Franzen vs. The E-Reader

Acclaimed author Jonathan Franzen, best known for his novels Freedom and The Corrections, recently spoke at a literary festival about his concern over the widespread use of e-readers like the Kindle. In his rant, he relayed his fears over the impermanence of the virtual book model.

“I think, for serious readers, a sense of permanence has always been part of the experience. Everything else in your life is fluid, but here is this text that doesn’t change. Maybe nobody will care about printed books 50 years from now, but I do. When I read a book, I’m handling a specific object in a specific time and place. The fact that when I take the book off the shelf it still says the same thing - that’s reassuring."

Now, UK columnist for The Observer newspaper, Henry Porter has fired a salvo directly back at Franzen. The piece rebuts Franzen's arguments and fully endorses the idea that expanding technology does not eliminate older forms of expression. Porter also makes some great comparisons between the e-reader and its place in publishing and the art world today. You can read the full piece on The Observer's website.

The issue of technology and how it influences our culture and our behaviors is eminently fascinating and has been discussed on the virtual pages of the Sabauteur previously. This is a topic of debate that is going nowhere anytime soon.