Essay

Technologically bound

By Samantha Loong

The latest gadget I've been eyeing up is an electronic book reader. It's no longer uncommon to see commuters holding a thin charcoal-like piece of material in their hand, eyes affixed to the fake on-screen paper. I envy the smart slick piece of technology delicately resting between a few fingers. It looks so light and portable. And from the advertising, I know that you can store thousands of books on them. This makes it very easy and cheap to transport your entire collection of books around, which is ideal for nomadic types like myself. No paper must also surely mean happier forests. And apparently, these readers also use very little battery power.

However, there's something a bit more romantic about holding an actual book in your hand; the feel of each page on your fingers as you turn it, the creasing of a page corner as you dog-ear it, and the mixed feelings as you see how many more pages you have until the end of the adventure, the murder, or the drama. And there's also something special about seeing what other people are reading.

When I read books in Japan, I was fascinated by how everyone would have their books covered. In all the Western countries I've been to, books are left with their covers visible to everyone. I can understand not wanting everyone in your train carriage to witness you deeply engrossed in How to Be a Better Lover, but I've seen friendships forged between strangers based on what one was reading. Once this happened in Osaka between two commuters, one of whom glanced over at the exposed cover of the other and saw what novel she was reading. "Oh I loved that book," said the non-reader to the other. They got chatting and by the end of that journey, were fast friends.

Another advantage of having a real, physical book is that you can join in a social "world library" movement where people across the world purposely leave books in random public places for others to find, read and then "release" back into the wild. Somehow, I can't see that happening with electronic book readers any time soon.

As much as I enjoy technology, when I'm on holiday or want to relax, there's something wonderfully therapeutic about picking up a physical novel in all its width and breadth, flipping it open and finding yourself not staring at a screen. In this regard, despite all the conveniences of an electronic book reader, I remain undecided on whether or not I will buy one for myself.

Although technology is fast connecting the world in all sorts of ways, perhaps for me, there will infinitely be something more human about a connection — between author and reader, hero and villain, or commuter and stranger — that's made without wires.

Shukan ST: July 29, 2011

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