I’ve
been spending a lot of time in waiting rooms lately. I don’t mind as long as I
have a good book to read, but I worry about forgetting it if I set it down. And
since I don’t always want to carry a purse, I prefer to read something that
fits in my pocket—generally known as mass market paperbacks.
Once
upon a time, publishers printed many books as mass market paperbacks. They print
some, but the selection is mostly limited to romance and best-selling authors,
which aren’t my usual reading preferences.
Years
ago, I collected Agatha Christie mass market paperbacks. I didn’t intend it as
a collection at first. I just bought them to read them, and the size was
perfect for taking to the doctor or the dentist or anywhere else I might have
to wait. Several years ago I decided my Agatha Christie mysteries were a
collection after all, albeit with a few holes. Unfortunately, when I tried to
buy those missing volumes, they no longer came in the 4 X 7 inch mass market
size, so my nicely arranged shelves are marred with several books that are an
inch too wide and an inch too tall. And, unfortunately, those books don’t fit
in my pocket.
When
did publishers and readers decide that bigger is better? Maybe more people
would buy paperbacks if they were easier to carry when going out. Or have we
become so narcissistic that we want our books large enough so that everyone to
see what we are reading and commend us for being trendy or sophisticated or
intellectual?
I’d
rather have a book I can put in my pocket.
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