ONE day over the New Year break I found myself standing next to a barbecue, beer in hand, watching the dolphins glide up a Yangebup canal.
It doesn’t get any better.
Chatting with my Uncle Greg, the conversation quickly moved from what a pack of losers the Eagles were, to classical literature.
As we learnedly discussed the pros and cons of 19th century Russian authors, Uncle deftly pulled out his iPhone and said, “Have a gander at this!”
Before me on the tiny iPod screen was the opening page of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace.
I was gobsmacked!
“That’s a big read for a little contraption!” exclaimed I.
When it comes to literature, I love the smell of old, yellowing paper and glue. I’m a tactile sort of guy.
Bugger the trees, give me a paperback edition any day!
But Uncle Greg’s eBook reader intrigued me.
Waving to passing boats, he began to edify me about a website called Project Gutenberg.
Here, Uncle informed me, was a place where you could download over 30,000 free e-books onto your PC or iPhone.
Apparently, all the book titles’ copyrights had expired, so it is perfectly legal.
As I ripped the scab off another coldie and watched the sausages sizzle, my IT-savvy relative casually downloaded Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment and – just to show off – dropped in Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary before I even had time to flip the steaks.
In a matter of minutes Uncle had availed himself of enough good-quality literature to not only see him through the New Year’s break but also a fair chunk of an autumn read too.
Back in Perth last week, and there was great wailing and gnashing of teeth when my wife informed me of the amount the kid’s school texts will cost this year.
I am a traditionalist but what I saw on my Uncle’s iPod this summer really excited me.
The electronic book has arrived and while it may take its time finding its way into our snugly, warm beds, the sooner the e-book gets into our classrooms, the better for all our wallets.