Annotated books

There is something about annotated books that always intrigues me.

Nothing gives me more delight than seeing a book that has been annotated by the previous reader. Seeing a book with underlined words, highlighted sentences, notes on paragraphs, scribbles on the pages, and seeing that the reader has entirely become one with the book, makes me fall in love with it.

It is the reason I have a fascination with old books. The feeling that someone read the same lines before you and felt something. Something that moved them, something that struck them so much that they had to mark it.

It is the reason I have a fascination with old books. The feeling that someone read the same lines before you and felt something. Something that moved them, something that struck them so much that they had to mark it.

It is the feeling of being able to relate to the person who read the book before you and feeling an emotional connection with them, even if you’ve never seen them.

It makes me curious about what was going on in their mind while reading it.

Did they savour the book just like me?

Did they pause after reading something powerful so as to let it sink in fully?

Did they imagine what a character would be like in the real world?

Do they fold the pages as I do?

Did they love the book as much as I did?

So reader, love a book passionately, make it yours deliberately… but when you’re done, pass it on ardently.