I have to prevent myself from spending a large portion of my salary on books. I love books. I love owning them almost more than I love reading them. For me, the delight of referring a friend to a book that I have loved is better than giving any present, and discussing the book after they have read it is far superior to any gossip.
I have devoted a couple of prior columns to my love of books, and to how I find reading on a computer monitor to be a somewhat sickening experience. One of the things that I have always felt about reading online is that it is for the quickest gathering of information - not for leisure reading and enjoyment.
I was happy with my allocation that books are for literature and the Internet is for reference or magazine-type reading. I had always thought that one area in which the Internet might provide an edge on tangible publications was that the barriers to entry are lower, so unknown writers use this medium to get their stuff read. This has, of course, spawned the blog phenomenon, but blogs are a far cry from novels.
I also thought that people not willing to pay the exorbitant cost of books might look online for other sources of reading material. But a recent series of short stories, published by Penguin in celebration of its 70th anniversary, reminded me how even the staid old publishing industry can take a big, deep breath of fresh air every now and again.
One of the things that I have always felt about reading online is that it is for the quickest gathering of information.
Georgina Guedes, editor, Brainstorm
Penguin soft cover books were originally published with the intention of providing the general public with a reasonably priced alternative to the dimestore novel - paperbacks that were no better than bodice-rippers or cheap westerns. Until then, all real literature was published in hard cover.
The belief was that if enough decent novels were made available at soft-cover prices, a whole new segment of the reading market would be opened up, and reading would become an enjoyable pastime. They were right, and the Penguin paperback was born.
Now, 70 years on, Penguin has released short stories from some of its best-selling authors since its inception, from Virginia Woolf to Marian Keyes, in a small, pocket-sized paperback (the Pocket Penguin) for a meagre price tag of R20 each.
I must say I`m impressed. I read one every time I take a bath. Although they`re cheap, they`re a whole new addiction, and I buy a few every time I pop in to my nearest bookstore. I`ve bought them for my friends, my colleagues and my family.
Although these are a retrospective collection, I do think that it`s entirely possible that Penguin will have spawned a whole new publishing revolution. Bite-sized literature for the fast food generation. It`s perfect.
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