E-books will never replace real literature

Although this millennial generation is run by technology and environmental concerns, an e-reader will never replace the value of real books.

An Amazon Kindle or an iPad will never provide the same smell, feel or sound of a paperback.

Imagine having a free day and deciding to head to the park with an e-reader.

You would reach the park, lay your blanket down and as you are ready to relax, you realize the e-reader’s battery is at 1 percent.

This would have never happened with a real book.

It is there for your pleasure without the concerns of charging a battery.

In a recent trip to Paris, I found myself in one of the most famous bookstores in the world — Shakespeare and Company.

It is a place where authors such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway used to spend their time.

The second floor has a collection of classics — first edition books unable to be replaced. They are treasured and the books, not just the story, are also part of history. No amount of digital storage can take over the beauty of that floor.

Browsing online can never provide the same enjoyable experience from curiously skimming through a random book, page by page.

Software upgrades are a hassle. With new versions of Kindles and iPads, older versions become obsolete. I experienced having to purchase the same book again, only because the file is limited to certain e-readers.

The touch of an actual book, as odd as it may sound, can stimulate your senses.

Some claim to love the smell of used books and libraries. The smell of used books can even help us recall a certain event.

According to a study by the neurobiology department at Yale University, our brains register smell through the olfactory bulb, which is part of our limbic system. Our limbic system is linked to memory and emotion.

Therefore, the smell of a book can remind us of everything from the books our parents used to read or our childhood classrooms.

The feel of turning each page can never be replaced by an e-reader.

The gritty pages of an old book and the smooth pages of a textbook are irreplaceable. The sound is so distinct that no preloaded sound on a Kindle can ever match the same notes.

I made a mistake of purchasing a digital version of a textbook without the thought of the inability to highlight or take notes on the pages. It made studying more difficult than it could have been with a printed book.

As a self-proclaimed bibliophile, there is no fun in reading without the ability to “dog ear” pages. Each folded page marks an achievement and tells me I am close to seeing the story unfold.

E-readers will never satisfy our senses the way books do. Staring at a screen has no emotional value. Real books are here to stay.