Every time I manage to get something for free, whether it is a nightstand from the alley, cheese and crackers from an event I didn't attend, or a book online, I feel an inner moment of bliss from cheating the system. Maybe it's because I read Stranger Things online to begin with that the idea of reading a book online doesn't bother me as much as others. Yes, reading online is definitely different, online is public while a book is personal. There is a private personal attachment to a physical book, for instance, if I lend a book to someone and don't get it back, I will burn with resentment and no longer call that person my friend. Books are dear to the heart, a kind of friend. Reading online lacks all intimacy, its like porn, or something... I'll flesh out that simile later, but I have to say that the convenience of online reading will sometimes outweigh the lack of person-to-print bonding.
I just reread an old time favorite of mine online, 1984, which I probably would not have done if I had to truck to the library, worry about overdue fines, or buy it outright from a bookstore (which hardly ever happens), so I read something because I got it online. Is that such a bad thing? And with the prospect of moving again, I am not looking forward to lugging those books up and down stairs for the third time in three years. Having books is wonderful but so is having the option of attaining stories through the internet, where it might even reach more people.
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