The kindle, the Gutenberg project and Google books have all changed the way we read. The physical book is under threat with recent sales slumping by 4.7 million between 2011-2012 whilst e-book sales rose by 623% between January and June of last year according to The Telegraph. All of this would seem to indicate that the printed book’s reputation and importance is diminishing but a recent article in The Huffington posts argues that e-books are actually inspiring a new age of print. So is it possible that e-books are actually improving the reputation of the physical book or is this mere wishful thinking?
Remembering why we love books
The release of e-readers provoked many to hastily announce the end of the printed book, but five years after the first release of the kindle it seems that printed books are still fighting their corner. Although sales of the e-reader and digital copies of books are soaring whilst printed material is undeniably being affected by the digital revolution, is it precisely because things are becoming increasingly virtual that we’re lamenting the age of the physical book?
A recent yougov poll pitted the e-book against the printed book with some interesting responses. Though some argued that the day of the print book is over, those who did support printed format commented on the unique physical and sensory aspects of the physical book as being some of the most treasured qualities it can hold. Comments like “A good book has a magical quality” and “There is nothing like the feel and smell of a well-read book or the aura of a large library” indicate that people value books beyond the story they tell, and digitalising our stories reminds us why we love books in the first place.
Indeed a recent article in Time explores how e-books affect our memory with research indicating that we find it a lot harder to remember information when read from a digital screen as opposed to a physical book. Part of the joy of reading is the memory a book can hold, not just of the story itself, but where you were when you first read it, how it felt, what was going on in your life at that time. Reading it on an e-book may make these memories harder to retain.
Reimaging the printed book
It’s possible that the rise of digitalisation has made us value the physical qualities of the printed book more. Jonathan Safron Foer’s recent publication “tree of codes” incorporates a unique physicality into the reading experience. The book is described as “as much a sculptural object as it is a work of masterful storytelling: here is an “enormous last day of life” that looks like it feels.” But it’s not just literature which is starting to reimagine print. Fashion magazines are starting to recognise the power of print and style.com have even decided to go back to print after previously offering only digital content. Editor-in-chief of Style.com Dirk Standen explains the reason for returning to print as follows:
“If you look at the big picture I don’t think [media] brands can afford to be tied to one medium anymore. Obviously you see that with magazines paying a lot of attention to their websites now. But even on the web, it’s not enough to just have a website. You have to be on various digital devices. You need to be on the various social media sites. You want your content to be available in as many places as possible. Now that we are within the Fairchild umbrella, which has a lot of experience and a great deal of expertise in publishing, it became a natural extension for Style.com to do a magazine.”
