Posted 10:17 am under 
Okay, yeah, I know. It’s been a long time. What can I say? Deadlines and a kiddo on summer break make blogging fall on the priority list. What’s important is I’m here now and I have something to discuss that I’m still formulating my own opinions on.
The other day I was reading an article (“10 Ways to Find More Pleasure Every Day” by Paul Bloom, Real Simple, July 2010) about how to find more small pleasures every day. The suggestions included things like listening to a new favorite song on repeat and petting a dog–you know, simple things.
All well and good until I got to no. three. “Don’t buy boxed sets of DVDs.” The article sites economist Tyler Cowen, who says that “much of the joy we get from purchases lies in the experience of seeking them out, getting them home and opening them up.”
This simple statement gave me food for thought for the rest of the day. Why? Well, I agree with him. Case in point, I bought myself the collector’s edition box set of Buffy the Vampire Slayer last December. At first, I was excited to watch the series all the way through again. But I soon got bored with them. Not because I don’t enjoy the series. Not because the show is boring. But, I believe, the easy access made the need to watch less urgent.
So it begs the question: Are we convenience-ing the pleasure out of our lives? Are we so addicted to instant gratification that we’ve lost the ability to slow down and savor life’s little rituals? And has the ease of which we acquire things reduced our respect for them?
In a way, these every day rituals become a sort of micro Hero’s Journey–seeking out a desired object (a quest), offering up payment (sacrifice) to receive it, bringing it back to our homes (the return), ritualistically unwrapping it, etc.
Okay maybe it’s a stretch. But this whole thing got me thinking about ebooks. Let me preface this by saying I am not anti-ebook, per se. Yes, ancillary issues revolving around ebooks make my life more difficult (piracy, pricing wars, etc). But I’m not against them. I just think that maybe we’re putting too much emphasis on what is, at this point, amounts to industry chicken little-ism (A BEA statistic related that a mere 4% of book sales in April 2010 resulted from electronic copies. My own royalty statements bear out this stat btw). Now all that said I’m sure I’ll still get comments from ebook enthusiasts for what I’m about to say, but oh well.
Here goes: Ebooks are not as awesome as paper books and never will be. Why? The visceral ritual of it.
Two scenarios for you.
1. You hear one of your favorite authors has a new release. You make time during your lunch break to head to a book retailer (doesn’t matter which one, it’s still a quest). Your stomach quickens a bit when you see it on the shelf. The scent of the book store–paper and coffee and knowledge–temps you into browsing a bit longer than you intended. Maybe you grab another book or two. Then you pay for your purchases at the check out (an altar?) and escape the cozy confines of the store and go back to the real world. All day at work you’re thinking about that moment when you finally get home and can dive into the story. Maybe you go to a special favorite bistro to read in solitude, maybe you draw a bath, maybe you find your favorite chair and turn off the phone. Either way, it’s a ritual.
This scenario also applies to online orders of physical books. Except replace going to the store to going to the mailbox. The little spark in your gut when you see the Amazon package. The gods have bestowed a gift upon your mailbox! Rejoice!
Scenario 2:
You hear your favorite author has a new release. You turn on your laptop. Log in to ebook web site. Click link to purchase book. Maybe you add a couple of impulse buys that you’ll maybe get around to one day. Turn on your ereader. Oh look, there’s the file. Read.
Okay, I know. I’m totally biased.
But I’ve been thinking about these things lately. How home baked cookies are always better than prepackaged. How cooking a meal for my family is always more enjoyable that going through McDonalds. How I (sometimes) enjoy the ritual of hand washing dishes.
Call me a Luddite. Call me a kook. I don’t give a damn. As humans, we need rituals. They give weight to the every day. They break up our fast-paced, breakneck lives. They make up slow down. Ponder. Savor.
Now. The argument could be made that rituals evolve. Maybe one day people will feel this visceral nostalgia for ebooks that many of us feel for print books. I think that’s true. But a primitive side of me inherently distrusts feeling invested and in love with a virtual thing. Although, on the other hand, I love my characters and they are virtual. So who knows?
I’d love to hear your opinions on this. But please remember to be respectful of other’s opinions. Because, verily, I will not hesitate to wield the Red Pen of Doom. Go!
I have to agree. I still get excited to go into the book store and grab the latest copy of a favorite author’s newest book. I’ve been asked many times why I don’t have an e-reader and I say I just prefer a book in my hands.
I don’t own an e-reader. I just like the feel of a book in my hands. I love going to the bookstore and wandering around, attempting to find a hidden treasure or find something new. Maybe I’m just old fashioned, but I like keeping a collection of my favorite books. I dream of having a “library” sometime. I get a sense of satisfaction when I look at my bookcase at all the books that I’ve read, and cracking open an old favorite. I don’t know that I would feel the same way with an e-reader.
It’s like we live in two different worlds. What you call “awesome” I call annoying. I am currently reading a paper book, which is not available in an ebook format, and I can’t wait for this sadistic ritual to be over. 1) I had to wait a week to get it! Luckily, I had several things to read while I waited. 2) The stupid thing is heavy (it’s an omnibus, but still). 3) The pages won’t stay flat. Holding this thing with one hand is like reading on a sphere. And was the print always that small? I feel like big letters today. 4) Where’s the search? I have no idea who this person is, but I get the feeling I’m supposed to. 4) Where’s my dictionary? Yes, I’m impressed you can use that big word but it would help if I knew what it meant without having to get up.
I think I understand your point, I just don’t think it applies to books. If I really want a book, I will go to the store and buy it. But not everything I read is a grand event. For those moments, the ebook is my preferred option.
Still, I have often suspected that people who don’t like ebooks are people don’t have an electronic reader of some kind. And no, your computer doesn’t count.
I’d have to agree. I don’t think I’ll ever be a fan of e-books, tho I do download free books for my computer from amazon every now & then.
I love my trips to the bookstore where I get to pick up books, read the back, read the first page or two, smell the ink, feel the covers, and just soak in the atmosphere of all those shelves & shelves of crisp new books waiting to be touched. An e-reader can never be that. It’s definitely a ritual for me.
I completely agree. My house and bookshelves would much prefer that I stopped purchasing print books (I have 4 overflowing bookshelves and near 50 books floating around the house in various rooms).
But, there is something about the delayed gratification of excitedly looking at the tracking numbers to see where my books are right now. I love getting that email that the new release pre-order I wanted has shipped (I get panic attacks when I go shopping, so I feed my hunger over the internet).
I have a pretty healthy book budget each month. I’m doing this on a teacher’s salary, but I budget $70 per month for my books. I’m the only person I know who has a book budget.
But it just wouldn’t be the same on a Kindle or Nook…
As I sit here looking at the walls and walls of books I have accumulated, I can’t help but think, yeah an ereader would make things simpler… no more dusting off shelves… no more sorting through books to figure out which ones I will keep and which ones I have to part with (to make room for more of course!)… no more sense of loss when one of my favourite books has fallen prey to an over eager puppy or a stray crayon…
But ereaders take so much more away from you… no more rooting through dusty and dirty bins at flea markets and used bookstores looking for that obscure out of print edition… no more handing down your favourite stories to your children (and later grandchildren)… and where’s the fun in saying “I’ve got 10,000 files on my ereader” instead of watching the awe-factor when someone new comes to you home and sees the 10,000 books you’ve got tucked away in every conceivable place…
Then there is the health factors to consider… ophthalmologists are already warning us that we strain our eyes too much working on a computer for 8 hours and watching a few hours of tv when we get home… the ereader and the lot are simply another computer screen to strain our eyesight even more…
Books don’t have a battery life to worry about… can you imagine how frustrating it would be to get to the best part only to have your battery die on you? And then there is the plug issue… I’ve already got more powerstrips then safely recommended by the fire department… (and I suspect most people are like this too)… Do we really need something else that plugs in?
And what about the giving issue? I’ve not looked into it, but I am sure you can buy a gift certificate or whatever for ereader downloads… However, that’s simply not the same as giving somebody a physical gift that will remind them of you in years to come… Nor can you donate your unwanted efiles to local charities, shelter, libraries, etc…
After rereading that, I know how it may sound to most… Yet, its not that I am against ereaders and the lot… but I am against giving up my books.
David M, You also make many good about about ebooks. Obviously both forms have advantages and disadvantages. However, I think it’s an oversimplification to say most people who don’t prefer ebooks don’t own ereaders. The way you make it sound it would be impossible for anyone to dislike ebooks or simply just prefer print books if only they’d enter the 21st century like the rest of the smart people. I think it just comes down to a matter of preference. I have a Kindle full of books. I just prefer to read print books. But I certainly am not advocating that ebooks go away. But it seems a lot of people believe ebooks mean print books need to go away. Can they just all get along, David?
P.S. For a lot of bibiliophiles every book read IS a grand event.
Jaye, Well of course it’s an oversimplification, that’s why I specified that it was a suspicion, and not necessarily a belief. Plus I was being a smart aleck.
Seriously though, I don’t begrudge anyone’s choice when it comes to media consumption. I like book stores and I periodically visit my local B&N because no search engine can compare to walking down the aisle looking at book covers. With that said, I get no satisfaction from paper books that I don’t get from an ebook. I live in Houston, so going to the book store is annoying and hot. Having piles of books in the house makes me feel like I should be on that Hoarders show. My sister claims she enjoys the smell of a new book. I was so clueless to this physical reaction to books, I had to ask her if she literally sniffs her books and she said yes!
Like I said, we just live in two different worlds. I think there is room for us all, though.
David, There is totally room for us all. Except for the nonreaders. There’s no room for them.
Plus, I’m always happy to welcome another smart aleck here.
Love the way your mind works, Jaye! So analytical yet able to put things into a different perspective & get us to use our brains.
Well, I’ll jump in on this ‘cos it will be interesting to look back on my comments in the months to come & see if my opinion has changed. See, I just learned that I won a contest I’d entered back in April & I’m getting the grand prize: a NOOK!
Currently, I long for the feeling of a book in my hand. Maybe it’s the fact that my parents owned a print shop so I grew up smelling paper & ink & blanket wash (an ink solvent). I also enjoy wandering up & down the aisles of a book store or library, reading the titles to see what’s new or catches my eye. I noticed at the Irving Mall B&N yesterday that they had out 1 copy of each of your books, for example, which made me smile, remembering the fun I had reading them. Last week while I was at that B&N, I talked to a stranger who asked me to recommend some books for him & we had a nice chat about local science fiction conventions & clubs.
The equivalent of such an experience online would be a “chat” like we’re doing now, I guess, but this method doesn’t convey tone of voice or body language (no matter how many emoticons exist). I’ve read stories online & *assume* an e-reader would be a bit like that, but I didn’t enjoy the experience. Too “plastic” of a feel for me. I probably won’t have my prize for at least a month so we’ll see if my opinion changes. Times change, technology advances & I’m certainly not advocating we publish stories on papyrus scrolls, but my gut tells me I’d pick a real book over a virtual book when given a choice.
Hello everyone,
). The e-reader lets me keep everything in one place and not have to carry much extra with me. I will say that the price wars angered me when I couldn’t get the next new releases of my favorite authors so I also own a Nook. No I don’t read too much 
So I love print books as much as anyone else (I have been known to smell a book in my time) but as a owner of an e-reader let me say that it has made my life so much easier. I got my Kindle for Christmas and LOVE it. I still go to the bookstores when I can. I wonder through the shelves and when I find something, I download a sample. Let me first say that it has saved me some impulse buys. Secondly, I am getting ready to move to a town (GASP!) that does not have a bookstore of any kind (other than Target/Walmart which do not count). I also am a voracious reader and have been known to re-read a number of fabulous books and read more than one book at a time (ADD at work
Honestly, there are pros and cons to all features of both print and digital. For one, yeah, the ebook has the search feature, but I actually find it easier to search for something in a print book rather than digitally. Mainly because I can switch pages faster and I don’t have to wait for the eink to load.
There is nothing like going to the bookstore and looking at covers. I have found some amazing authors that way, and still do. On the other hand, when I want to read a particular book at midnight, buying an ebook is really nice.
However, the one aspect that I found to be the most beneficial to my bookloving lifestyle is the fact that I can’t lose my page in a digital book. Having to run after a new toddler has made me lose many of page when I have to suddenly drop a book. Yeah, I may not get the same feeling with a digital book, but I’m not losing precious reading time trying to find where I was.
2 years ago I would have whole-heartedly agreed that ebooks are not as good as paper…until I ran out of space in my house…my attic is jammed with boxes and bags of books…and this is after I’ve sold/given away the ones I won’t re-read. I do admit because it is so easy to download and read right away there is no build up/anticipation once it’s released but there’s enough buildup from reading the last book to waiting for the next book to be published that I’m more than ready to read the book once’s it’s actually out.
It’s also so convenient…I’ve probably read twice as many authors as in the past because it’s so easy to ready anywhere instead of carrying around a book (I read on a phone, so I always have it with me)
So I have to say I’ve changed my opinion in the past couple years and believe if people tried it, they probably would too…even as they miss holding the paper book in their hands
[...] Jaye Wells has a great article on why eBooks will never replace a print copy. I have to agree with a lot of what Jaye says. I love the hunt of finding a good book in the store, but I have to say, my Kindle has been really nice now that I have a child. [...]
I don’t own an ereader either. I prefer the real book. Like you said about rituals, it’s all there for me too. I love holding my books, being able to fit them into my purse. Love showing off the awesome covers. Love every little piece about them. When I buy a book I always look it over to make sure it hasn’t really been read, no creases in the spine or tears on the cover. I’m a little anal about my books. I love my books.
Sure an ereader might fight in my purse and can hold 100s or 1000s of titles. But will it show off the awesome cover, will it have the new book smell? Not likely. I have nothing against them either, yeah you can store a ton of books on one little device. Awesome.
But still I love my books, plus as an aspiring writer and bibliophile I like to meet my fave authors as much as possible and get my books signed for myself. Can’t do that with an ereader either. I was also able to buy my friend a copy of a signed book at RT this year as a just because gift and how awesome of a gift is that?! A SIGNED book by an author she loves, thanks to me.
So I hope the ereaders don’t replace the traditional book, because I love the traditional book. I’m old fashioned I guess.
Hmmm, I suppose I’m on the fence about it. Mass Market paperback books are generally a physical purchase (regardless of how many I already have), but hardbounds are just out of my price range (not to mention ‘space’ range), so I use my Kindle for those. And I would say that after pre-ordering a book on my Kindle, I find the moment it shows up on release day to be a moment of sheer joy. I’ve waited patiently (yes, patiently – that’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it), and now here it is – ready for my immediate devouring.
One really good point for eReaders – my boyfriend is currently on a deployment. So while he’s sailing around various oceans, he is never without plenty of books to read. When you’re in cramped quarters and can’t lug around several hundred books (he reads 1-2 books PER DAY, the freak), eReaders are quite handy. Just sayin’. ^_^
As for DVD type purchases, I suppose it really depends on the DVD. Some things (there’s an Anime called FRUITS BASKET that I will use for my example) are extremely expensive when purchased seperately – for most Anime DVD’s, the going rate at an All-Media Store (a la Best Buy, FYE, etc) is between $20 & $30 for a disc that will hold between 4 & 7 episodes. But, purchased as a set, the Fruits Basket series is about $40. I can’t begin to justify spending 2-3 times that amount just so I can stop the ‘instant gratification’. So to be fair, I suppose that it really comes down to what you can afford, and what you can’t. ^_^
As a side note, I am almost halfway through THE MAGE IN BLACK (I know, I know, I’m late to the party, but if you saw my library you’d understand) and I am LOVING IT. My boyfriend is on a deployment and is extremely jealous of my reading it – he really wants to get his hands on it. ^_^
Hope all is well!
RAK, I can totally see how ereaders are fantastic for situations like deployment or extended travel. Glad you’re enjoying Mage and give my best to your boyfriend. Tell him to keep safe!
There’s nothing more exciting than buying a real book, smell the fresh pages and read in bed. (very sorry for my english, i’m a brazilian fan
)
I love the feel and smell of books, enjoy meeting authors and getting my books signed, and doubt that owning an eReader will ever change that (although I look forward to the time when I can afford to do so for travel’s sake). The fact that my siblings and I could give ourselves and the hospital staff a laugh yesterday is another reason:, when greeting my brother as he arrived, we hugged, then he handed me a book; my sister arrived, hugged my brother, and then handed him a book; and then I hugged my sister and returned a book she loaned me. I also had a book from the library that I’m currently reading that was shown to her as something I thought she might like.
I also more likely to purchase CDs over MP3s, despite having to move thousands of CDs, cassette tapes, and close to 150 VHS tapes several years ago. (yeah, I’m old!
) Why? The CD booklets – love to read them and have the song lyrics close at hand. Plus, I don’t trust that I can lose all of the downloaded songs due to equipment failure (despite back-ups). With the CD, I can always download them again. Most of my MP3 purchases are individual songs that I’d be less crushed about losing or repurchasing.
My DVD consumption is completely the opposite, I’m much more likely to watch movies and TV series via Netflix or Hulu, than make a purchase. Unless, it’s something that I know I’ll revisit repeatedly, the bonus/behind the scenes extras are a huge draw, or the limited edition packaging or gift is really cool.
Colleen, you bring up another ritual: sharing books. Every time I see someone complaining about DRM on ebooks I think “But print books are DRM-free AND portable.” I am always sharing print books with friends and family members. There’s something really cool about handing over a well-read copy of a novel and saying, “You have GOT to read this!”
Just had to comment on this one!! My husband actually bought me an ereader in the hopes that I’d stop filling our space with so many physical copies of books. Sadly, it has had the opposite effect and increased my purchasing. I tend to buy the first in a series I’m unsure I will like on ebook as it’s quicker and usually cheaper and , if I like it , I hunt the series down in physical format.
I love my ereader for travelling but nothing beats cracking the cover of a new bokk or even rereading a battered, old favourite.
I love books, I’m something of an addict.
I like some people I know resisted the urge to switch to E-Book…I have by-and-large, continued. My opinion is purely as you ritulistic. I was raised by a book loving parent and has left a great impact on me.
Now, I do have an e-Reader on my iPod, and my LapTop (and eventually I might by an actual e-reader, the only reason I’ve given in to this point, is the fact that certain authors I like just don’t publish on paper, for whatever reason. the question became: Do I ignore the fact there’s tales I wanna read or do I relent and start buying e-Books?
Well as the above will surmise I’ve relented.
I do however prefer paperback, etc. The smell of a new book, the feel, taking in every part of the cover front and back, I’d rather wait for Amazon or whomever to dispatch the book and wait 3-5 days rather then have it in 60 seconds and read it on my pc/iPod.
If the stories I have through e-book eventually go paper, I will be buying them, even though now, I’m fighting for book space, but isn’t that the funb of it?
My reaader was a Mother’s Day gift. It has made reading during my break at work a lot more convenient. It also helps when my hands are bothering me from arthritis or CT. I’ve downloaded some free book offers, good ones, but have yet to read them. It was a weird, anti-climatic purchasing experience. I also think I’m paranoid and cynical enough to think nothing in life is ever really free, so the titles remain unread on my reader. And I might even delete them if I don’t get around to reading them in the future.
BUT, I still enjoy paper books and I prefer the purchasing experience. I just wish I was physically able to enjoy holding them in my hands like I used to.
Yes the tactile feel and ritual is nice. I bet living with your family in a small home living by candlelight would provide a tremendous ritual and clones of family no tv. Now to ebook and Internet . No dissertation though it could be. Your book and many more will reach the masses. More margins will go to you. Most significant worldwide communities develop around an author character book etc. Not just through an academic class or book club. Real academicians can be involved as apprproriate dist info hold online con etc. Leading.to face to face friendships as with games. It can happen thru 2nd life fb or many arenas. Enriching lifes Dev new commities changing the world . Fast or slow it will happen. Tech exist for paper not books talk about convince so cheap it can be lost. So paper books will hold on but generational changes will slowly override it. Young people will carry ebook in school instead of 10 expesive heavy books. They text noy phone and much more. For better it will come. Maybe u should join the unibomber read the manifesto. During the change period there are some cultural and other negativesn but it’s better long run and nskrs the world smaller. I went to a music fest a 1000 miles away through fb I made many initial friends to meet with at least so common iteresr. Making the world smaller. Sorry Abt dissertation loved loved your book will read all of them!
I love ebooks… I actually read on my Blackberry – I have the barnes and noble ereader, kindle ereader, ereader and mobipocket ereader on it. lol For me, buying on my phone is not anticlimatic – I’m a instant gratification kind of girl. I like the fact that I can buy a book at any time of the day or night and keep reading away in my pajamas. I do still love the smell of books, but after the convenience of holding the BB versus a physical book, the BB wins.
I only buy paper books when they don’t have a digital copy for sale.
[...] Books as Rituals « Jaye Wells – On the purchase of books as "quests". Interesting look re: the importance of books in hard copy vs electronic. [...]
Hey Jaye, glad to hear you’re enjoying the simple things in life! I too, love the trip to the bookstore, have a book budget (one I’m not afraid to extend) and especially love curling up with my purchase every chance I can. But, I am going to get an ereader as I purchase many books for my writing work and don’t always need one for the purposes of reading the entire book! I’m also going to self-publish one of my books and that will involve releasing in e-book form! Good and bad sits with the e-book, but it’s def. here to stay. Great post, as usual.
Brian, I’m glad you’re a fan of my books. However, I think it’s pretty ridiculous to say I should “Join the unibomber” just because I express a preference for print books. I believe I said in the post it’s not an either/or proposition for me. I simply like books. That’s all.
i felt the same way when vinyl records gave way to cd.
i like the clarity of a cd, but i like the ritual of a record. i like the pop and hum when the needle goes down, i like the grooves, i like turning them over. i like the whisper of flipping through paperboard covers more than the clack of jewel cases.
cd to .mp3 was a relief. i loved swapping boxes of cd’s for something in my pocket that could hold all my music. ripped ‘em and got rid of ‘em. there wasn’t any soul to a cd, nothing to miss.
i still have my records, though.
I’m a little late to the party
but I still wanted to put my 2 cents worth in. (I’m without a computer right now so it makes keeping up to date here a little difficult)
I spend all day at work on the computer and do not want to come home and try and read on the computer as well. I love picking up a book and sharing it with friends when finished.
I recently purchased an iphone and have tried reading books on it. It’s not the same and really I feel more comfortable with a book in my hand not the phone. Also, I have to pay attention to whether the battery is close to dying or not. With a book I can fall asleep with it in bed and not worry if it falls to the floor or I’ve killed the battery.
While I like the idea of the ebook (it makes me think of Captain Picard on Star Trek: TNG) I think I prefer a real book in my hand.
My Mum works at the local library and I was brought up on books. I can remember bedtime sitting in bed with my mother and reading a chapter before it was time to sleep. I don’t think that would have been the same with an e-book.