I used to find handwritten notes in books annoying, until I read H.L. Jackson’s Marginalia. She explains the history of making notes in books and why it fell out of favour, becoming nearly taboo. It’s a great book, some of you might be interested in reading it.
I tried making a few notes in pencil in some of my own books (I’d never do it in a library book), and it’s a great way to make sure you’re reading a text thoroughly… I don’t see how you could do it in a fiction book though, unless you weren’t enjoying the story.
I work in a library and I’ll never forgot the day that someone returned a copy of the movie The House of Yes with the words “INCEST RELATIONSHIP” scrawled on the cover and inside the case and the words “DISGUSTING FILTH” in silver marker on the tape.
I whited out the marks on the paper case and it’s become a running joke to see the whiteout slowly chipping away over the years to reveal “INCEST RELATIONSHIP” once more.
I never had any desire to borrow House of Yes, but after seeing that little note I almost wanted to see what the fuss was about. Maybe someday…
Bloody hell, calm kiwi, you just reminded me of the copy of Aristophanes’ Lysistrata that I borrowed from Merton College Library in 1979, which is now sitting on a bookshelf in Hong Kong.
I shudder to think what the fine will be for late return.
Annoying yes, but not as gross as those dirty bastards that press their boogers all over the pages. Press a flower, by all means, but not your nasal droppings. :mad:
