Reading E-Books

Jon Bell, whose blog I had not previous had the pleasure of stumbling upon, has just neatly eviscerated the idea of using an infinite canvass on book reading apps. Lukas Mathis also came in on side.

And they're right. Absolutely right.

When I'm reading a book, I like to be absorbed into it. Any distraction which takes me away from the book, no matter how small, is unwelcome. Scrolling down the page with a flick of the finger is, frankly, too much effort. Even flicking the page to turn it is something that will make you more aware of the device than the story for a moment. However, on an iPad, turning a page only requires a small movement. The gentlest of taps anywhere along that side, and the page will flip. It's simple, quick and relaxed, taking even less effort than turning a page in a real book. It requires no thought, very little motor control and, most importantly, it allows the reader to stay within the context, action and emotion of the moment on the page.

As a writer, I don't want people to be jarred out of the story. I don't want the analytical part of the brain to kick in in order to judge the strength of the flick required to scroll the text. I don't want them to lose their place when the text spins past on the screen and I don't want them annoyed because they went too far. I don't want them waiting for animations, admiring the graphics, needing to move their hand or even being aware of what they're reading off of.

I want them in the story where they belong.