There's plenty of debate out in the blogosphere over the merits of e-books and physical books, but sometimes I feel like we're forgetting a debate that came before the Kindle and Nook and what-have-you: paperbacks versus hardcovers.
Both formats have their advantages, of course. Hardcovers are shiny and beautiful, not to mention the nice weight they have when you hold them. Paperbacks, on the other hand, are soft and flexible, and you don't have to worry as much about cracking their spines.
For me, though, the two main reasons paperbacks are the winner for me is (1) they're way cheaper and (2) you don't have to worry about the cover slips. The most irritating thing for me when I read is having to constantly nudge up the slip over the hardcover. I know you can just remove it all together, but then you're left with a plain cover and what's the point of having bought a hardcover anyway?
What do you think? Which is the superior format?
4 comments:
We are pretty much in the paperback camp, UNLESS we have fallen so in love with the book that we need to have a pristine “show” copy for our shelves. But that is rare. Especially because, as we have matured, we've come to realize that part of what makes books a special is the pouring of ourselves into them. Our fingerprints, our crumbs, our coffee stains, our love. The way we crease the spine. The way we accidentally bump the corner.
The hardback coverslips do help us keep our place in the book though… :P
I prefer paperbacks because they fit into my handbag - reading a hardback George R R Martin at the moment and it needs a separate bag to carry it around in - but it is nice to have special books in hardcover.
I LOVE hardback books. But if I can't get them at the library and the paperback is available for purchase, I'll do that because of the cost. I even like the plastic covering that libraries put on their hardbacks!
I hate dust jackets. Paperbacks are far superior.
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