BY ROGER WATSON

Admittedly, this is somewhat of a late review. Kindle is now in its sixth generation with an array of devices, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. While my wife was an early adopter along with three of my daughters, I was not convinced. The original models had no backlight, and this was sold as an advantage as the backlighting on other devices such as iPads and smart phones can be harmful, especially when a device is being used in low light.

This sounded like a great idea at the time, but the problem was that, for example on a plane at night, the original Kindle could not be read without the passenger light being on, to the detriment of others trying to sleep. I well recall long haul flights in the early days of Kindles with the cabin lit up like a shopping mall. Then a few years later I noted that, while Kindles were as popular as ever, the top lights were off, and rows of my fellow passengers were sitting reading bathed in the warm glow of the backlight from the subsequent generation of Kindles; plus ça change.

I did investigate the possibilities of Kindle by having the app on my iPad. But the offensive glare of the backlight was unpleasant if used on a plane accompanied by the frequent ‘thump’ as my iPad hit the floor once again to see me on my knees in the isle trying to retrieve it. The problem with iPads is that they are heavy. So, I resisted the Kindle craze for many years.

Then, recently, I was on one of the historic trams in Lisbon with my wife when the tram became stuck due to a parked car obstructing the way. Much to our amusement the driver could not be found, the police were called, and we remained there for at least half an hour. While I resorted to my mobile phone for amusement and to see what else we could do within walking distance my wife whipped her Kindle out, seemingly, from nowhere and carried on with the novel she was reading. With my phone battery on the verge of expiring I would have given a great deal to have the novel I was reading with me but, due to its weight and size, it remained by my bed in the hotel. I felt a distinct pang of envy.

While my wife’s original model is now obsolete, and I found it quite hard to navigate, one of my daughters upgraded to a more recent model which she let me try. Once again, that pang of envy. It was as light as an iPhone to hold, subtly backlit, and touch navigated. I was on my Amazon site in a flash and now find myself with a Kindle. I must admit to being a convert. I used it first on a long haul flight recently and found it much easier to read than a book. In fact, I had several books in my case—my greatest fear is being stranded without one—and they remained unopened for the duration of my journey. I also joined the jet set of people sitting in the lounge with my Kindle and on the plane. I soon realised that there is an unspoken bond of smugness between us Kindle users and I had been missing out on this for the past fifteen years.

So much for the good points; what does a Kindle lack? Top of my list is that, while the smugness induced in using a Kindle is appealing, the smugness in having other people see what you are reading and thus realising what a clever dickie you are is lost. Many people refer to the feel of a book, which admittedly is missing, but what I miss most is that indescribable smell of a book and, in my view, no two books smell the same. It may just be me, but I think textbooks smell boring and novels smell interesting (surely the basis for a future research project).

The other thing missing – the happy coincidences that occur in bookshelves whether you arrange your books alphabetically, by subject, size or colour. Where the Kindle brings your current book to the top left of the home screen and a handful of other books in your collection are visible, there is nothing like being able to scan dozens of books in an instant in a set of bookshelves. Thus, on my actual bookshelves French Christian mystic Simone Weil resides next to Scottish drug culture author Irvine Welsh, American travel writer Bill Bryson ends up next to Scottish boys’ own author John Buchan, Indian independence activist Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography leans on obscure Victorian writer George Gissing’s New Grub Street and Andrew Robert’s masterful biography of Lord Salisbury rubs dust covers with Gita Sereny’s authoritative biography of Hitler’s architect Albert Speer.

I continue, much to my wife’s chagrin, to have a book ‘on the go’ in almost every room of the house. I find it hard to stick with a single book and read for different purposes. But the one place the Kindle has usurped hard copy is at my bedside. The lightness of the device means that it is comfortable to read while hunkered down under the duvet and, unlike some weighty tome, you don’t have to get out of bed every now and then to retrieve it from the floor. You don’t have to wonder where you put the bookmark, you just close it. Where my grandchildren are prone to pulling the bookmarks out of grandad’s books, I simply open the Kindle and I am back where I left off.

Finally, I have the ultimate device for Desert Island Discs, in the unlikely event that I am invited to participate. When it comes to the end of the programme, and I am told I have The Bible and the complete works of Shakespeare and am asked which luxury item I would like I would say ‘my Kindle’. I am sure they’ll also let me have a solar charger and wifi.

Roger Watson is a Registered Nurse and Editor-in-Chief of Nurse Education in Practice.