Jonathan Franzen: ‘Maybe nobody will care about printed books 50 years from now, but I do’

By Dianna Dilworth 

Author Jonathan Franzen is not a fan of eBooks. While speaking at the Hay Festival in Cartagena, Colombia, last week, he said that print books are more permanent than eBooks.

The Telegraph UK recorded his comments: “Maybe nobody will care about printed books 50 years from now, but I do. When I read a book, I’m handling a specific object in a specific time and place. The fact that when I take the book off the shelf it still says the same thing – that’s reassuring. Someone worked really hard to make the language just right, just the way they wanted it. They were so sure of it that they printed it in ink, on paper.”

You can read more at eBookNewser: “Franzen defended the paperback technology saying that he could spill water on it and it would still work. He also defended the print format for its permanence.” You can also watch a video about more cutting-edge features of print books.