Are Kindles killing books?

Does the Kindle Spell the End for Books in Print?

In a nutshell, no. I don't that the Kindle and Kindle-like products will render books obsolete, but I do believe that there is a market for each. While many use both, normally books at home and a Kindle for travelling, I, on the other hand, stand firmly with the rest of the bibliophiles.

"Books are no more threatened by Kindle than stairs by elevators," says Stephen Fry, and I am inclined to agree. What works for one person does not for another. Many favour the compact, lightweight, technologically adept Kindle, but others feels that you can't ever replace the smell and feel of a proper book.

I also feel that Kindles take some of the fun out of reading. Just the other day I was getting to the end of Joseph Heller's amazing book Catch 22 on the train to Bath, when the man next to me turned and asked if I had ever read it before. I replied in the negative. "You should" he said, "it's completely different the second time around, it changed my life." The revelation and the ensuing conversation would not have been possible if I had been reading it on a Kindle.

And for those who loving reading, surely being able to recognise and remark on the book of a fellow commuter is special. Plus, you get to internally judge them on their choice of tome, which is also fun. In cases such as these, the Kindle is denying us the feeling of camaraderie when you see someone a quarter of the way into a book you love, wondering if they'll adore it as much as you do. Who knows what these Kindle folk are reading? No wonder Fifty Shades of Grey became a bestseller when no one can see the cover.

"But it's so light and easy to travel with," they cry, and I of all people should see the benefit in this. I've spent years backpacking, often weighed down with three or more novels and a guidebook. When asked why I don't get a Kindle to make life easier, I can come up with numerous reasons. The first is that I like to pass books on or swap them with other travellers, the knowledge that it's been passed through countless pairs of hands all over the world is a warming one indeed. Plus, when you're on your own, it can be a great way to meet people. See/offer a book, start a conversation and hey presto, you may have just found yourself a new travel buddy. All through a book.


The second reason is that I like the fact that I'm pushed out of my comfort zone when faced with a hostel bookshelf full of completely bizarre titles. Because of this I've read some amazing books which I would never have picked up otherwise, such as Jose Saramango's Blindness, and some others which I wouldn't pick up again, like the book adaptation of Total Recall and some questionable romance novels.

Of course Kindles have their plus points. Many of the classics are free, you can store a load of books for a lazy holiday and have a novel in your hand within seconds, and it sure would make my university reading lists a lot cheaper.

But at the end of the day call me old fashioned, technophobic, stubborn, I can never, ever see myself buying a Kindle. And there are many like me - those whose houses are stacked with row upon row of books but wouldn't have it any other way.

Where do you stand?