Kindle Me Not

Kindle? Thanks, but no thanks. I'm sure electronic readers like Kindle are fine and dandy and will ultimately be successful. Even Amazon, however, predicts that their device will never replace old-fashioned paper and ink, which is good. I have no desire to read books on a platform. Ugh. Even the phrase is odious. Reading on a platform? Am I standing at the subway or at a train station? If I read Dickens, then it should have a different feel than when I read Dan Brown, and I don't want the text surrounded by white plastic. It makes the experience of reading . . . cold, for lack of a better term.

Books should have a certain identity. The texture of the paper is important. Is it smooth or grainy. And the font--is it large or small, and what style and pitch has the publisher used? Is the book hardcover or paperback? And what does it smell like? That's important. And the cover art? Good book covers are an invitation to step into a world of mystery, wonder, discovery, or adventure.

Some of my most favorite editions are old books I bought when I was much younger or that were given to me as a child. They are a bit worn, and some of the pages have yellowed a bit. The books are all the more treasured for their age and used condition.

Print that scrolls through white plastic isn't for me. A book should be opened and savored. You may feel differently, but cats don't change their habits very easily.