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For the past 10 years, people have been questioning the future of the book- actually, even for longer than that.
Now though we can see tat books are trendier than ever - people are reading again, writing again and why? Internet.
So, how do you foresee the future of the book 50 years from now?
As our society progesses, it is with no doubt that other new forms of media surfaces due to our advancements. This is what they term “new media”.
Of such an example is the internet.
Materials and information is easily accessible through this new medium and quite effectively so too. And with relation, even books can be read online, through the internet.
Again, I feel that this is a case of pros and cons.
The reason for the adverse use of the internet mainly voices down to the flexiblity and the connectivity of this medium; more than half of the world's population is technology based.
But I personally feel that print media, or in this case, books, will be hard to replace. I'm sure many of us would rather hold a physical, conventional copy of a book then to read it online. Thus it would be hard to adapt and change.
Books are an awesome way to communicate ideas and convey stories and I don't see a medium that can successfully overtake its role in a long time to come.
Some things will change and develop but for me, a decent book in my hands will beat staring into the digital screen hands down.
Cheers,
Kenneth
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i don’t think books will ever disappear.personally i find books to be a friend,a wonderful companion &of course a great source of knowledge & love.i don’t think the online books or ebooks can provide the kind of satisfaction & warmth that paperbooks do.when you are reading a book its like someone is with you as a friend,it makes you comfortable no matter wherever you are.a book engrosses you in a cosy world of itself.i cannot imagine the world without books.
love,
Dinu.
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Happy birthday
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I love this question. I love it because the book is not just a physical thing, but it is a magical device we have devised to share our souls. We have for years had fantasies and science fiction that speculates about what it would be like to be able to read people’s minds. Yet we have such a device here with us now, and have had for centuries. It is the book. It will never go away.
The internet is an exciting catalyst. I agree Mr. Coelho. And it also introduces us to new ways to express our thoughts, particularly in a non-linear way. Hyperlinks provide that new dimension to storeytelling. Additionally, Web 2.0 applications that provide menas for User Provided Content create opportunity for something more significant: Community Created Content. We may indeed create a truly new way to build a history of ‘tribes’ that are not all of the same village.
Still, returning to the traditional definition of book, I think there is something particularly unique about them that is unique, and will ultimately transcend new technological ways to express them.
A book in its usual form creates a tangible sense of reality that I find nowhere else. When I put down a novel part way through, even if it is a work written years ago, and read by thousnds before myself, it is as if the world is suspended and waiting for me to return. I think of those characters as waiting, currently in whatever state or dilema in which I left them. I truly believe that this immersive, almost transportive state that a book can impart is unique to its form.
It is the reason I believe the book will endure.
Thank you Mr. Coelho for your contribution to the nobility of your craft.
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Yesssssss Paulo… the book is on the table!!!
horas atrás mediei uma mesa com Fernando Morais e ele disse que era seu aniversário…pois então meus parabens ! onde quer que vc esteja planetária criatura. Gostei também da reportagem que meu querido amigo Ricardinho Franca Cruz fez com vc na Rolling Stone brazuca desse mês. A propósito ele me passou o seu recado e eu te respondo : também lhe quero bem e qualquer informação que vc tenha recebido nesses anos de que eu estaria chateado por conta de uma adaptação dos seus livros pra histórias em quadrinhos não procede. Nunca tive nada com isso . Nem sei de adaptações e nem participei de nenhuma conversa sobre isso. A única da qual participei há tantos anos foi aquela do Diario de um Mago para a Tv Manchete que você dizia gostar mas depois foi a Portugal pedir para o Doc dar uma olhada…águas passadas e o futuro lhe pertence! abraço
Ricardo Soares
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Dear Sir Coelho,
Your book the Witch of Portobello gave me a lot of strenght while in my journey in India. I’m so happy your books came accros me. I like to give my smiling thank you to you. Thanks!
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Meu querido,FELIZ ANIVERSÁRIO!!!!
Desejo muitas felicidades…beijinhos…
Sua fã e discípula,Lu.
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happy birthday
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Sua Luz é Eterna !
Beijos,
Feliz aniversário !
Tim-Tim !
Parabèns,
Mari Raphael.
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50 years from now, I think, which is possible, books will not be printed on a paper. Books will be published in a more sophisticated and technological manner. We will have then different and more advanced (out of the world) gadgets that will make paper and ink useless. Its possible. Come to think of it, flying cars have already been secretly invented, robots who think like humans are in-progress and etc… And the sad part is what if a device that can give you knowledge without even studying is invented 50 years from now? I hope not, because no one will be patient then to share a part of his/her time to read a good novel.
Anyway, I am glad I became a fan of your books. I like your books because its peppered with moral lessons. Like children’s stories. I am always satisfied with what I pay after reading a book you wrote. How I wish I have the ability to write good novels. I have mad ideas but I am not really into writing. But I am considering it and I am already making plans to study writing. I wish to meet you soon. Aryt.
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Dear Paulo,
I think you are right that the written ,but also the audio and visual expression will be strongly enhanced by internet, because somehow internet evokes people to express themselves in all sorts of ways. I must even admit that being a poor reader of the classical book I somehow by the frequent use of internet gradually became more and more fascinated by written literature and also by the audiovisual expressions /text on the internet. Due to the reading of the beautiful stuff that I found through the internet, I am seriously considering to go write myself, because I realise that by writing you can feel or enjoy “the river” even much stronger than by reading.
As far as the future of the book concerns I observe that gradually all forms of expression are merging more and more on the internet. On your own website we see the beautiful river combining a beautiful comforting text about life with beautiful slides , (that is something different than a text with some poor drawings (by someone like William Blake two centuries ago). On “you tube” you can see music and beautiful lyrics accompanied by beautiful visual productions made by different people so reassembling the original authors text to new expressions and new meanings. The most beautiful thing is that we can easily select the expressions to which we feel related to. The internet therefore creates a creative space that will be very close to our lives (like everybody has its own royal library including connected audio and visual art expressions but also the possibility to contribute without interference of nasty publishers etc). For the moment this also creates the desire to buy the physical book. Whether the physical book will survive I am doubting. Two days ago, during my daily train trip from the Hague to Amsterdam (both in the Netherlands), I encountered a very fragile looking blond English lady, her face was a little pale and her noose a little hooked, but she had very friendly blue eyes, I could not estimate her age , the eyes looked wise and therefore seemed to be aged but the rest of her face was seemingly much younger. In her hands she had some strange very thin black device which she held up like she was reading what was on one side, leaving the black surface to my view. After some time I could not fight my curiosity any longer and overcame my shy ness and decided to start a conversation by asking her , what she held in her hands. Than she explained in a very friendly way that it was an e- book and that she could carry hundreds of books this way, since she was a fanatic reader (perhaps even writer, I did not have time to ask) and travelled frequently , she saved a lot of space in her suitcase. She showed me the side she was looking at and I saw a very readable text like I am writing now on the screen. At the same time I read the card attached to her luggage, reading some name like ..” Holly ….. and than I am not sure L’is le …. “. Than it all fitted, she was a witch or I was dreaming, unfortunately I had to leave the train at that moment not finding out who or what she actually was. But you can imagine that my doubt about the eternity of the physical paper book was born.. but was very comforted by the idea that the e-book will have a glorious future!
Victor van Rij
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Dear Paulo,
I am reading Brida right now and it is the most beautiful story I have ever read. You are a brilliant remarkable man. I posted a review on my website Gorgeous for God.
Thank you.
Love, lisa
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Querido Paulo,
Yo siento y veo al libro “sobrevivir”, pues lo siento un tesoro mágico que nos transporta a un desarrollo y conexión interna muy importante. Ese momento a solas, con esas páginas, creando un momento siempre tan especial, creo que no se puede prescindir de ello.
Internet es una herramienta importante, pero hay cosas que son insustituibles, y la tecnología no puede reemplazarlo todo.
A real book will survive :) So please, Paulo, keep writing :)
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Dearest Paulo..
Sorry, i know this is a bit off topic.. But happy birthday :) i wish you all of the best and many many happy returns. Have a wonderful day..
Love you alot..
Thank you for being..
Yajna
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Look that… look this…
the stars still there, can you see?
all long we will try change the reflexionS?
language? no contact?
in the mirror every body can ready the same book, and never enter in the real history, the mirror will be there for long long time.
this is what I watch.
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I do not every seeing books as in paper bound on one edge with text on the pages ever ending. Other forms as in digital may at some point be more popular. BUT I do not see that in my life.
As far as other digital media like TV or movies totally replacing word stories. I do not see that as ever. So long as ONE individual can sit down a write either on paper or on a computer. Stories through words will be there.
As too why Books are more popular today. There are more warm bodies on the planet thus the greater demand. Secondary in America our media is so controlled by big business. They have no clue as to what the public really wants. Secondary with so many people there are so many likes and dislikes. What is good for my neighbor may not be suitable for me
Besides I cheat. I listen to audio books while at work. I was able download one of your books from iTunes for free (The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream). I later purchased Brida, and The Witch of Portobello. and I will be purchasing the Devil and Miss Prymn.
Noppie
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hi
My opinion is .Books was is and will be forever here for people who are interesting of reading .i think why is boom of books now markantly see ,because people are tired of tv with full of realty shows with full of human stupidity and simplicity .The future of books are huge I think it will be reborn in these days and in the future.World is full of materialistic and consum people who dont have time for each other .They dont speak to each other how they feel .And one day they must stop and make a time for self .They took a book and relax ,imagine .As we know book is the best friend of people who like culture ,art at all .(ps excuse my english )
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It’s bliss to hear you speak. There’s magic and sensations in your words, written or spoken, doesn’t matter.
No matter how much these technology and virtual world expands, book will always be there and nothing will ever be able to replace them, their smell, their feel, the magic, the power of these written words………..well they can never be replaced. Time will come and go but books will always be there, however their form may undergo changes with the changes in the surrounding environments.
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Posso com o meu humilde português participar do seu blog?
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For me there is very simple reason why paper book should exist. I look at the computer screen a good part of the day every day and this is bad for my eyes. So in the evening I don’t want to look at the screen again - I want my paper book.
About reading books.
You said that more people than ever read books. But at this moment more people than ever exist. As a percentage there still could be less readers than ever. When reading a book each person creats it’s own movie, but still it’s easier to just look at the movie and not create one. I’m afraid that each generation has less imagination due to movies, computer games etc.
Love,
Kim
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Books will not go, nothing beats going on a long journey and sitting on a train alone and looking up at other strangers travelling and looking at the book they are reading and by the end of your journey you are no longer strangers….thats what books have done for me and hope this never changes!
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Good day everyone!
This is my first time to enter the website of your blog and thanks for good stranger who happen to share it with me.
Honestly speaking, i am not a lover of books, it was only now that i’m starting to embrace the fact that books are essential to our life. I would like to personally thank you, Mr. Paulo Coelho for being an inspiration to a lot of people. I am one of you fan! I’ve just read one of you books “The Zahir” and i definitely enjoyed it! I’m looking forward to having a copy of some of your books and i’m really excited to read them.
Well, anyway, 50 years from now, i think that the future of books would still be the same. No matter how advance our technology is getting, no one can still replace the paper books that are published. Now, i understand why some people are trying their best to get their own copy of a particular book that they love. Books are considered a friend of man. It entertains you, gives you lifetime lessons and most of all it gives you a feeling that you are not alone.. for with every story you read, there is always a piece of yourself that you see in a particular character. Thanks to all the books, they make each day of our life less boring and something to look forward to.
Via
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In fifty years, for sure, I will not be on this planet…
My books, my paintings, my music and some precious ornaments and jewels, will be here to remind my children of my ‘world’.
But this World, I am going to take with me. It is the beauty that has transformed me and added colours to my Aura, together with ..LOVE .
THELMA
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