Friday, March 10, 2017

DISCUSSION: Writing in Books -Yea or Nay?

If someone had asked me a year ago whether I mark up my own books, I would have replied something like: "There is a special hell reserved for those who DEFACE books and DOGEAR pages. So, no."

However, two things have occurred within the last year that may change my stance on this. Maybe. You have to understand, I have always considered books almost sacred; I hate finger smudges on covers and curled edges and sticker residue that won't come off and those fat black marker lines discount book stores slash over the top of the pages. Monsters.

I've been debating this question of 'yea or nay' for a while and finally had the genius idea to write a discussion post about it. So bring me your biases! Bring me your book-marking habits and your philosophical rants! Let's talk about this and after a good discussion maybe I can make up my mind as to whether book-marking is a sin to the literary gods or an irreplaceable gift to the readers who will come after.

The first event that set me asking this question was a visit from my sister and her family. She is a voracious reader and, though they're just younglings, all her kids are well on their way to becoming so as well.

So what does the best aunt ever hand over for the trip home? That's right. A stack of books.

I slid them over to my sister one by one, making little piles of which books I bought for which kid, and she slid them right back to me. "Write their names in," she said; "They love it."

As a library clerk, writing in books bleeding ink, ruined pages, and library fines. It's been instilled in me from my earliest days that you DO NOT WRITE IN BOOKS.
My sister reminded me of a picture book I'd sent as a birthday gift to one of her boys, Don't Let The Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems. In the front of the book, I'd written a happy birthday message and a little note. "That's part of the book for my kids. They don't realize it's not part of the story. Every time I read it to them, they make me start with that, and every time they read it to each other they read that first. Whatever you write in the book becomes part of the book. It's part of the gift you're giving. It's going to be with them forever."

This blew me away. I'd never thought of it like that before. So I grabbed the nearest pen and wrote notes in every. single. book. I told them how much I loved them, why these books were special to me, why I wanted to give them a copy, and how much I hoped they'd enjoy it. Then I went a little crazy with the copies of Austenland and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society I gave my sister, underlining some of my favorite sections, because I realized that if I did -even if I was hundreds of miles away- it would sort of be like we were reading it together. I love that idea.

Now I love the idea of writing notes on the blank pages in books I'm gifting. But I still can't bring myself to write in my own books. Outside of maybe a self-help guide, adding to a book feels sacrilegious. My books are pristine. To the point that, any time I'm browsing through secondhand books, I seriously reconsider purchasing if there are any highlighted sections or chicken scratches.

Which brings us to even number two, which was my reading of 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (which I reviewed earlier this week). Her philosophy of reading and books and book ownership and book loving has kind of blown my mind.
I wish you hadn't been so over-courteous about putting the inscription on a card instead of on the flyleaf. It's the bookseller coming out in you all, you were afraid you'd decrease it's value. You would have increased it for the present owner. (And possibly for the future owner. I love inscriptions on flyleaves and notes in margins, I like the comradely sense of turning pages someone else turned, and reading passages some one long gone has called my attention to.) (pg 27)
I'll have mine til the day I die -and die happy in the knowledge that I'm leaving it behind for someone else to love. I shall sprinkle pale pencil marks through it pointing out the best passages to some booklover yet unborn. (pg 56)
I want to be this person. I want to be this person so bad. This is such a romantic notion and I adore everything about it. Expect the reality of writing in a book.
I've found a way around this for awhile, at least. The last few books I've loaned out, I've gone through them and stuck Post-It notes at random intervals, like this one in Sanderson's Firefight when I made my Dad read it. Sure, he thought I was crazy, but I thought it was hilarious. (I call them Ninja Notes in my head. Part of me wants to get an entire set of my favorite books just to litter with these Post-Its and then redistribute you them through thrift stores and book sales.) When these books are returned to me, I keep the Post-Its in there, because now it's a memory. But how long will those sticky notes really last in there? There going to start falling out at some point or -worse- mess up the pages with residue. >_<

Past the Post-It idea, I've got a friend who buys two copies of her favorite books, one for marking up and one for reading. This nicely skirts around that dilemma -expect the issue of space. Do I really have enough room for multiple copies of the same book? Is it just silly?

While I debate what I want to do, I'm dying to know how other Book Dragons feel. Do you write in books? Do you think it's a sin? Do you have a system or -like Helene- do you think it adds to the flavor and history of a book?

16 comments:

  1. The only books that I wrote in or highlighted were the ones that I used for college classes. I just can't bring myself to write in one of my beloved books. I take notes in a separate journal (quotes, themes or lines that I loved) instead. I've seen some images though of authors that share books, writing in the margins in different colors of ink and I would love to do something like that someday. I think it would be fun to send the book around and see what other people think. Helene's thoughts are nice, but I just can't do it either.

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    1. It's nice to know I'm not the only one having trouble with it! How many book journals have you wound up collecting instead?

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    2. It's something new I started, so I'm still on my first. I also don't use it for all the books I read, but for ones that I know I'm going to enjoy, or authors I love.

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    3. It's an intriguing idea. I'd love to hear how it goes!

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  2. For study/reference material:
    -I'll use pencil or my scanmaker air. Nay to highlight markers; and I've found I rarely re-visit what I highlighted anyway.
    Fiction or non-fiction books:
    -if they're borrowed, NO markings at all.
    -if I own them, maybe a pencil.
    Strangely, I don't mind that much seeing pencil markings made by previous owners. It's interesting to see what was of particular note to other people.
    Nay to highlight markers and Nay to dog-ears.

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    1. I applaud you, Narratist! Seriously, not all people are opposed to marking up borrowed books. >_<
      That's interesting that you don't often revisit highlighted sections; I wonder if what seems important in one reading becomes less important in consequent readings. So it begs the question -what's the point of highlighting if we won't need the same info later one?
      Thanks for joining the discussion!

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  3. Generally speaking I do NOT like to write in my books. You're right, it feels weird or not right somehow. they must be pristine lol. But... I think in a case where you're gifting books to relatives that might be a little different. That little heartfelt note could mean a lot to that person and make the gift extra special. Like you said.

    And I had not thought of the note or writing in a book as a way of passing on feelings about the book... that's actually a neat idea. I can see that too! And frankly when I see book blurbs about people finding books in a bookstore with notes in them, I am always intrigued. :)

    I have been known to buy reading copies of favorite books, but it has to be quite the favorite for me to do that. I've even, um, had 3 or 4 copies of certain favorites, because... well, because.

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    1. I admit, I've bought different covers/printings of some of my favorites, but that's mostly because I'm a cover nerd. (cover-aholic?)

      Whenever I find books at the thrift store with an inscription like 'Happy Birthday, Love Grandma' it actually makes me really sad. =(

      Yeah, the more I think about the note-leaving in books, the more I like it!

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  4. Study books, text books and the lot yes...my favorite beloved books never! LOL. I do write special notes on the blank pages of books I gift.. I could maybe do sticking notes..hehe. To me writing or underlining is like dog-earring the pages.

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    1. Interesting! I really thought the response to this would be more divided, but there's quite a consensus that writing in books is bad. I wonder if it's our upbringing, or if this sanctity we feel for books is inherent. Maybe embedded in human DNA. ^_^

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  5. I also used to think they should go to hell! I don't want to go to heeeeell!!! but I want to draw and paint art in my books?? WHY?? WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?? [I have not done it YET]

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    1. See? SEE? And there's this part of me that would LOVE my favorite book to be filled with drawings and paintings. I mean, if I was artistic at all, I might be really tempted. My mom has always wanted to color in her Calvin and Hobbes books [though she hasn't done it yet either]. I dunno, somehow adding art to a book doesn't seem as sacrilegious to me -especially if the book is still readable- because you're combining two artforms together into a single magnificent creation! Scribbling notes in the margins -I dunno, that's different to me. It's more 'defacing' than 'creative'.
      I say, if you want to draw in your own books [and can bring yourself to do it] then GO FOR IT. And share pictures. And then we can see how many people gasp in disbelief or wonder.

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  6. You are right it doesn't sound as sacrilegious but I'm bot artistic either! That's why I haven't done it because the beautiful doodles I imagine in my mind that would look "oh so cute" in my book never look like hat when I draw them. :) BUT if I ever do it, and it looks acceptable yes, I'll share the pics :)

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    1. Then we're in the same boat! Haha, in the meantime, I guess we get to enjoy the pictures in our brains of how cute it would be. ^_^

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  7. I'm like you---I could never stand the thought of writing in books. But then I did a blog tour where we passed the book from reviewer to reviewer and we were each supposed to write notes along the way, and I LOVED it! I haven't done it with my own books, but I'm much more tempted now.

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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    1. Okay, that idea sounds absolutely amazing! Writing this post and talking about it, I've actually been trying to figure out a decent way to send out a book with my notes in the margin. It doesn't seem quite as wrong when you're sending it out to somehow, more like a gift inscription. I'm going to have to pin this idea for later! Do you know where the book eventually wound up?

      Thanks for sharing, Nicole!

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