for now, still offer a satisfying contrast to the blogosphere and E-world—it’s just you and the author.

John Updike is passionate defender of the old, physical book. He writes—I crib from a recent John Gross review in NYRB—“The average book fits into the human hand with a seductive nestling, a kiss of texture, whether of cover cloth, glazed jacket, or flexible paperback.” Without books, he says, “we might melt into the airwaves, and be just another set of blips”.

Updike laments society’s “dephysicalization of experience”, citing the example of electronic poker. I know I am on dangerous pseudo-intellectual terrain, but Updike is perhaps on to something. The Kindle seems distinctly “de-physical”.

At school, my English teacher, Mr Hunter, used to hand out copies of set literary texts, then force us all sniff the spines. “Smell it!” he would boom in his colonial baritone. “Inhale! Sniff that glue!”.

You can’t sniff a Kindle.

Advertisement

Comments

The American Conservative Memberships
Become a Member today for a growing stake in the conservative movement.
Join here!
Join here