The Chronicle Review, which is the section of The Chronicle of Higher Education that focuses on all things book-related, ran an intriguing feature article last month. The article, titled “Reading Dickens Four Ways,” examined the novel Little Dorritt through four different text formats. The author explains her study thusly:
Do I love books or do I love reading?
When my book group picked Little Dorrit, I found myself asking that question.
…I went automatically to my old Penguin paperback, standing ready on the shelf. Never mind its familiar and friendly orange spine — I hesitated. Maybe it would make sense to read the book on the Kindle that my husband bought me last year. Then again, for my daily Manhattan life, I love audiobooks, the best choice for crowded public transportation and a wonderful companion for walking. And now that I use an iPhone, I have been surprised by the ease of reading its crisp, bright screen.
So, between the print edition, the audiobook, the Kindle, and the iPhone, who wins? As it turns out, the answer isn’t so simple. Click here to head over to the full article. If you’re at all interested in the future of publishing, it’s well worth a read.
