I agree with Bringhurst’s statement in his article that “a book is not a catalog or list; it has to make more sense than that” (21). Books are the reason humans have been able to evolve, whether it was from the oral form (storytellers) or the printed version (books, newspapers, etc), or most recently through the electronic version (eBooks, etc.). He also writes “to those who know and love them, books are recognizable, as forests are, and cities, by their structure (branching and rebranching), their complexity (enormous), and their size (big enough to get lost in)” (21). This, I can also relate to, as I am of the older generation and have had books in my life since I was a little girl, and it would appear that I love them just as much as Bringhurst seems to.
However, this does not mean that the old cannot learn new tricks. Even though I love the old fashioned way of picking up a good book to read, it has become very convenient in some respects to just start up the trusty little laptop and with a few mouse clicks and key strokes, find something to read.
Do I think everything found on my computer (electronic media) is good? Of course not, and some of the writing is just “ugly” as Bringhurst writes, but the electronic age is here to stay, and we must all progress/evolve with the times (24). It should not matter how the written word is printed, just so long as it is printed. Whether people pickup a favorite book, log on to those email or face book pages or maybe use a kindle to read, what should be important is that people make
time to read, because as Bringhurst reminds us “books exist because we want and need them”(21). Although, what he doesn’t take into account in his article is how easy the electronic age has made it for people to access books and that for some, it is possibly the only way that they have to read a book.
With this “instant” access society has to books, reading may become a favorite pass time for more people, and maybe, just maybe, more people will be inspired to write something down or type something on the computer; to pass on to future generations, as Bringhurst describes something of “literary value” (24).
Works Cited
Bringhurst, Robert, and Heriot Bay. "Why There Are Pages and Why They Must Turn." World Literature Today, 2008. Master File Premier. EBSCO. U of Oklahoma Lib. 16 Feb. 2011.
