So Yesterday was my half day off. I work until 12 and then I'm freeeeee to go. Which considering I live at work, isn't very far. But the idea is nice. So I did what any library worker would do on their day off. I read. For four solid hours. And it was fabulous. I popped to the shops, got some snacks, made a duvet/pillow nest on the sofa and DIDN'T MOVE. Except to pee. Because no-one can hold it for four hours.
The one mega difference I wanted to write about today was that the format of my book was not that of ink and pages. I had decided to take E-Reading on a test run. I received a tablet for Christmas, (thank you Uncle!) and came to the conclusion that now more than ever would be the time to trail E-Reading.
Prior to trying it I was sceptical. I am a huge fan of pages. The smell, the rustle, the whole damn feel of a book. All the pretty covers. I imagined E-Reading to be a dead experience. Just like reading anything else on a screen. But as they say never judge a book by it's cover. And you should never judge E-Reading before you've given it a go.
For the record, I was reading on a 7" Google nexus tablet, a book bought from Google Play store. Google books essentially.
I downloaded The Virgin Suicides, by Jeffrey Eugenides as it's been something I've wanted to read for a long time and being relatively short, it meant that if E-Reading didn't appeal to me, I wouldn't have to bear it for long. I'll talk about the E-Reading experience first, and review the book a little further down.
The positives first. I could hold it with one hand. And it was light, and you didn't get the digging in thing you get when you've been reading an actual book for more than an hour. When you 'flip' the page it made a little sort of page flip across the screen, to emulate a paper page turning, which was nice. I enjoyed the bar at the bottom, telling me exactly what page I was on and showing me how many I had left to go. I like exact things sometimes. When you're reading a 358 page book and you're on page 61 you just sort of go "oh well I'm about...um...a fifth through?". Unless you're quick at maths, which I am not. So it was nice to know how I was progressing. There's a nifty feature in which you can hold down your finger on a word and it will highlight that word. You can then copy that word to search for it online. Or add your own notes in a little bubble underneath. Great for students studying certain texts, or for people who like to highlight favourite quotes (I do!). The best upside to this is you're not marking any actual books. You can delete these highlighted sections if you want to later, no harm done. You can expand the highlighted sections to include whole sentences rather than just words too. The text on screen was clear, everything was easy to use...so were there any cons? Only a few...
Although you can adjust the screen brightness, after four hours my eyes were ever so slightly beginning to hate me. Although they might also hate me if I'd stared at a normal book for four hours. I need my glasses back methinks (I neglected to being them back with me after Christmas). Also, because you're buying the E-Books through Google Play store to download directly onto your device, there's no way of getting into the fun process of seeing where you can buy it cheapest. You're stuck with whatever price Google want to charge you. Which isn't ridiculous. But I do like trawling round various website when there's a book I know I want, seeing where I can get the best deal. Or even better, stumbling across it in a charity shop for two quid. But overall I really liked my E-Reading experience. and although I don't see myself switching entirely to E-Reading, it's something I'll definitely be doing more of in the future.
But what of The Virgin Suicides itself? Well, let me tell you...
In the hands of anyone else this could be the most boring novel ever. We know what happens. It's given to us in the first sentence:
On the morning the last Lisbon daughter took her turn at suicide - it was Mary this time, and sleeping pills, like Therese - the two paramedics arrived at the house knowing exactly where the knife drawer was, and the gas oven, and the beam in the basement from which it was possible to tie a rope.
We know they're all dead right from the onset. We even have clues as to how they did it. So why would you want to read a story that you already know the outcome of? I'll tell you - because of the writing. It's fantastic. It draws you in and you can't stop because their lives - all too familiar and all too alien at the same time, appeal to anyone who has been through their teenage years. The style and mood perfectly encapsulates the feelings of the strange and yet normal Lisbon girls. Everything breaks down slowly. The story is told from the perspective of the boys living across the street from the sisters, who are drawn to them irresistibly, drawn to their mystery, to their beauty and by teenage curiosity, which is a form of curiosity unlike any other, usually tinged with lust and craving for the unknown and potentially dangerous. This was a debut novel for the author. And what a debut! I watched the film straight after, having picked up the DVD on my way out for snacks. It's along the same vein as American Beauty, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, maybe even Donnie Darko. Teenage suburbia, the breaking down of things, perfectly encapsulated in the book.
Basically, read it. It will hold appeal for both sexes. This is not a 'girly' book. It's damn haunting and I spent at least half an hour afterwards in total book-hangover mode. Staring at the ceiling going over everything in my head that I'd just read so it could stay etched on my brain forever.
So there you so, a review of a book and of E-Reading all in one go. I'm keen to give audio books a go next. I've never used them before and it might be nice to have someone read you a story like when you're little again. We'll see what the library has to offer!
For now,
Over and out.
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