I found this essay to be every interesting and educational about how to correctly mark you book. A lot of people do not agree with marking up a book and writing notes all over the place but Alder made some very good arguments to this. Alder described that you don't have to only buy the "leather bound" books but you can simply by a copy of the book for very inexpensive and no harm will be done to the author or anyone else. He also describes that writing and marking in your book will help you stay active in the story. "The marked book is usually the thought-through book." (22) Alder describes that writing in your book will help you pay attention to the story and what is happening. This will help you better understand the meaning and purpose the author is writing the book.
Even though reading could be seen as an enjoyment thats ok but being active in the book helps you as the reader. It is said that when you re-write something or write something out you better understand what you are writing and or writing about. Even when you put the book down for a long period of time and you wrote notes in the book you can just put up where you left off. Alder described this to having a conversation with the author.
I felt as though Alder did a good job describing why it is good to write in and mark up your book.
2 comments:
I very much agree with you Rachel, and would like to further express my sympathy. In your response you mentioned how interactive reading is the key to ownership. You claimed, although not exactly, that only by active, dynamic reading can we truly understand the material front of us. And even though we may try our best, in the end, we will fail.
Imagine this if you will, your watching a football game. Your sitting there at ten to midnight, your eyes fixated on a dimly flickering television. Snuggled up beside you is a half empty bag of cheesy puffs. You feel dirty, nasty, your hair is dripping with grease. And as you reach over to grab that super double gulp you hesitate, spilling mountain dew all over your mothers favorite rug.
Now can you really say your experiencing the game?
Well what if you throw you into the stadium, shushed between a large group of sweaty men. And with play the shirtless wonders project a cry somewhere between the ramblings of your aunt Betsy, and a molten foghorn.
But what if we put you in the game. Throw you right into the middle. Surrounded by the players, kinship, the excitement.
And now you know the game, your no longer experiencing things from the sidelines, your living the action.
I can agree with you that Adler did write the essay well. He had good points that many of us can nod our heads and say ‘I see’. However, I do not think marking is the only way to become an active reader. If it is, then I have been an inactive reader for a very long time. There are a few points were I disagree with Adler, one is marking all over a little fictional book. I hundred percent though agree with him when it comes to textbooks and other books that is trying to push an idea on you.
Overall, I too did enjoy Adler essay it was easy to read and good key points.
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