I know

Der Bücherwurm
Painting by Carl Spitzweg

“If you cannot read all your books, at any rate handle, or as it were, fondle them - peer into them, let them fall open where they will, read from the first sentence that arrests the eye, set them back on the shelves with your own hands, arrange them on your own plan so that you at least know where they are. Let them be your friends; let them, at any rate, be your acquaintances.”

                                                                      Winston Churchill

Yes, I know. On average it is cheaper and some even free, when you order over the internet you have it almost immediately, the search facility is very handy as well as links to the internet, darkness isn’t a problem as it comes with a built-in light, the carbon footprint is small, it is so compact that physical space is not an issue and all indications are that it is the way of the future.

I know. But somehow I am unable to develop a liking for eBooks. It is as if there is a barrier between me and the author or even between me and the book itself. On reading an eBook it feels as if I’m trying to get to know somebody through a keyhole – the overall image constantly eludes me and I only get glimpses of body parts as the person moves in front of my very limited vantage point.

There is something about a physical printed book lying in your hand. You look at the cover, turn it over and read the summary on the back, flip through its pages, pick up on a phrase here, a paragraph there. Within seconds you know whether the two of you are meant to be or not.

But the real joy comes with the actual proper reading of such a book. With the chosen book in hand, you sink into the recliner, or lean into the stack of pillows on your bed, all anticipation. Besides the book itself, you are armed with the tools of your trade: something to act as a bookmark and a soft pencil, often a dictionary. 

The uninformed might call you a reader; the initiated know that they are witnessing a conversation, someone mostly listening. With the pencil underlining the listener is saying, “I hear you”; “I love what you are saying”; “Although we are not in agreement, you have an interesting viewpoint”; “Where on earth did you get that idea?”; “I’ve never looked at it that way”; “That is exactly how I feel.” With the pencil writing in the margins the listener is saying: “You mentioning it reminded me of what somebody else have said”; “In my particular situation I would have expanded this phrase thus”; “No, I don’t agree. For these reasons”; “You constantly return to this topic – you’ve done so here and here...”

A book read without underlining or notes in the margins is like a neglected spouse. You haven’t heard an ounce of what she is saying and haven’t tapped into a vast storeroom of wisdom. You haven’t listened. Am I harsh in my judgement? Yes. Opinionated? Yes. Will shame for having these negative attributes make me change my mind? No.

Maybe that is my biggest problem with eBooks: I struggle listening. Probably I should adapt to the times and merely turn up my electronic hearing aid. 

I really try. I don’t want to turn into a cantankerous old man sticking to my guns and letting a treasure trove pass me by. Old books downloaded for free from the internet, are slowly expanding the file I’ve created for eBooks. I’ve even read some of them.

In the meantime I’m still sharpening my pencil and putting up shelves.

George