Novelist and blogger Mark Sarvas has come to the defense of the Kindle, taking aim at “stupid” writers — meaning Sherman Alexie (here for my take) — who carp about the Kindle.
His reasoning pretty much makes the point Alexie was going for.
I think we can all agree that hooking young people on literature is a considerably more laudable goal, and so it seems absurdly self-destructive for any author to cut himself off from a generation that doesn’t share our romanticism about paper, a generation that is entirely content receiving information electronically . . . if I had a teenager whom I wanted to read more, I would buy that teenager a Kindle or a Sony Reader or any other suitable e-book and offer a generous monthly book allowance that the kid could use to purchase whatever caught her fancy.
Right. And in the world of people like Mark Sarvas — which I’m sure is a very comfy world — plunking down a few hundred bucks for an e-book reader and providing a “generous monthly book allowance” shouldn’t be any kind of problem at all.
But, for the rest of us, who would like to raise readers also, and don’t have “generous” amounts of money kicking around, we’re kind of fucked, right Mr. Sarvas? We’re gonna have to rely on the library, something which doesn’t even occur to you at all.
Again, I’m not anti-Kindle. I could really care less about it. But the fact that its defenders don’t even consider the possibility that there are readers out there who aren’t sitting on piles of disposable cash pretty much makes Alexie’s point: it is elitist.
You mean some guy working at a gas station CAN’T afford an imported shipment of brioche tranchée?
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Plus, there’s Kindle’s monopolistic attitude, and the thought of paying big bucks for books that I rent that gets up my nose as well.
I do like the technology behind the Kindle, but I hate having my reading habits and my library controlled by one company.
I mean, they can, Ed, they just have to do away with luxuries like food and health care. But, hell, we needn’t concern ourselves with people like that. We all know they don’t read anyway, right?
And I’m the same way, Bill. People keep going on about the cheaper price of e-books, but they always neglect to mention that you’re essentially renting ‘em. And when seen that way, it ain’t much of a bargain at all.
“But the fact that its defenders don’t even consider the possibility that there are readers out there who aren’t sitting on piles of disposable cash pretty much makes Alexie’s point: it is elitist.”
There are people out there who cannot afford a car a IPhone or any number of things does that make the people who own them elitest? What’s unfortunate is that one person is going to control this technology. Hey dude next time buy that mp3 player at a local independent business instead of WalMart.
Yes, iPhones pass the “elitest.” Next question?
Right on, Tyndale. I thought the iPhone thing was kinda obvious myself.
Strikes me as the kind of crap that Oprah might give away to her audience. I wouldn’t call it so much elitist as simply useless. A book you can loan out to friends, give away when you’ve finished it, donate to a charity or library, sell back to a used bookstore. And hell, my local county library has more titles available than the kindle store, add the state university library system and it’s a massacre.
For you, Matteo: http://tinyurl.com/5p9hlx
I’m like you, man, I don’t see the use at all.
Alexie should have asked “Amazon” how they feel about Alberto Pizango and his friends. Let’s get it on the record. That would shut them up instantly.
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