[narraturgy]

Re: "not suitable for repeated readings"

I have seen this sentiment repeated elsewhere and this thread, and I feel compelled to ask what atrocities are you folks committing to your paperback books on a daily basis that they can only be read once before they are evidently turning to dust in the wind?

I regularly check out paperback books from my library which have not only withstood dozens of readers before me, but also the automated sorting machines that my library chain (Queens NY) uses, as well as regular shipment between different libraries. Despite all of this, most of these books are still entirely readable and some of them honestly look pretty good for their usage.

There seem to be a lot of people in this thread who value books primarily as an art medium for filling up bookshelves, and I'm happy that they get enjoyment from that, but the point of getting a paperback book is the ability to read a book, take in its content once or twice, maybe lend it to some companions, and then move on with your life without worrying about the proper conditions under which to store paper for archival purposes.

[Jedd]

Agreed.

Any book I've purchased new - either paperback or hard cover - after I've read it is virtually indistinguishable from the new item state.

Folding corners, breaking the spine, using it as a sandwich plate / umbrella / fly swatter -- these are things I can not abide.

[reallydontask]

I guess a lot of people commit the unpardonable crime (tongue firmly in cheek) of folding the paperbacks open .. no wonder they don't last

[stinos]

Even if you'd fold them open to the point they almost break and individual pages get loose, it still does not yield the book unreadable. I've read books like that. No, it's not exactly the best experience, but as long as all pages are there and in order then I still don't really see it as a major problem, there's already enough thrash in the world.

(not addressed toyou, but don't feel like making separate comments and it in agreement with OP): Likewise for the yellow pages problem another commenter mentions. If it's just the color the only real effect is, I think, a bit less contrast between the letters and background. I seriously wonder if this has an actual effect on reading. I get that if you somehow attach, for whatever reason, value to paper being white, you consider yellow paper as less valueable. But imo this is in most cases purely artificial value: for reading the content matters way more than the medium. Those hundreds of years old yellow books do have value because of their content, and are perfectly readable.