C3PX said:
But again, I can forgive this, because the whole thing, exactly as it was originally written, is readily available to the world in the same sort of quality as the replacement. Anyone who wants to read the unaltered chapter of The Hobbit or the original bit from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader only has to do a quick web search in order to do so.
I think this is the key. Because the medium is the written word, as long as the former text is available to read, it is therefore available in the same quality as the replacement. All that is required is legibility, and the mind will take care of the rest.
Plus, since the pace of a book is dictated by the reader, one can:
1. Read chapters 1-4 as is.
2. Next, remove a piece of paper from behind the dustjacket, unfold it, and read their preferred chapter 5 (magnifying glass optional).
3. Finally, return the folded paper to its dustjacket nest and resume reading the book's chapters 6-19.
...and thereby experience the piece of literature as it was originally composed.