Large Text Con

Posted by: Dungassin on 08 June 2012

While doing the weekly shop yesterday, I was browsing the books in Sainsburys and picked up the most recent James Patterson "Alex Cross" paperback.  I flipped it open and noted the very large text font used.  This seems to be an increasing feature in many paperbacks, and I can only assume it is done to inflate the physical size of the book and make it appear good value (on a word count basis).  Yet another example of the modern trend of trying to appear to give the same as competitors while actually giving less.

 

I didn't buy it, BTW, as these days I buy ebooks unless not available in that format.

Posted on: 08 June 2012 by winkyincanada
Originally Posted by Dungassin:

...very large text font used......assume it is done to inflate the physical size of the book and make it appear good value......

Or maybe it is an accommodation to old farts with fading eyesight like me. But we're also moving to a bigger proportion of e-books (where I can make the font as big as I need!).

Posted on: 08 June 2012 by George Fredrik

I used to love the bigger fonts used in old hard back books. Compared to the usual Penguin soft bound re-issues these were often twice the weight and more than twice as thick [good heavy paper] and two inches taller, and and inch wider ...

 

Altogether a more comfortable experience and as one's eysight declines less tiring to enjoy as well.

 

Compression is the bane of modern production, and if there is a fight back then all to the good!

 

I agree with Winki ...

 

And I have the lightweight [joke lightweight by 1960s standards] Carlton back. It fared better than than I in the crash seven weeks ago! Like a Volvo or Rolls Royce, there is some value in strong frames and enough weight of construction to survive longer than the owner or user!

 

ATB from George

Posted on: 09 June 2012 by Dungassin

I have nothing against large text per se.  I too am no longer young, and if I do feel the need to buy a printed book, I groan if the text is small, as this sometimes means reading it without my glasses (reading or varifocal), so that I can bring it up REALLY close.  Either that or use the little credit card type magnifier I keep in my wallet.

 

No, what I am commenting on is the fact that these books are offering poor VFM on a word count basis.

 

Purely as an aside, why are children's and young adult books (I read quite a few) often using large text fonts?  Surely our kids' eyesight isn't that bad already!

 

Speaking of kid's books, I'm currently reading (and enjoying) "The Hunger Games" trilogy.