But each time I see a website presenting a book content or catalog in pages like that, like if it was a real book, it really pisses me off.
It is a design move that goes against ergonomy.
Harder/slower to browser, harder/slower to seek, you have to do a mental break while pages are changing with effect that does not get the same efficiency feeling than a real book.
I recently discovered the FreeBSD Journal. [0] These days it's only available online, but your only options are to download a PDF, or to view it in the browser in what seems to be a JavaScript-based PDF viewer. Their viewer seems to lack vital features such as zoom levels. A pity, as the content is very good.
Tap/swipe/arrows to turn really switches my brain. And the fact that the goal of this library is to allow native support for everything else for the entire book (like find, etc) really makes this feel like using the Kindle app or the Apple Books app. It's the first time I thought to myself, "no, I wouldn't need to download the ePub and put it on Dropbox so that I can easily import it to my favorite eBook app. The html version is great."
What I didn't notice is if your page number is captured in the url or not (again, because I'm on mobile). That seems like an important feature.
On the web, my default is to skim. Actually reading a longform piece—line by line through every paragraph—is very hard.
Putting it in a "book" format doesn't completely solve the problem—I think some of it is due to the lower contrast of a screen versus paper or e-ink—but it definitely helps.
To the author: Great to see lightweight things anyways, it's nicely done and really swift.