Writers such as Plato command a certain gravitas. So, it came as a surprise to readers browsing Google Books to find his The Trial and Death of Socrates marred by images of fingers clad in what appeared to be pink condoms.

The website, which has more than a million volumes available for download, was in such a rush to expand its database of classic texts and new titles that some scanners left their own hands in the picture. Other texts were interrupted by folded or poorly scanned pages. Google says that these errors are being corrected.

But these are minor problems. Sure, some texts have pages missing (encouragement to buy hard copies, presumably) and some have only their front covers (only items out of copyright can be uploaded in full).

But this is a search engine like no other. Here, you can type in Shakespeare or Jane Austen and find not just their complete works and academic guides, but many other texts that simply reference them.

And there is something wholesome in this shiny, digital age about the notes still visible in the margin and the scuffed, overturned corners. A book, as a scholar once said, is a very uncomfortable thing until the newness has been worn off.

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