the economics of literature
I was in the bookstore yesterday browsing for a new read… lately my favorites are historical fiction so if anyone has any recommendations in that genre i’m interested. But these days, with the price of imported english-language books pretty steep*, thickness and word per page density are also important criteria.
The last book I bought was The Abyssinian Proof by Jenny White. Very enjoyable, linking the 1453 conquest of Constantinople with antiquities thefts and murders 400 years later, investigated by magistrate Kamil Pasha. Jenny White has some other similar books but the only one I found here is still in hardcover and thus out of price range.
Total of 455 pages @ 18 turkish lira price = equals 4 cents per page. Not too bad, and I made it last for a week when I can normally read a book like this in a couple days. But I decided I could do better, though it would mean a return to the classics.
That’s right, the master of long and dense (and entertaining!) literature, Charles Dickens. Actually, I can’t remember ever reading a complete C.D. novel, so it’s about time. Total of 554 pages @ 16 turkish lira = a miniscule 2.8 cents per page. Score!
*Actually, when you do the conversion, the prices are not that much more than retail book prices in the US. The problem is that in the US I often got books at libraries so I could read a much higher volume (and the things I truly wanted to read) without spending hardly any money. Here, despite generous sharing among book-reading friends, it’s hard to find specific books and libraries are practically nonexistent so we naturally spend more money to read. I’ve also adapted by intentionally reading slower!
Rebecca said,
October 14, 2009 @ 4:09 pm
Great Expectations, great choice! I have read it several times and seen it on stage too in the West End. I own all Dickens works but have not read all of them yet (they are boxed and stored in the UK). He is not to everyone’s taste but I find him very entertaining.
Sybil davis said,
November 1, 2009 @ 11:04 pm
Hi Rebecca, Have you gone to Linda’s book exchange near Tunel, by the Babylon club…I think you’ve been there…but it might be another place for free books. I have enjoyed pbs’ masterpiece theatre productions of Dickens’ works…you can watch them online. But then again, there’s nothing like fluffing up those pillows and reading in bed, I say.
I’m forwarding you an interesting writing job…I know you’re more than busy already, but you might know someone…
thinking of you my dear,
love,
Sybil
Winter said,
November 30, 2009 @ 4:47 pm
If you plan to stay in Turkey, might an ebook reader not be worth the investment?
r · j · s said,
December 1, 2009 @ 1:34 am
Hi Winter – Actually I had looked into that, but from what I could tell, they wouldn’t work outside the US, or at least not here. There are only certain networks that they connect with apparently, and I don’t think Turkey is tops on their list. However, that said, if they did some marketing to expats around the world they might find it to be a very willing customer base.