It’s not unusual to refer to a hardcover or a paperback as a real book. Typically, that is done vis-à-vis ebooks. However, I don’t agree with the reference to real books in that context. In fact, it irks me every time I hear someone speak so flippantly about real books because in my opinion, it’s a blatant dismissal of the reality of ebooks.
In a way, ebooks are the opposite of printed books. These two mediums fit perfectly into the dichotomy of the digital versus the physical. If printed/physical books are real books, the inference is that ebooks aren’t. Accepting that would mean that ebooks are unreal books. Unreal books to me, are the same as non-books. In other words, things that simply aren’t books. That is definitely not the case. Ebooks are books too.
The word ebook is derived from the term electronic book, which means as much as digital book. Book, in ebook, has been retained for a reason. A book is a long composition that contains stories, ideas and knowledge. It hardly matters if the content is printed on sheets of paper or displayed on a screen. The words that have been written are what matter. If an author writes a story, they have the option of putting a pen to paper or typing everything out. Neither method can be discounted and the choice of how to write is up to the author.
Similarly, the reader can choose if s/he wants to read words printed on paper or displayed on the screen. Neither option is wrong. Neither option is less real. The objective is communication. Regardless of whether communication is done via paper or screens, as long as the content reaches the audience, then the author’s duty to the reader has been fulfilled. The medium is a secondary consideration.
I like the feel of paper in bound books as much as the next bibliophile. Yet for all the tangibility that printed books offer, the words rest on the pages. When it comes to ebooks, the words rest on a screen. Hold an ebook reader in your hand, and you’re still holding something that allows you to words for you to read. Reading isn’t undermined or hampered because ebooks are digital. In fact, before everything is printed onto sheets of paper that are later bound, the contact comes straight from a computer, ergo there is a digital source. That is something that needs to be acknowledged alongside the reality of ebooks. Like I said, ebooks are real books too.
Have you ever thought of printed books as real books compared to ebooks? Why do you think people think of printed books as real books in the first place?
Confab ˈkän-ˌfab, kən-ˈ noun an informal discussion, often about a particular topic
Discussion posts are some of my favourite posts to read. New ideas get shared that way, or old ideas are revisited and given a new spin. And of course, I get to be my opinionated self as I hoist my views upon others, while pretending to be objective. Or maybe not. I do welcome alternate views and I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
I refer to hardback and paperback books as physical books, however I don’t see ebooks as non books. They are books to me, just in a different format. I don’t think I diminish ebooks as books in their own right because they are books at the end of the day – they tell a story, they share information, they convey the exact same message a physical book does. Having said that, I do read more physical books than ebooks. I’m too sure if that has anything to do with the ever common pixel vs pages debate though.
Great post!
:-)
Yeah, I don’t think any format matters in the grand scheme of things. What matters is the content, and it’s great that readers have so many options to pick from when deciding which format to read a book in. Though I do wish sometimes that my Kindle was even more like paper. Hahaha. But compared to my iPad, I do find it much easier to read ebooks on my Kindle for hours on ends.
I agree with you! Being a book blogger, most of my books are actually ebooks, so I can’t actually say that ebooks aren’t real. I hate when people dimish the value of a book because it’s not physical.
Physical or not, it is still a book, and you’re still reading it, so why have to put a value to it?
I think, that because ebooks are fairly new, that people still haven’t really “accepted” that they in fact do exist.
“Reading isn’t undermined or hampered because ebooks are digital.” <- Loved that quote :)
Great post! :)
Yay! So happy you agree with me! :D I remember when I was 11, I already anticipated the arrival of ebook readers. When the Kindle was first announced, I was so excited! Lol. But I only got one when the Paperwhite came out because that’s when I decided there finally was an ebook reader on the market that was a serious contender.
That’s true too about acceptance. Maybe 5 to 10 years from now, nobody will remember that anyone ever scoffed at ebooks not being real.
Ooh. You picked out the sentence I was most proud of ;D I see my purpose of writing this has been fulfilled ;)
See I don’t refer to physical books that way – I just refer to them and print books and ebooks. It’s even how i keep track in my spreadsheet.
I do have to say I love ebooks but I hate that they aren’t legally able to be shared the way print books can be.
For instance I own a kindle and I love it. I have hundreds of books on there but maybe ONE book in every 30- 40 that I have has that ability to be loaned out to a friend. I think this is so unfair because if I have the print copy of the book I can loan it out to that friend anytime.
I think the loaning feature should be something that is enabled on all ebooks via our devices. If they wanted to they could even set a limit on how many times you can loan it out. but just so long as you could. you know?
I indicate physical copies in terms of paperbacks or hardcovers in my spreadsheet.
Since I rarely can bear to part with any of the books I own, I’ve not given the loaning option that much thought, especially since I usually buy ebooks only if they’re cheaper than the print copies. Plus, I borrow books very frequently vie Overdrive. But I can see why you and others are frustrated with that limitation.
Personally, what bothers me more is that DRM restricts on which devices particular formats can be read, and how dependent we are on the providers. Last week when Adobe had a problem with their Cloud IDs, I couldn’t open newly downloaded ePubs. That was incredibly frustrating. Cross-platform compatibility then is the bigger reason for me to wish DRM would just die already.