I admit to starting out cautiously, and only with books that I would normally order that had shipping that was too expensive, and would take too long to arrive. And I had to use Deb's I-Pad, which was used by her for stop motion animation photography, and many other things. So it was perhaps a book per month, if that, at the beginning. Obviously I liked the fact that one could order a book and receive it instantly. What's not to like about that? But I found that I had to keep a notebook handy, and going back and finding a quote or page previously read was not that easy. But this turned into a good habit, and I use that notebook for all books now, Kindle and otherwise.
The cost of most Kindle books is usually less than a regular book. And once the shipping is excluded from that cost, then the savings are significant. But then come the real bargains, and the fact that an entire library can accompany you wherever you go. In addition to about a hundred books related to my Avon/Equinox project that are on my Kindle (I have since bought a Fire tablet, and no longer have to bother Deb for her I-pad), and many that are not, some recent acquisitions have made me very excited. For $2.99 I now have all ten volumes of Burton's Arabian Nights translations. I began reading this series over one summer in university, around 1980. Now I plan to try again. More of this in one moment.
For $0.99 each, I purchased the complete novels of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. Many of those I wish to read as well, beginning with Mysterious Island by Verne. And for the same price, I now have the complete Poe. Not downstairs on my shelf, but with me when I travel. Hard to find novels, such as early works by E. C. Tubb, are readily available on Kindle. Someday it is likely that all books will be available this way. I am now used to using Kindle, and can find my way around a novel easily now, using bookmarks if I wish. But when I turn on the Kindle to read, it automatically takes me to where I left off with my last book. That is a feature that works well for me. So I am now a confirmed Kindle lover, even though at present I still read mostly real books. But even after a major purge a few years ago, I am once again running out of shelf space. Kindle is saving me room on those shelves, and money. Who could ask for more?
Recently, Pasolini's Arabian Nights became available on the Criterion Channel. I chose it as my next movie. Back around 1981 or 1982 it actually played at a suburban movie theatre in Detroit, and Deb and I went to see it. It was a work night, and we had to be up early next morning. The movie ran over 150 minutes back then, and we ended up having to leave before it was finished. I have never seen that movie in circulation since. Of course I remembered nothing at all of it, except that there were stories within stories within stories, an idea that fascinated me at the time. The movie has since been re-edited and cut down to just over 120 minutes. One of the extras that come with it (well over an hour of extras this time) are the deleted scenes, so we did get to see the entire film once again. This movie was the third and final one of the director's ancient tales trilogy. We will soon be watching Canterbury Tales and The Decameron, too. Good times for culture vultures.
Filmed mostly in Yemen, the settings are totally incredible! Scenes were also shot in Iran, Ethiopia, and even Nepal. There is an awful lot of nudity, men and women, boys and girls, and the film is rated X as a result. The violence is sparse but heavy when it comes, and includes a young girl having her arms, legs, and then her head chopped off by a vengeful jinn. There is also a castration. Ouch. And so, once again, I will soon be dipping in and out of Burton's translation of the Arabian Nights. I had never forgotten about my stalled reading project, but until I found it on Kindle for $2.99, I was going nowhere with it.
Mapman Mike
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