I know what Franzen meant
Jonathan Franzen kicked up some controversy last week with his discussion of ebooks
The novelist Jonathan Franzen provoked quite a bit of controversy last week when he said that he preferred printed books to their digital versions - which he thought seemed to lack permanence.
As an enthusiast for the internet, it might seem strange for me to say this – but I know what he meant - and I feel this particularly with illustrated books. I think that there is something about a very well presented illustrated book (with a nice cover, nice weight and size, and a nice feel to it), that brings great pleasure. I don’t think that we will ever lose that feeling – and I think that this kind of book will remain desirable and collectible in the digital age.
Having said this, I think it is clear that the primary reading product will increasingly be digital - downloadable on to portable ereaders and tablets (and I also think that these can be things to treasure).
The media always enjoys stoking a controversy. But ultimately it isn’t a question of print versus digital. We can have both!
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