A recent Spark episode included a short discussion of the possible impact of e-readers on the length of books. It was suggested that e-readers may be responsible for an increase in book length. The argument being that e-readers make huge tomes easier to transport and more accessible.
In some ways this argument does make sense. Book lengths have often impacted by external factors, the invention of the printing press, how authors were paid, the price of paper, and the increase of leisure time all impacted the general length of books being published. However, given the wave of resistance against e-readers that still exists, I'm not entirely sure that e-readers can be deemed solely responsible for the changes in the literary world.
A recent Active History post also deals with the history of books and The e-Book Revolution.
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