Digital Copies

I just had an interesting conversation with Cooper today. Along the way, complained a bit about the absurd prices of comics and manga. I tend to slam through manga, comfortably reading about 4 volumes at a time. One of my favorite mangas is xxxHolic, a CLAMP story about the manifestations of habits, desires, and modes of thought. It's laid out beautifully, the art is amazing, and the characters and stories are divine. I would buy the entire series, happily giving my money to the artists, if each volume wasn't $10.95 new. I realize that the artists spend a very long time planning and drawing these beautiful things and I'm sure that a whole volume is worth $10.95, but, in reality, I'm not going to buy a whole bunch of these new. I just don't have the money! This brings up an interesting point.

The worth of a book isn't in the binding. It's the relationship between the reader and the story. You can bind the Twilight series in beautiful gold-framed, embossed mermaid skin, but it doesn't mean I'm going to buy it. Just because you spent a fortune to make the physical book doesn't mean that it's actual value goes up all that much.
The same's true for any work of art! You don't look at Van Gogh's Starry Night and say "My god! He really spent a fortune on paint! I hope he got his money's worth in the end.*" No, you think "Wow! Look at these colors! And the swirls! And the yellow!! ...And is that a tree or an alien structure??" and then you fight the urge to draw on a little exploding TARDIS in the corner.

Of course, it would be lovely if Van Gogh turned a profit on this! I would pay for tickets to see it myself... If I wasn't able to find a digital copy.
This brings me to things like eBooks. How much should we pay for one? Obviously, we should pay the person who types up the thing themselves or the person who creates the technology to properly scan the thing, as well as the author, editor, and publishers... But after that's done, should we pay for every single digital copy of the book? The work has already gone into it. I know that the author and the typists or programmers are still getting paid every time we buy one, but it's still kind of weird. We're used to paying for physical copies of things. Buying a used movie is fine, because you're buying it from the original buyer. But it it okay to buy or even trade a digital copy? Where should the line be drawn, and by whom?
When you sell a work of art, you're selling the physical product and an idea. You want your copy of The Picture of Dorian Gray to hold up, but the whole reason you bought it was so that you could experience the story the pages contain. So if the physical aspect is taken away (like with eBooks), the only thing that remains it the feeling itself. In this digital age, we are peddling ideas. Nothing more.
So how much is an idea worth? Can it be translated into dollars? If so, should it be? Should it be regulated?
These are questions that I have no answers to. If you have opinions or corrections on any of the points I've made during the post, feel free to leave them in the comments! Don't worry, I don't bite! I'll even respond to each one. =)

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*As far as I know, he only sold one painting: The Red Vineyard. ...So no, he did not get his money's worth.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

I was standing in the kitchen today when something hit me. Oscar Wilde's works are in the public domain! That meant that I could get them for free on Kindle.... I quickly picked out 3 books of his (The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Selected Poems of Oscar Wilde.)
I've just begun reading The Picture of Dorian Gray. My oh my. I suspect that Oscar Wilde had a rather privileged and quite possibly incestuous relationship with Prose of the Utmost Purple. Seriously. His writing is so lovely it's almost sickening. It inundates one's mind like a slow and addictive poison, turning the reader into an extremely docile and enchanted zombie.
The most amazing thing about this book thus far is it's absolute ballsiness. In the first few pages, a character smokes opium, bishops are said to not think, and there is a mention of more then one god. Perhaps even more impressively, one of the characters (Basil) speaks of his male friend in such adoration that I wonder how Oscar Wilde was ever able to publish it in his lifetime. Here's a little quote for you...

"Harry," said Basil Hallward, looking him straight in the face, "every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter. The sitter is merely the accident, the occasion. It is not he who is revealed by the painter; it is rather the painter who, on the coloured canvas, reveals himself. The reason I will not exhibit this picture [of Dorian] is that I am afraid that I have shown in it the secret of my own soul."

If this quote is a bit too subtle for you, then take a look at a previous quote.

"Yes, that is his [Dorian's] name. I didn't intend to tell it to you."
"But why not?"
"Oh, I can't explain. When I like people immensely, I never tell their names to anyone. It is like surrendering a part of them."

It's no wonder the poor man was condemned for being gay. Pure love between two men? That simply wouldn't stand in their crippled society!

Anyway, where was I? Oh yes! I was writing book review poorly attempting to mirror the writing style of a fantastic author! Right, right.
Not only is this book quite sufficient in the balliness department, it is a treat to read. Not only is it fantastically written, it also happens to be a surprisingly easy read! I will post more about it if the mood takes me.

Until next time, by brothers! Health and godspeed.*





*What is godspeed, you may well ask? Good question! I would answer it myself, but I think that Eddie Izzard describes it succinctly enough.
[WARNING! Contains the F-Bomb! Dun dun duuuun....]
Eddie Izzard: Goodspeed

Striving for the Title of 'True LOTR Fan'

I have both a confession and some radically good news.
Okay.
Confession: I have not yet read Lord of the Rings. Yes, I feel horrible. This is the first time I have ever publicly admitted this terrible and condemning fact, and you know what?? It almost feels nice getting it off my chest. YOU HEAR THAT, WORLD??? I STARTED READING LOTR, BUT GOT LOST AND I HAVEN'T TRIED SINCE!!! I'M SORRY, AND I AM FIXING IT RIGHT NOW.
That's right. The radically good news is that I am reading it!! As of this moment, I can feel good about calling myself a fan.


....Phew. That's been weighing on me for some time now. Please don't hate on me for not reading it. Seriously. I've got enough grief from the people I've already told. XD

Reading Anxieties

Ever since I was about 8, I've been bothered by something:
Is there such a thing as a perfect book?
If so, where can I get it? Who wrote it? What title would befit such a work? And to whom would it been seen as perfect? Most importantly, how could I ever read it?  My perfect book, already read and gone over. I'd have already screamed at every suspenseful chapter, heaved a relieved sigh at every narrow escape, nodded knowingly every time my favorite character said something witty and meaningful. The pages would have been smeared with tears and grass stains, bird's feathers would have been pressed between chapters, chapter 42 would have a little smiley face.
I would hold so many unforgotten, reopened, and revised memories that just looking at the cover would bring back a torrent of tastes and feelings. It would be painful. It would hurt. And yet I'd keep on reliving and adding, relishing every mixed moment of pain and joy- like pulling out teeth before they're quite ready.
This perfect book would be so complete, no amount of fanfiction or spinoffs would ever lend comfort, however small, after it was over and done with. It would be so heart achingly perfect that I wouldn't ever be able to stop thinking about it. I'd read it over and over again, attaching my life so seamlessly to it that I actually manifest within it - just another spellbound word on a page.


I soon realized that finding the perfect book would not be good (not to mention actually reading it). It sounds like it would be quite detrimental to my health. =)