Of Mice and Men
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Annotating-How do you feel about it?
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I did underline and take marginal annotations back as an undergraduate (but I had copies taken for that, usually).Now I'm starting a short course on post-modern literature and I resorted to taking notes on a little notebook. I found it helps you focus more on what you're reading while giving you time to reflect over the work bit by bit, enhancing the critical reading experience.
(Of course, I always point out the pages my notes are from!)
Teresa wrote: "I did underline and take marginal annotations back as an undergraduate (but I had copies taken for that, usually).Now I'm starting a short course on post-modern literature and I resorted to takin..."
Thanks for the comment. I was looking online and some people do use a notebook instead of actually writing in the book. If I get a cheap copy of whatever book were reading in English I'll be okay writing in book.
I would never write in a really good copy of the book I would feel just wrong if I did that, like I'm ruining it.
Thanks again for responding so fast!
You're welcome. This is actually an interesting topic.What made me try the notebook is the lack of space for marginal annotation. It can be very frustrating.
(that and the lack of courage to ruin my new books, lol)
I agree with you: "I would never write in a really good copy of the book I would feel just wrong if I did that"
Sarah wrote: "Annotating: A note of explanation or comment added to a text or diagram."marginal annotations"
Do you write in your books? Highlight in them or scribble in them?
Personally I never have done it..."
Of course you should feel free to annotate. This is called "active reading." My books, even the hardbacks, are thoroughly scribbled upon. They're my property and I have the right to do so. A thorough understanding of a book demands it.
Sarah wrote: "I would never write in a really good copy of the book I would feel just wrong if I did that, like I'm ruining it. "What is there to ruin?
A book is a collection of words to understand, not a gem to admire.
I was never one to hilite or add marginal notes in what I'm reading. And of the scores of books that I've read after others have read them I've found almost no insightful additions from other readers. I have had a reading notebook that I sometimes jot down ideas that a book has raised for me. Many of my ideas are about story ideas that have come to me while reading the work of others.
Other notes are about terms and customs that I've looked up after encountering them in a novel... For Instance, do you know what a "Smoking Bishop" is? If you've read A Christmas Carol you've encountered the term.
Also I do make notes periodically on the GoodReads site as I'm recording my progress. Things that I want to remember to include in my reviews.
Finally, I have done a bit of note leaving now that I'm reading books on a kindle. So far these haven't proven very useful.
Monty J wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I would never write in a really good copy of the book I would feel just wrong if I did that, like I'm ruining it. "What is there to ruin?
A book is a collection of words to underst..."
I believe it can be either a matter of...
1) aesthetics (looking at a 'virgin' book is always a bit of a thrill, as when you were a school kid and you got your books for the first time)
2) tracking past readings(that is, some people even use different colours to take notes depending on being a 1st, 2nd, 3rd reading in order to better follow their understanding of a book's more complex ideas.)
Also, looking at an annotated book sometimes holds the idea of history to a book. For example, I have a copy of Fernando Pessoa's long poem "A Mensagem" and his marginal notes are almost like a second boook.
Yet, my own annotations always have a feel of sloppy piece of writing and I abhor seeing them scribbled in every piece of white space - maybe because I tend to write a lot, when making them. As I write the ideas flow better and take unexpected turns, so a notebook suits me better.
I prefer to make any notes on a pad rather than on the book itself. Partly this is because I frequently reread books and don't want to see previous thoughts when re-reading, but also because I don't like to see other people's annotations in a book I'm reading. Surprisingly then, I'm quite fascinated by the ebook function of highlighting, and allowing these highlights to be shown. I don't find highlighting as annoying as notes on a book, and am amazed that generally many people have highlighted the same few places in a book. Is this because the initial highlight attracts copycats? Or what?
Monty J wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I would never write in a really good copy of the book I would feel just wrong if I did that, like I'm ruining it. "What is there to ruin?
A book is a collection of words to underst..."
I disagree. My books are definitely gems to be admired. I could never write in my books, especially my favorite ones. I like to collect them. I do keep notebooks all over the house, though.
Notebook. Rarely will I underline a good sentence, even in an old book. I don't want it to affect future readings. If something stands out to me, I'll write it down somewhere and hopefully remember which notebook I wrote it in. :)
I don't write in the books. I keep a separate notebook for personal annotations.
If you want or need to annotate but not permanently, try Post-it notes or the equivalent. Jot your thoughts on the note and stick it on the page. Your book will be littered with them but nothing is permanent so you can use the technique for library books and text books too. Later you can peel off the notes and give the book a new life.
Teresa wrote: "1) aesthetics (looking at a 'virgin' book is always a bit of a thrill, as when you were a school kid and you got your books for the first time)"But if it's your book, it's nobody's business what you do with it. I'd never write in anyone's book but my own, and I say, let'er RIP!
Did anyone see The Dead Poet Society? The entire class ripped out the offending introduction in their poetry textbooks! I applauded.
A battered book is a book that's been read and thoroughly understood. Don't be bashful. READ ACTIVELY!
If it's not your book, by all means use Post-its and notebooks.
Ever since I have become a member of Goodreads I have also become a note taker. If I didn't take notes I wouldn't be able to create good ideas for a review. It makes using an index card as a bookmark great for TWO uses. ;) Oh wait. You said take notes on a book? For some reason I don't like to do that. I guess I am afraid I might feel I would ruin it for someone if let's say I gave the book to a friend or donated it to a library.
I love to write in my books and highlight in them. Notebooks, which may be a good option to some, strike me as a heavily cumbersome way to annotate. Tracking your annotations is one thing, but having to break away to write on the notebook-- writing down the pg number, etc. to ensure you don't get lost... ah, no. And how do you track these notebooks when there are just too many?The fact that all my ideas and thoughts-- markings-- are in the books make them abosolutely mine.
Sunsette says "I disagree. My books are definitely gems to be admired. I could never write in my books, especially my favorite ones. I like to collect them. I do keep notebooks all over the house, though."I agree. Think this was because of how I was brought up by my mum, to respect my books.
Maybe explains my oddities? ;)
Monty J wrote: "Teresa wrote: "1) aesthetics (looking at a 'virgin' book is always a bit of a thrill, as when you were a school kid and you got your books for the first time)"But if it's your book, it's nobody's..."
I understand that you are free to do whatever you feel is better with your own books. As a child, I would often create animations at the uppermost corner to... well, animate boring classes.
Still, I can take notes or not - I am not forced to do so because some people think that is the best way to read a book. For me, it is usually essential to start a reading without being reminded of previous readings and their conclusions - not taking notes is the best thing for me.
Of course, everyone is entitled to their preferences.
I'm actually surprised that there haven't been more pro-annotation comments made. Personally, I've always been fascinated by the way that the Talmud evolved and contains (among other things) commentaries about commentaries.
I only wish that books contained a better built in commentary collecting device.
GoodReads book-linked discussions are a step in the right direction but the percentage of meaningful discussion to "noise" still seems a lower than I'd like to see.
I like marginalia. Billy Collins wrote a poem about it.
Monty J wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I would never write in a really good copy of the book I would feel just wrong if I did that, like I'm ruining it. "What is there to ruin?
A book is a collection of words to underst..."
For me is if I really love this book I don't want to mark it. Especially if it was first edition. Paperbacks that I get from stores for cheap I don't mind it and actually it shows that I love the book in a lot of ways.
So I see what you mean.
Naiya wrote: "I believe annotation is an incredibly useful tool when you are focusing closely on the text and want to make sure you track and remember more of what you're reading. That said, I have only ever don..."The other day I was looking at a book in St. Vincent de Paul and the book was heavily annotated. I got a little piece of that person now. I love looking at those.
Stephen wrote: "I'm actually surprised that there haven't been more pro-annotation comments made. Personally, I've always been fascinated by the way that the Talmud evolved and contains (among other things) comm..."
Like the stupid games people sometimes play? I shouldn't use the word stupid but sometimes ugh..
Naiya wrote: "Stephen wrote: "I'm actually surprised that there haven't been more pro-annotation comments made. Personally, I've always been fascinated by the way that the Talmud evolved and contains (among ot..."
I use the highlight feature on my Nook all the time. I actually really love that I'm able to highlight and make notes on my e-reader. To me, e-books just aren't the same as a real book that I can hold in my hands and feel the pages between my fingers as they turn. Maybe it's silly, but I value a real book, with actual pages, much more. If it's a book I really love or a book by one of my favorite authors that I want to read, I would rather have it be non-digital. I rarely buy paperbacks, though, unless I just can't find the book I'm looking for with a hard cover. I never write in my real books. I like to keep them clean and hold onto them . Maybe I will find someone to hand them down to one day, but for now, they are my little jewels to treasure and return to again and again.
I have mixed feelings about annotations. I have received books with someone else's annotations & thought the annotations were annoying, because they just distracted me from what I was reading. I have also received books with annotations that were intriguing to me. I think it just depends on who is doing the annotating. Either way, I never write in my books. I make notes in my notebooks. I love to write, so my notes are usually reflections of how I feel about something I read. Sometimes I will expand on the subject. Sometimes I just jot down a quote. I never worry about page numbers or what paragraph on the page it's in or anything like that unless I'm doing research and plan on using the information in something I'm writing.
The only books I have ever written in or highlighted were textbooks. And I had a professor who thought highlighting was just a way to keep yourself awake while you were reading.
I never ever write in books. It's a sacrilege to me to do so.
I write in the books I love. The more markings in a book, the more I have loved it. In fact, I can't read without a pen in my hand and it has to be exactly the right pen. Books are my friends more than religious objects, and in fact, my Bible that I have had for decades has more writing in it than any other book of mine. It's tattered and falling apart from use, but I never want a new one because this one has been marked by my life. The other book I have marked in the most is my complete works of T.S. Eliot, and is literally the only thing I brought when I was evacuated during a forest fire. The book could be replaced, but not my marginal notes. Not marking in books would be like having a friend you can see through a glass, but never really interact with. Perhaps the difference between Skype and being right next to them. I also keep notes on paper, journally type reflections and ideas for my own writing.
I never write in books. High school English lit students in our school district are being taught to highlight passages and annotate in the margins. Sometimes students don't differentiate between a book they own, or a book borrowed from a friend or the library. At our library we have required HS reading selections returned on a regular basis highlighted, with notes in the margin.
Have been adding notes and annotations for a few years now, even in the hardback books I have bought, but now days it's a breeze to annotate or make notes to your hearts content with a Kindle.
I've now used a Kindle for about a year and experimented with the highlighting. I'm guessing that it's a matter of personal taste and I've not yet re-read any of the books that I first read on a kindle so it may be too early to tell but the most use I've gotten out of the note feature is in identifying typos and awkward passages I've wanted to pint out to an author I correspond with.
Stephen wrote: "I've now used a Kindle for about a year and experimented with the highlighting. I'm guessing that it's a matter of personal taste and I've not yet re-read any of the books that I first read on a ..."
Ah ok, I'm coming upon a year reading on a kindle, and I for one really do like the highlighting and note feature, and a host of other features on it as well. Though it did take a while to get used to reading on it, but now I'm hooked on the device. I still love my books, and being surrounded by them.
Annotating is great! It certainly makes one a more alert reader. Although perhaps seemingly tedious at first it enriches the experience. My preference is not to write in the book but a notebook instead :)
Victoria wrote: "Annotating is great! It certainly makes one a more alert reader. Although perhaps seemingly tedious at first it enriches the experience. My preference is not to write in the book but a notebook ins..."I especially like those books that have a few blank pages at the end, good spot to jot down notes.
I also have a kindle and I feel better about taking notes and 'marking it up' more than I do a physical book. Recommend trying it!
The Kindle and iBooks sure do make it easy. So very easy.
Do you write in your books? Highlight in them or scribble in them?Never. That is what notebooks are for. Marking up a book changes it for the future reader (who may or may not be yourself) -- it is not possible to ignore underlines and margin notes while reading (or re-reading) a work.
There is one exception: in technical material, I will correct what are obviously editorial mistakes in the copy. This generally happens in modern mathematics texts -- the rate of publication is so high that nobody takes the time to proofread the equations (which are kind of important!).
Victoria wrote: "I also have a kindle and I feel better about taking notes and 'marking it up' more than I do a physical book. "Ditto. I underline Kindle books a lot, and regularly back up the 'Clippings and Annotations' file (via rsync to a Git repo, for those who are interested).
I find ebooks especially useful for non-fiction (e.g. pop-science, biography, history) and the classics; these are the sorts of books that I tend to take a lot of notes from.
What about sticky notes instead of writing in the book? You can put the sticky note comment on the relevant page and refer to it or not as necessary.
I find it helpful on understanding the story more!
Wow I totally feel you! I'm in AP Lang right now, and my peers are always highlighting something that the teacher pointed out, or scribbling stuff in their books.
Personally I hate writing in my books. I hate those little sticky notes everywhere. I feel like they're so messy, however they are useful for a lot of people. I don't feel like annotations help me much.
I don't like highlighting too much either, but I do like to occasionally highlight a really stand-outish quote, or just highlight quotes in general to help me with my essays.
Thanks :) Glad you kind of feel the same. Whatever works for you dude. Some people feel safer with a lot of annotations in their books, others don't.
Sarah wrote: "Annotating: A note of explanation or comment added to a text or diagram."marginal annotations"
Do you write in your books? Highlight in them or scribble in them?
Personally I never have done it..."
I think it's my PTSD/ADD. Underlining and notation helps anchor my wandering thoughts. I also use a ruler or a card to keep my eyes steady.
I usually find myself underlining unimportant or not note worthy parts of the book or article. I think I just enjoying moving my hands when i read. Now I have a scrap piece of paper to write little notes when I read or I will start scribbling to keep moving. If it's really important I will write on the book.
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"marginal annotations"
Do you write in your books? Highlight in them or scribble in them?
Personally I never have done it and now that I am AP Lit I think I should, at least in cheap copies of the book.
What's your thought?