About 30 years ago I purchased two of D.H. Lawrence's books .. Sons and Lovers and Women in Love...new from Coles...full price.
These books languished for various reasons on the shelf...usually side by side. . untouched and unread...jackets fading, glued binding getting frailer and frailer over the years, dust gathering on their edges.
I recently decided that NOW is the time to finally pick... one of these papered pieces of print to gaze at while the words of the author create his characters, drama, and scenery in the vast .somewhat empty and unused spaces of my brain.
The cover fell off almost on the first day of handling...taking with it the introduction and first page of the 1st chapter. Bits of 'spinal glue' chipped off at every caress of the hand that turned the page.
ENTER the Guttenberg Press and the Adobe Digital Reader along with a few seconds of downloading an Voila.... Women in Love is created in digital form on the lap top...available at the will of a click of a mouse, screen size and font adjustable.
The paper edition now lies untouched, pages never turned, typed print never decoded, characters never revealed on paper, the voice of the author a little more removed from the original pen and ink in which it was first recorded.. It lies alone by the bedside-- a tangible treasure never again to be part of the ritual that involves the sound of page turning, bookmarks, glasses
These books languished for various reasons on the shelf...usually side by side. . untouched and unread...jackets fading, glued binding getting frailer and frailer over the years, dust gathering on their edges.
I recently decided that NOW is the time to finally pick... one of these papered pieces of print to gaze at while the words of the author create his characters, drama, and scenery in the vast .somewhat empty and unused spaces of my brain.
The cover fell off almost on the first day of handling...taking with it the introduction and first page of the 1st chapter. Bits of 'spinal glue' chipped off at every caress of the hand that turned the page.
ENTER the Guttenberg Press and the Adobe Digital Reader along with a few seconds of downloading an Voila.... Women in Love is created in digital form on the lap top...available at the will of a click of a mouse, screen size and font adjustable.
The paper edition now lies untouched, pages never turned, typed print never decoded, characters never revealed on paper, the voice of the author a little more removed from the original pen and ink in which it was first recorded.. It lies alone by the bedside-- a tangible treasure never again to be part of the ritual that involves the sound of page turning, bookmarks, glasses
