Which is something that I can appreciate - because I can grab a copy of the original and compare it to the improved version. I'm enough of a bibliophile to enjoy doing that - I've spent time looking at different printings of Dhalgren just to try and figure out the differences...
I think, for me, that I'm afraid of losing that ability. That's I love books, real physical books - I want to be able to sit and see where the author changed something, or how one edition chose to lay things out as opposed to another. Electronic texts scare me with the idea that somebody can just change things without care or with barely a second thought. I love the ability to look at v1998 and then at v2008 (which I'll now do) and see new choices made by a more experienced author - but without the original version I don't get that experience...
Ok, I know I kind of reversed myself there, but your comment let me clarify what it is that I love and what I'm afraid of losing. Thank you for that!
Re: On the interconnectedness of books...
Date: 2011-10-12 11:31 pm (UTC)I think, for me, that I'm afraid of losing that ability. That's I love books, real physical books - I want to be able to sit and see where the author changed something, or how one edition chose to lay things out as opposed to another. Electronic texts scare me with the idea that somebody can just change things without care or with barely a second thought. I love the ability to look at v1998 and then at v2008 (which I'll now do) and see new choices made by a more experienced author - but without the original version I don't get that experience...
Ok, I know I kind of reversed myself there, but your comment let me clarify what it is that I love and what I'm afraid of losing. Thank you for that!
D.