This is the first book I have ever read entirely online. I did so through the web site DailyLit.com. Every morning, I would receive a short installment of the novel in my e-mail, and in 81 days, I was finished. There has been a lot of talk lately about the death of books. Between Kindles, audio books, and now a service like this, some are beginning to doubt the viability of the written word. There is even a prep school near me that has completely dismantled its library, replacing it with a fleet of Sony Readers lent to students.
Despite all this, I don't think books are going to die. In fact, now that I have enjoyed this book, I will probably buy a used copy somewhere just to put on my bookshelf. After all, I like looking at the books I have read, and I like being able to flip through them occasionally. Even if books were to die, the written word isn't going anywhere. Books, after all, are just an advanced delivery system for the written word, and I don't think a site like DailyLit will hasten their demise.
If anything, DailyLit will help, making it easier for people who don't have time to read to fit it into their schedule. The installments are set to take about five minutes to read, and everyone has five minutes to spare, no matter how busy. In the end, this was an interesting way to read. As when I read David Copperfield, I loved the serialized nature of it, and it's nice to read a few paragraphs of a novel before starting your day. There were even a few cliffhangers along the way, though you can always ask to be sent the next installment, if you can't wait a day to see what happens.
For me, I'm still planning to read physical books, but I want to use DailyLit as a way to read books I wouldn't normally read. It seems like a great way to read those intimidating classics that I never get around to. Also, not that I'm cheap or anything, but classics tend to be free on the site, since they are in the public domain.
Oh, as for the book, I have to say it was a rousing good time, and Passepartout rocks. However, balloon aficionados be warned: Despite the cover I chose to display, there is no balloon. (He also doesn't travel over the Great Wall of China.)
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