November 2, 2016 Article

The Old Coot makes his mark.

By Merlin Lessler

To dog-ear a book or not? That is the question. If the book is from the library or borrowed from a friend, there is only one answer, “No!” But, if you own the book, you might have to wrestle with the question. I did, and now my books contain a series of dog-eared pages. You can easily see where I folded over the corner to mark my place. The book also contains a scattering of notes with a large concentration on the first page. That’s where I keep a list of the characters in the story and a short description to help me remember who is who, “Matilda – the lady down the street with the Great Dane,” that sort of thing. I keep forgetting because I usually have several books going at the same time. I switch back and forth. I desperately need a list of characters. 

I never used to dog-ear or write notes on the pages of a book. The stern librarians of my youth, who scolded me so often for minor “library” infractions, made me afraid to. I still harbor a fear of librarians when I enter their kingdoms (except for Linda Williams). When I turn in a book after the due date, I pay the fine with trepidation. Even though today’s librarians are friendly, welcoming and helpful, it doesn’t matter; my fear is too deeply ingrained. I attribute most of it to the two librarians who patrolled the aisles in my high school library. Their persona was that of drill instructors at a Marine recruit training camp. The frowns with which they glared down at me from an elevated command center haunt me to this day. So does the memory of those steely fingers that pinched my ears when I got caught from behind when talking above a whisper.

In spite of that fear (and guilt) I decided to make my books my own. Not only do I dog-ear the pages and jot notes inside, I also sign my name when I finish reading, the date and a rating (on a scale of 1 to 10). I started the date and rating thing when I discovered I could reread a book after about five years and it would be as though I never read it. When I read a book a second or third time (those with a 9 or 10 rating), I appreciate that I don’t have to recreate a character list. I don’t know why authors or publishers don’t provide this, or a map, when the story moves all over the landscape. My rating system is not as sophisticated as the New York Time’s Best Seller List or Oprah’s recommendations, but it serves me well. 

And, why not make books your own, especially considering how much they cost today and how little they are worth a few years hence. It’s a shock when you see a book you paid $27 for now being sold for a dollar or two. I fought the war and the dog-ears won; I make a book my own. How about you? 

Comments? Complaints?  Send to – mlessler7@gmail.com