There is a theory that simple, linear narratives are
suited to e-readers. Complex literary fiction is inherently unsuited to the e-reader
but far more suited to the armchair and a cup of coffee – or glass of whisky. (Select
your own beverage.)
How do you use your e-reader? I still read paper
books from choice, but if I don’t have one to hand, then I turn to the
e-reader. My Kindle comes into its own when I’m on holiday, no matter the length
of time, for the simple reason it is small, neat and takes up little space. Day
to day journeys by bus are rare for me, but when I do catch the bus, I see
people avidly reading as they make their way into the city. If they travel
every day, perhaps twice a day going to work, then I can see that a Kindle
would be a boon. The journey takes 50 minutes, and that’s a good chunk of
reading time, but I don’t think I’d want to tackle something terribly complex.
Instead I’d rather have something clear, fast-paced and
attention grabbing so I don’t earwig on other people’s conversations or get
distracted by the cyclist wobbling along beside the bus. The Kindle will be jiggling about a bit, so I
want clear script that easy on the eye, simple page turning and a progressive
story. I don’t want to have to stop and wonder about the sentence I’ve just
read and I’m hardly likely to ponder the beauty of the prose among 30 other
coughing, sniffing, laughing, chattering travellers.
I begin to see that many stories are designed with an
e-reader in mind. Short sentences, fast narrative, simple language – these
stories won’t ever be published in the old fashioned sense, but boy are they
selling on the e-book scene. Let’s hope
that the two remain distinct forms of reading. I’d hate for all reading to
merge into one simple mass.
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