On illustrated books: In praise of the "slow read"
Posted by Peter Blaiwas on Thu, Sep 16, 2010
At my office, on most any day, multiple articles arrive concerning the "deaths" of publishing, text or, really, printed matter of any sort. I fret, of course, about how the days of my chosen livelihood—I like to think of it as a vocation—apparently are numbered.
I readily acknowledge that I will probably always travel the information superhighway at just above minimum speed. But recently I've started considering the quality of all that information whizzing by me in both the left and right "lanes." Text and content have come to be generic terms of choice for "stuff to learn that is available online"; in the digital-design world, they're more frequently interpreted as "stuff with which you fill web pages."
Without exception, the news heralding advances in content delivery focus on clarity, comfort, and the speed with which the reader can absorb information and move on to something new. Today everyone is required to learn an enormous amount in order to keep up with our complex society, and the speed of delivery of this information load certainly shows no signs of slowing down.
But where does that leave the people for whom reading and/or spending time enjoying a fine illustrated book are pleasures, or even felt viscerally, as with any (gasp!) passion?
When I read online, I find that something provided in the context of an endless barrage of "content"—a photo amidst millions of other photos, for example—is very difficult to appreciate, let alone savor.* And that brings to mind the slow-food movement, which has developed out of some people's desire to experience growing, cooking, and eating food as something that goes beyond a mere nutrition-delivery system. Its advocates revel in using fresh, local ingredients and taking time to cook and appreciate delicious meals.
Some people also consider cooking to be an art form. I'm not well enough informed to offer an opinion about that, and I'm also reluctant to elevate beautifully made illustrated books to the status of "art." But art never offers a free ride: instead, it demands of anyone who wants to appreciate it attention, observation, and thoughtful consideration.
The books that I love (including some that I've had a hand in creating) are not just beautiful to behold, but also to touch, smell, and hear. Experiencing a wonderful book is, to me, similar to devoting time to looking at a photograph in an art gallery.
I can also be pretty sure that turning the pages of an illustrated book won't require me to turn off three pop-up advertisements during the course of my perusal. This makes me wonder whether any software developer has bothered to devise an app that respects the experience of reading, which, for the most part, leaves no room (or need!) for advertising? If you build it, I will go there.
* Savor: to experience slowly, in order to derive as much enjoyment and/or pleasure as possible...