Jonathan Franzen: e-books are damaging society

[Erik T. Burns]

lovely string of commentary (some pro- but mostly anti-) on this essay
over at Metafilter:
http://www.metafilter.com/112211/I-dont-have-a-crystal-ball



On Mon, Jan 30, 2012 at 10:05 PM, Mark Kohut <markekohut at yahoo.com> wrote:
> This irony occurred to me belatedly. Franzen claims our
> "want it now" society makes us want instant ebooks and
> his publisher did the best job since all harry potter readers kept
> growing and growing at wanting everyone to have his book
>
> ALL AT ONCE.
>
> I think that quantum foam which underlies the universe is made of irony...
>
> AND, I am mad at myself for not seeing this as publicity for his paperback
> mostly, that circus monkey.....
>
> Sure as hell bet it ain't selling like planned.........too many hardbacks sold
> and too much disappointment amidst no more reasons to believe.............
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Mark Kohut <markekohut at yahoo.com>
> To: "kelber at mindspring.com" <kelber at mindspring.com>; "pynchon-l at waste.org" <pynchon-l at waste.org>
> Cc:
> Sent: Monday, January 30, 2012 1:31 PM
> Subject: Re: Jonathan Franzen: e-books are damaging society
>
> The F,S & G hype machine of intellectual intimidation is
>
> a good one...........
>
> unfortunately..........
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "kelber at mindspring.com" <kelber at mindspring.com>
> To: pynchon-l at waste.org
> Cc:
> Sent: Monday, January 30, 2012 12:59 PM
> Subject: Re: Jonathan Franzen: e-books are damaging society
>
> Franzen is one of our greatest living novelists (according to the article)?  Yikes!
>
> Laura
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
>>From: Richard Ryan <himself at richardryan.com>
>>Sent: Jan 30, 2012 11:57 AM
>>To: "Erik T. Burns" <eburns at gmail.com>
>>Cc: pynchon-l at waste.org
>>Subject: Re: Jonathan Franzen: e-books are damaging society
>>
>>It's not so much him being on the lawn....it's the steaming piles he
>>leaves behind.
>>
>>On Mon, Jan 30, 2012 at 10:45 AM, Erik T. Burns <eburns at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Hey Franzzzzen, get off my lawn.
>>>
>>> an alternative view:
>>> http://technologizer.com/2012/01/23/why-history-needs-software-piracy/
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Mon, Jan 30, 2012 at 1:50 PM, Chiang Wang <ooiioocc at hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>> Jonathan Franzen has launched a passionate defence of the printed book,
>>>> warning that our desire for
>>>> the instant gratification of e-books is damaging for society.
>>>>
>>>> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/hay-festival/9047981/Jonathan-Franzen-e-books-are-damaging-society.html
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>--
>>Richard Ryan
>>New York and the World
>>~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
>>"The reasonable man adapts himself to the conditions that surround
>>him. The unreasonable man adapts surrounding conditions to himself.
>>All progress depends on the unreasonable man." - Shaw
>