An Object of Beauty

I seem to blog more and more sporadically due to my work and life commitments, but, I still have things to say!

The other day, I bought a copy of Steve Martin's new book, An Object of Beauty, which is all about the New York art world.  I haven't started it yet, but the beauty of the book as an object is really impressive.

I love books, and while I can see the usefulness of e-readers, especially for travel, I really think a book should smell like a book.  It's fair to say I'm a bit of a book snob.  I have a degree in English literature, and worked in a bookstore for three years. My house is filled with books. Some of my prized possessions include books from the late 19th century/early 20th century that I inherited from my grandparents. There's a box of original Nancy Drew novels in my parents' basement that I plan to steal when I have room to display them. My mom and aunt read them when they were kids, and so did I. Books have been a constant companion, and in the face of all that history, e-books seem like blasphemy.  Or at least a soulless version of a book.

An Object of Beauty is the kind of book that demands a creative package, and the publisher delivers, as it's a piece of artwork itself.  The dust jacket mimics the texture of canvas.  The letters of the title and author look like they have been cut out of a painting. The end sheets are full-colour abstract pieces, and there are colour reproductions of modern paintings within the pages. You just wouldn't get the same experience reading it on an electronic screen.  I can only hope the content of the novel lives up to the packaging!

I'm not a luddite -- far from it. Maybe my rebellion against the e-book is really that I'm afraid of losing that tactile experience of a book. A book is still a tangible thing that hasn't been reduced to a cacophany of ones and zeros like so much of our modern lives.  You can turn the pages. Feel the texture of the paper.  Smell the ink.  Share it with a friend.  Put it on a shelf, where is becomes a part your environment.

There just isn't an ap for that.