Vandalise your books

Chris Lee
Chris Lee
Sep 9, 2018 · 2 min read

I fold the corners of pages while reading. My books are accordions of highlights, good quotes, things to follow up, and particularly articulate sections.

My Grandma once told me,

If you fold my books, I’ll hit you

But borrowed books don’t get folded, unless the lender has given explicit permission. Which they never have.

When borrowing I make notes on my phone, laptop, or in a notebook. Or for library books, occasionally, I’ll take a very light pencil and make very light annotations in the margins, to be collated and rubbed out before returning the book.


Stalin used to do that

This is what Alex once told me, prompting a brief panic on whether our shared habit meant a shared propensity for megalomania.

But famous figures more worthy of respect and admiration do it too. A recent video by Will Smith shows him flicking through a copy of the Bhagavad Gita laced with neon yellow highlights, and it’s a beautiful thing to see:

“When something looks hot, when an idea’s hot, I star it up”

Debates rage online about whether such vandalism is acceptable. One reader boasted that they never open a book more than two inches while reading, leaving the spine permanently un-creased. Another took pride in owning battered books with scuffed covers and folded and noted pages, insisting this is a sign of love and correct usage. Obviously the latter is closest to my heart.

Books are there to be interacted with. Not just to be read, but to be reread, pondered on, annotated, revisited. They are gateways to further knowledge and investigation, not standalone objects to be kept sterile with no trace of ever having being touched.

What say you? Am I a heathen?

Chris Lee

Written by

Chris Lee

I’m writing a book: https://chrislee.is/writing-a-book.

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade