Does the Kindle, the digital book reader sold by Amazon, spell the end for literature as we know it? The gadget, smaller than A4 paper and slim enough to fit a Goyard GM tote without making a dent, can store over 1,500 books, downloads newspapers directly (without having to go through a computer) thanks to its 3G wireless system, and, best of all, for emotionally-stunted consumers unwilling to wait out the few weeks it takes to deliver a paperback to this part of the globe, loading a title to the Kindle takes about as much time as it takes your quick-dry polish to turn to a matte finish. (That’s about a minute, give or take a few seconds, depending on the humidity.)
Critics have cast plenty of aspersions on the controversial digital reading device, noting that the gadget creates more reasons for kids these days to skip books in general, that the allure of reading has disappeared altogether from the collective consciousness, and that literature’s downfall is right around the corner. Well, with all four of the Twilight books topping bestseller lists everywhere, it’s pretty much all downhill from here.
But there are plenty of reasons to enjoy electronic books. Let me break down a few you need to know before trying out this not-so-new technology.
Paper Is Old School
Books are so 20th century. They were bound to go the way of the dodo at some point, right? Turning all those pages can be exhausting and tedious — and, according to my trainer who I speak to on a semi-regular basis (about twice a year), they don’t exactly count as a workout. If all that manual labor isn’t going to offset my calorie count, then I want nothing to do with it.
It Won’t Give You Back Problems
Even though my purse is large enough to tote a three-year-old child and her friend, that doesn’t mean I want to overload it with stuff. Walking around with a bulging purse like a homeless hobo is so last season. Naturally, carrying around magazines and books means a heavy, back-breaking load to bear. Plus, newsflash: A curved back isn’t at all cute. And back braces, while definitely an homage to Helmut Newton, certainly won’t look good with the current crop of body-conscious dresses. Shoulder pads are enough, thank you. I wouldn’t want to add back braces to the unending number of trendy accoutrements I feel obliged to try.
You Can Read Shamelessly — The Way God (And Tmz.Com) Intended
The only reason people invest in books anyway — especially the pretty, coffee table type — is to impress other people. Since most folks aren’t going to schlep to my neck of the woods without some serious incentives, there’s no one to awe with my selection of serious tomes on war and, like, peace. The truth is that most people purchase terrible, trashy books they wouldn’t dream of showing other people — stowing their shameful loot next to spank material and comic book adaptations of iconic films like, say, Clueless.
So secreting mortifying reading material, like Rachel Zoe’s Style A to Zoe, is no longer necessary. Because when some snotty, nosy dude persists in knowing what you’re reading, you can reply, in the most pretentious tone possible, that you’re reading Goethe — in German. Dude doesn’t need to know you’ve been glossing over US Weekly’s greatest hits.
It’s Eco-Friendly
The number of trees getting the chop alone just to feed the Twilight hysteria should be reason enough to embrace eBooks and render paperbacks obsolescent — for textbooks, at least. Parents, no one is going to re-read their copy of a trig textbook after graduation. (And if your kids say otherwise, it’s probably because they’re hoping for an allowance increase.)
Helps You Travel Light
Thanks to the number of restrictions on luggage (weight included), lugging around a few books to stave off boredom while waiting out the next interminable flight delay is officially a thing of the past. If it’s a choice between color-protection shampoo (I have sun-sensitive hair) and the latest masterpiece from Rachel Zoe, there’s no contest. I like to look like a human being — even when traveling — and with my hair prone to mimicking a bird’s nest when left unattended, books are, unfortunately, a luxury I can ill afford. With an eBook reader, you can lug around as many titles as you can read in one sitting without getting cross-eyed and PAL won’t be able to charge you for it.