Normally Mysterious Matters focuses on...well, mysterious matters...but this week I'm going to expand on the topic a bit to pontificate about the larger topic of books and readers.
Listen, there's a lot of talk about books become obsolete or hopelessly outdated. I don't believe it. Books are here to stay. Imagine if the Internet had come before books. People would be saying, "Oh, wouldn't it be nice if, instead of hyperlinking all over the place and not getting anything done, we could have professionally edited and printed materials, written by talented experts, in a nice portable format and that doesn't cost too much?" Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that is the definition of a book.
This isn't to say that there won't be additional choices--the Kindle comes to mind, and it's a good choice. I know at least one apartment dweller who loves it because her studio apartment is so small that she literally doesn't have the place to keep books. Kindle sales will grow; so will online subscriptions. However, I seriously doubt that the printed book is going away any time soon. And I don't want it to; which is ironic, because if we could publish and distribute everything electronically, the bulk of our costs (printing, shipping, returns) would go away and there'd be a lot more black ink to spread around. But that's a different story....
What I really have been thinking been thinking about (the preceding was just a sort of preface) is the different approaches to books, and how one person's approach might make another shudder with horror. Consider the spectrum:
HOARDERS vs. GULPERS. "Hoarders" are those people who buy books and then actually "save" them. They will pick up the new book by a favorite writer and save it for a time they will really enjoy it--perhaps vacation, or an airplane trip, or as a reward for getting something accomplished. That book is always in the back of their mind: "Ah, I can't wait until October 15th, when I can read it." They gaze it longingly each time they pass it, but they are firm in their ability to hoard and delay gratification. "Gulpers" rush out to get the same book and have half of it read by the time they get home from the bookstore. I'm a hoarder--I always save the Alexander McCall Smith/Precious Ramotswe books for air travel, when I most need the calming influence of Mma Ramotswe. And when I'm all caught up with the series--and there are no more waiting to be read--I feel a little depressed.
HARDBACK vs. PAPERBACK. I admit it - I love a hardback. I love the feel, the size of the pages, the paper. I'm one of those people who always look under the dustjacket to see what the actual book looks like. But they're heavy and expensive, so many prefer a nice portable, inexpensive paperback. Some readers will split the budget, buying hardcovers of particular favorites but waiting for the second tier to come into paper. I personally also like trade paperbacks quite a bit, with the larger trim size and sturdier feeling than the mass-market paperbacks. There's not really snobbery going on here, as there are many, many fine paperback originals--and I think there will be more as we move forward, because the price point is much more reasonable when trying to break a new author.
FOCUS vs. DIVERSITY. There are some of God's chosen people who can be reading four or five books at a time. There's one in the bedroom, one in the living room, one in the den, one in the bathroom. They move among books and keep all the strands separate in their minds--they're the ultimate multi-taskers. I personally am just the opposite--I can't even read a published work when I'm in the middle of reading a manuscript. And I certainly can't read two or more manuscripts at once--I break into hives just thinking about it. And yet one of my colleagues here does that regularly. She says, "When I read a lot simultaneously, the really good stuff stands out." Hmmm, interesting point. But totally impossible for me!
STEADY STATE vs. IN TRANSIT. I know of some people who read only on their commute--on a bus, a train, a subway. While at home, they don't pick up the book. In contrast, there are those who have a comfortable chair at home and read at the same time and in the same place everyday or night (I'm in this category). What I find interesting is that books still do seem to be one of the top choices of travelers. Of course kids have their video games and iPod, and business types like to bring along their laptops and watch movies; but books seem to be holding their own, which makes me happy.
FICTION vs. NONFICTION. Most people, it seems, prefer one or the other. One of my authors recently told me that when she proudly announced the publication of her first mystery to some colleagues, one of them looked at her and said, "Sorry, I read only nonfiction." Ouch. (For the record, try not to say such a**holish things to recently published novelists.)
GENRE INTENSITY vs. GENRE DIVERSITY. Some people are so committed to their chosen genre that they read more books, and know more about the business, than we editors do. The genre doesn't necessarily have to be mystery; there are equal numbers of devotees of romance, paranormal, science fiction, and so forth. A lot of these people would make wonderful editors! In our own field, I think of some of the most mystery-genre-intense people to be L.J. Roberts, Harriet Klausner, Gloria and Theodore Feit, and P.J. Coldren. They all happen to be excellent reviewers as well; and they are in the rare position of being able to judge really well because they have read so widely. So, if any of them are reading this -- thank you, and please keep up the good work.
What about RE-READERS vs ONCE ONLYS?
If I like a book enough, it stays on my shelf and I re-read it indefinitely. I've actually worn out half a dozen books, and had to replace them. I think a classic is a book that bears re-reading.
But some people only ever read a book once; as far as they're concerned it's done. Quite odd.
Posted by: Lexi Revellian | June 13, 2009 at 08:41 AM
Defintely a "gulper" here, but married to a "hoarder." I nom anywhere from two to three books a week, so that's a lot of gulping.
And I love trade paperbacks. They just fit inside my purse so well, light and easy to take with me everywhere. My husband only buys hardbacks.
I read both fiction and nonfic and several different genres. Hubby likes only BFF (Big Fat Fantasy).
It's amazing we're actually married! :D Thanks for the entertaining post.
Posted by: Mary B. | June 19, 2009 at 11:32 PM