Am I the only one who finds this appalling? I'm not a religious person but for me paper books are sacred. I would never mark in a book and am scandalised when I see someone else do it.
I think the idea of revering books as objects comes from an earlier time when books were rare and expensive. But now that books are abundant and cheap, it's a useless conviction. We should cherish books for their content not their physical form.
Plus, once I mark up a book it becomes one of a kind and more valuable. If I keep it intact it's indistinguishable from all the other thousands of its clones.
On occasion, I pick up books from my dad's library. His marginalia from decades ago enhance my reading experience. It becomes a meeting of three minds instead of two. I also enjoy putting down my scribbles next to his. Perhaps a few decades in the future my son will stumble on the same book, traverse the same pages, and trace the thoughts and reactions of his predecessors. For me, that is much more compelling than accumulating a family library filled with pristine volumes that make it indistinguishable from a commercial bookstore.
There's lots of discussions I never had with my dad, mostly cause it's too awkward but private notes in the margins read when the same words are going into your brain seems a great idea. It's the thought that occurred to them at the same exact moment in time that you're at.
It's your book, you can do whatever you want with it. If you want a pristine one you can always get a new one. It might be wasteful but compared to all other waste we produce it's negligible and at least you got something out of it. I'd much rather have the resources be used on printing more of good books rather than full color advertising pamphlets that line the floor.
Surely no one expected accounting tablets to be read in the 21st century.
In my opinion, it is often easier to revere a famous author than it is to revere yourself. The examples in the article are from famous authors writing in the margins of other famous authors: it's clear why people find this interesting. Perhaps you will touch someone in your own life and someday the notes you write in the margins of your own books will be something that they hold dear. I think that is so much more valuable than leaving behind a book with pristine pages and an unbroken spine.
No, many people think things will last forever if they treat them as if that's the case.
Then, after they're gone, usually their kids throw out all their pristine books in the garbage, or sell them for $1 per box at a yard sale.
I'd like to go to a purge and only keep ~ 200-300 of special value (signed, perennial favorites, reference works, rare prints, non available digitally, etc).
What grinds my gears is how ebooks don't have a common format for notes/marginalia, ability to easily export whole passages, etc that can sync to my note keeping apps, work processors, etc.
Each is its own silo (if they even allow for proper annotations).
I used to do it in technical manuals but never in novels. I've thought about it but when I actually go to do it think it's silly and my thoughts are my thoughts not to be shared. Off feeling as I love the idea of it.
I have started pencilling in the front cover my initials and when I read a book, just gives it a little life I think.
You might be surprised by how many religious people profusely annotate their sacred texts. :)
But I see your point: to keep the book undefiled so it can have a long useful life and perhaps even be passed down generations. However the point is utilitarian, not sentimental: the purpose of books is to expand the mind of the reader, and in the age of cheap printing the book can be molded to its reader. When you go back and read a book, you can get a better glimpse of what you were thinking the previous times you read a section, and reflect on whether that position confirmed over time, got invalidated or perhaps became a bit more nuanced.
Most of my French friends are genuinely revolted by how I treat the books that I use for work.
I highlight, write in the margins (often with a pen, not even with a pencil), then scan passages for students, who in turn, are often revolted by what they see.
I still think though there is a surplus value in making notes on extra sheets of papers: it's easier to skim through your notes and to find something, and it's easier to archive your notes.
Also, I felt the book "lost its value" when I scribbled in it. This point can be easily overcome by realizing that you will never "sell" a used book for more than postage, except for extraordinary books like art books etc.
You are not alone, but I wish I took more ownership of my books and added notes and corrections.
Areopagitica ~ John Milton
(slightly edited)