A little snooze

    Another Dark Puss 'find' for us, this time library users 'resting their eyes'; (my favourite is the toddler quite near the bottom of the page!). I wonder what they were reading that caused them to doze off? The Big Sleep, Twilight Sleep or Sleep, Pale Sister?

    Here's a genuine question, though, are e-readers less snooze-inducing than paper books? I mean, does the pressing of the buttons and what have you perhaps use areas of the brain not employed by a normal book and does this keep the reader more alert? I see the new iPad includes "a virtual bookshelf complete with cover art", which sounds interesting - more on the device here, if you're still awake.

Comments

[Dark Puss]

Glad to be of service dear Cornflower! I will put your "snooze-inducing" question to a couple of people I know who are avid book readers and who possess an e-reader. I will feedback any useful comments.

On your very own site there is a lovely Sleeping Beauty with the book title very clear to see!

[Erika]

Reading a book at breakfast, as usual, I became aware of how important the feel of a book is to me. My fingers hold clumps of pages and have the next one ready to turn quite often. I consciously dislike reading from a book lying flat on the table and e-readers repel me for this reason. Microfilm readers repelled me when I had to use them a lot as a graduate student; they were the dead opposite to snooze inducing. I have tried a kindle reader, pressed upon me by an enthusiastic friend, and after finishing one book I gave it away to another friend, telling him to feel free to pass it on and...he has done so.

[Anna]

That's a great gallery. I applaud the guy sleeping in the Seattle library; those blocky orange chairs are not that comfortable.

I don't know if this can be extended to e-readers, but I find myself much less likely to fall asleep when reading things on the computer than I do reading paper books. I don't know exactly why this is. Maybe because the screen is bright and therefore keeps your attention better.

[Lindsay]

Answer to your e-reader question on Monday over at booksdofurnisharoom! But, for anyone who hasn't tried one, the experience is nothing like reading microfilm or a computer screen at all!