Why Do ‘Real’ Readers Hate E-Readers So Much?
And do they have a point?
Few things divide the reading community so heavily as e-readers versus physical books. Many will claim that real readers avoid these little screens and instead bulk-buy at their local bookstore. But others will argue that an e-reader is the only way to efficiently and economically read enough books in a year. Moreover, it unlocks advantages that allow you to enjoy your passion for reading to a greater extent.
As someone who gave into temptation and purchased an e-reader but still has bookshelves of novels waiting to be read, I decided to look into the root of this divide. Why do those who consider themselves ‘real’ readers hate e-readers so much, and do they have a point?
1. The smell of pages
When you consider the most popular scents, you’ll likely come to the traditional smells of freshly cut grass, rain, firewood and more. You’ll have the oddball who enjoys sniffing the oily aroma of petrol stations or someone who concerningly claims cherry vanilla to be their favourite.
It’s rare for us to add the smell of a new book and fresh pages to this list, and yet it is a commonly listed reason why readers don’t like e-readers. We yearn for that fresh scent of a book, the history of travelling from the author’s…
