And off we go! I write about books often enough (and plan on writing about them more and more frequently) that I pretty much had to create a new blog devoted solely to books and the world surrounding them. (I probably should mention here that I’m a librarian-in-embryo and will be chronicling my adventures in library school here as well, but that won’t be for another two years or so — sorry.)
To begin, I’ve been reading Mortimer J. Adler’s How to Read a Book, and on page 49 of my edition (1972) I found the following:
When you buy a book, you establish a property right in it, just as you do in clothes or furniture when you buy and pay for them. But the act of purchase is actually only the prelude to possession in the case of a book. Full ownership of a book only comes when you have made it a part of yourself, and the best way to make yourself a part of it — which comes to the same thing — is by writing in it.
Growing up with trips to the library each week, I find it difficult to write in books. The only exception so far is the scriptures; it’s “accepted” to write notes in the margins there and to underline and shade in passages. But for some reason I just can’t bring myself to do it to other books (meaning my own, of course; writing in library books is no temptation either :)).
And yet it certainly has an appeal to it. Books are a huge part of my life and my books would mean a whole lot more to me if various notes and thoughts are scribbled in the margins — another record of my life, in a way. Fascinating. I’ll try it soon and let you know how it goes.