A Defence of the Kindle

People are often surprised when they find out that I have a kindle. I suppose in many ways I am completely typical of the kind of person that would hate them. I study English Literature. I write with a fountain pen. I wear vintage clothes, take photos on film and listen to records. I'm not into technology – I have had the same phone since I was fourteen and cannot see the point in the iPad. And yet I that the kindle is absolutely amazing.

My main problem with books is that they take up so much room. Well, one book doesn't but if you're like me and can't see a Waterstones without popping in then the books tend to accumulate and slowly, slowly take over. Although I've moved out, my parents haven’t converted my bedroom into something exciting like a private cinema or studio – mainly because they have nowhere else to store the books I cannot fit in my new house. Every time I move I break my back filling box after box with paperbacks I've picked up here and there. When I was a child I was limited to only taking one book on holiday as, had I been given the choice, it would have been a suitcaseful. So when the kindle came out my mum told me that I just had to get one. (This has by no means put a stop to my book buying though, merely slowed it.)

The design is amazing. I'm not exactly sure how it works but the screen is created to look as much like a page as possible. There is no backlight so it doesn't hurt your eyes and you soon forget that it's not paper in your hands. It's easy to work and smaller and lighter than most books. Plus you can buy books anywhere that has Wi-Fi, and although you can no longer meet the man of your dreams when he asks you about Dorian Gray, (500) Days of Summer style, you can now finally read Harry Potter on the train without feeling like a big kid.

My mum's favourite feature is that you can increase the font size. It's true that you can get many books in large print, however most of these books are by Barbara Cartland or about Kipper the Dog – which is fine, if that's what you like. But my mum doesn't. She's interested in lots of things – art and geology and natural history – and although her eyes are getting worse, her mind is not. This feature of the kindle is perfect for her, by allowing her to read all the things that she wants too, comfortably.

My sister also has a problem with finding books she can read. This is because she lives abroad, and while this is interesting and new and exciting it does have a few drawbacks. Not being able to buy party rings is one. Having only one bookshop with an English Language section in the entire city is another one. As well as the limited selection they are also very expensive – up to three times what they cost on kindle. For her, it's much more convenient and cheap to buy from the internet straight to her kindle.

The most common objection voiced when discussing the kindle is people saying: 'Oh, but I like having a book, holding it there in my hands.' Who are they kidding? Paperbacks are among the least remarkable things in the world. The interesting thing in any book – in every book – is the words. It's the way that a story, a message or an opinion can be transferred from the mind of someone you have never met to yours over hundreds of years or hundreds of miles. And with the kindle you can literally thousands of books by thousands of people. All in one place, in your hands. Now that is what I call amazing.