Marginalia: Readers Writing in Books

Front Cover
Yale University Press, 2001 M01 1 - 324 pages

From Pierre de Fermat to Samuel Taylor Coleridge to Graham Greene, readers have related to books through the notes they write in the margins. In this pioneering book--the first to examine the phenomenon of marginalia--H.J. Jackson surveys an extraordinary range of annotated books to explore the history of marginalia, the forms they take, the psychology that underlies them, and the reactions they provoke.

Based on a study of thousands of books annotated by readers both famous and obscure over the last three centuries, this book reveals the intensity of emotion that characterizes the process of reading. For hundreds of years, readers have talked to other people in the margins of their books--not only to authors, but also to friends, lovers, and future generations.

With an infectious enthusiasm for her subject, Jackson reflects on the cultural and historical value of writing in the margins, examines works that have invited passionate annotation, and presents examples of some of the most provocative marginalia. Imaginative, amusing, and poignant, this book will be treasured by--and maybe even annotated by--anyone who cares about reading.

 

Contents

Physical Features
18
History
44
Motives for Marginalia
81
Object Lessons
101
Two Profiles
149
Books for Fanatics
179
Poetics
204
Book Use or Book Abuse
234
Afterword
259
Notes
267
Bibliography of Annotated Books Cited
287
Bibliography of Secondary Works Cited
301
Acknowledgments
313
Index
315
Copyright

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

About the author (2001)

H.J. Jackson is professor of English at the University of Toronto.

Bibliographic information