While there are a lot of classics available for free, I tend to think very few people still read those titles. You should be able to browse the free sources above to see exactly what titles they have to offer. There's a book fair in town this weekend that advertises 250,000 items, but looking them over, it struck me how many of those books are likely to be absolutely unwanted by anyone anymore, and would remain unsold. What they do with them after the fair, I don't know. I hope they send them someplace where they might be used rather than just shredded or buried.

But I digress. You can get a Kindle for only $139 now, so not a huge investment, but what will add up are the costs of the books. $10 or $15 each for most popular titles. But once you've bought the book and read it, you have nothing physical to show for it. You can't easily loan it to someone else, you can't take it to a used book shop or try to sell it on Amazon. You've basically paid the money for the RIGHT to read that book on your device, rather than purchasing a proper book. Of course, you can re-read it on your device, if you do that sort of thing.

Amazon generally has a pretty lenient return policy, so I'd guess you can buy a kindle, download a few free titles to evaluate how you like the experience of reading on the Kindle, maybe buy a book or two, and give yourself 2 or 3 weeks to decide if it's right for you. If not, send it back. My father who's 77 has the Apple iPad and is enjoying it greatly as a news reader and has read a couple books on it I believe, so I don't know that there's any real "generational barrier" to it. If you're not computer savvy, it would probably be good if you had a friend or relative who might be able to help you if you get in a pinch.

I think a lot of the decision would depend where you do your reading... if you tend to read while traveling or commuting, or other situations where carrying around a Stephen King hardback isn't ideal, then the Kindle could be a blessing. But as you say, if you like the tactile experience of curling up on your sofa with a book and flipping the pages, you may want to just stick with printed books. Of course, you can always flip back and forth as you like, and if you get the Kindle and decide you don't like it after six months, there is an after market for used devices, or just give it to a friend. So, if you're curious, and you have the means to make the purchase, you might as well go for it rather than waiting and wondering for months or years longer. Who knows? It might jump start your enthusiasm for reading, and maybe it is time that you actually read "Treasure Island."