The Count and I, or Size Matters

I've been reading The Count of Monte Cristo for months.  It's a good story, but reading so slowly, I've forgotten who some of the people are, especially because they're called by different names at different points in the book, and I'm not sure if I remember all the plot details.  I know it's about love and revenge.  And it's exciting.

But what I've discovered is that I should not be reading this on my beloved Kindle.  I love my Kindle because it's easy on my arthritic thumbs.  I no longer have thumbs of steel, capable of holding open even the newest, unbroken-spine book.  But after reading 40 pages on my Kindle and only advancing 1%, I got discouraged.  Was this book 4,000 pages long?  Was the book getting longer?  There seemed no end in sight.  I need more encouragement than that.

So I went to my favorite used book store, The Book Trader, and found a wonderfully floppy Modern Library paperback of The Count of Monte Cristo.  The book lies in my lap like a happy cat.  No need to hold it open with my sad thumbs.  Better yet, after reading, I move my bookmark farther into the book.  Yes, I am actually making progress!  I'm clearly a donkey and carrot kind of person.  I'm now 989 pages into the 1,462 page book.

No longer will I torture myself reading chunksters on my Kindle.  My Kindle's great for normal size books, for reading in bed, for taking along on vacations or while waiting for appointments.

But, as far as reading on my Kindle, size matters.  At least for me.