OMG- I’m so Michael! I tried to get my non-reader husband into Terry Pratchet, and what does he do? Folds the freaking corner! And he’s a slow reader. He’s folded probably 20 pages in the first 50. I nearly had a heart attack.
Ok. I must confess….. I used to do this. But! In my defense…. I was eight at the time. After that I just memorized the page I was on. Bookmarks are for wimps. =P
Oooooo…I HATE those who bend page corners! Bookmarks are so for wimps. I’m constantly in the middle of three or four books, so memorizing can get a bit tricky, but I manage.
Personally, I’m happier when a book survives being around the bathtub. Folding the corner is insignificant compared to water logging (boarding?) the book.
Let’s be honest folks — those who disrespect books should all be dumped on some island somewhere while we compile a series of ultimate libraries knowing, happily, that the books will remain pristine and untouched by gravy.
Seriously. I don’t know what those librarians do to the books but… gravy… everywhere… @___@
Similarly, we could create a whole new branch of premium libraries for those of us who feel we can sign a mandate upon joining that if we defile a book we can be subject to a ‘Michael special’.
There have been no survivors — but I believe it involves both camels and fireworks.
worse: when you lend a pristine paperback that comes back not only with every page dog-earred, but with white crease lines in the spine, back AND over the cover art! I learned to never lend anything to anybody after that.
….of course, there was the time I accidentally tossed a paperback into the washing machine… but THAT was an accident!
i personally see nothing wrong with folding the pages. its the not the physical book that deserves the respect, it’s the words. we shouldn’t even be using paper to print books anyway, e-books!
The first time I was told to write on the pages of a book for school it took me a week to summon up the courage! Plus we weren’t allowed to take any bookmarks into the exam room, so we used to fold the whole page upwards and then back on itself so that the corner poked out the top to mark the relevant passages.
What’s with the bookmark-hating? Folding over the page helps me look back years later and see how fast/slow I read. Plus, there’s this concept calling ‘unfolding’ that’s really great. I don’t really fold it over anymore, though. I fold it too hard and when I unfold it, the page stands out…
When people lend me books, I don’t mark them because it’s THEIR book. It’s not mine. I shouldn’t physically alter the book unless they tell me to.
I disagree about e-books. A) It’s much harder on the eyes. B) A hard drive crash is much more likely than a fire. C) How is paper worse for the environment than the electricity used to power the computer that stays on for hours while you read?
I confess….I fold pages. Before you stone me, let me say this in my defense: I think that a well-worn, dog-eared book is more beautiful than a room full of perfect books with crisp pages still new from the bookstore. It shows that they’re actually being read, you know?
Page folding I can live with. It’s the spine-breakers who bug me. I got a nice, fresh new novel once and loaned it to my mother-in-law after I was done reading it. She gave it back to me and it looked like it had been through several wars and a police action or two. I told her to keep it. Looking up at my bookshelf I find it very easy to tell which books I bought new and which used, because the new purchases STILL look new. I’ve nothing against a well-worn book as long as it arrives at that state after years of careful reading.
I confess, i fold down pages. I can’t memorise pages and i’ve lost more bookmarks then i can count. Besides, its the words that are the real treasure, and once i’ve unfolded the corners they just look normal.
Bookmarks can actually do more damage, particurlarly the ones that actually stay in the books. They can cut teh pages and stuff.
Once, a teacher really annoyed me. I had asked them to watch my book while i ate. When i returned from the lunch hall, I was told “You’re a nice girl, and i can’t beleive it was you who folded down the page. You wouldn’t do that, would you?” and she opened the book to show me the folded page-
\Folding back the front half of the book to behind the back cover, and breaking teh spine, and completely ruining the book!
I had only bought it the day before. I was so angry. My mum was too, when i told her. I had to stop her from complaining to the school.
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
I don’t think I’ve ever identified with a comic more than at this moment. Page folders are pure evil.
OMG- I’m so Michael! I tried to get my non-reader husband into Terry Pratchet, and what does he do? Folds the freaking corner! And he’s a slow reader. He’s folded probably 20 pages in the first 50. I nearly had a heart attack.
Ok. I must confess….. I used to do this. But! In my defense…. I was eight at the time. After that I just memorized the page I was on. Bookmarks are for wimps. =P
This is the number one reason why I don’t lend out my books.
Oooooo…I HATE those who bend page corners! Bookmarks are so for wimps. I’m constantly in the middle of three or four books, so memorizing can get a bit tricky, but I manage.
That’s brilliant. How the first little niggle leads to the relationship downward spiral….
What I find particularly irksome is when people fold over the corners of library books…
ROFL… I would never ruin a good book this way. Of course, text books aren’t in the same catergory as a good book, are they?
Personally, I’m happier when a book survives being around the bathtub. Folding the corner is insignificant compared to water logging (boarding?) the book.
Let’s be honest folks — those who disrespect books should all be dumped on some island somewhere while we compile a series of ultimate libraries knowing, happily, that the books will remain pristine and untouched by gravy.
Seriously. I don’t know what those librarians do to the books but… gravy… everywhere… @___@
Similarly, we could create a whole new branch of premium libraries for those of us who feel we can sign a mandate upon joining that if we defile a book we can be subject to a ‘Michael special’.
There have been no survivors — but I believe it involves both camels and fireworks.
worse: when you lend a pristine paperback that comes back not only with every page dog-earred, but with white crease lines in the spine, back AND over the cover art! I learned to never lend anything to anybody after that.
….of course, there was the time I accidentally tossed a paperback into the washing machine… but THAT was an accident!
“….of course, there was the time I accidentally tossed a paperback into the washing machine… but THAT was an accident!”
Begs the question…. was it a good book?
i personally see nothing wrong with folding the pages. its the not the physical book that deserves the respect, it’s the words. we shouldn’t even be using paper to print books anyway, e-books!
The first time I was told to write on the pages of a book for school it took me a week to summon up the courage! Plus we weren’t allowed to take any bookmarks into the exam room, so we used to fold the whole page upwards and then back on itself so that the corner poked out the top to mark the relevant passages.
What’s with the bookmark-hating? Folding over the page helps me look back years later and see how fast/slow I read. Plus, there’s this concept calling ‘unfolding’ that’s really great. I don’t really fold it over anymore, though. I fold it too hard and when I unfold it, the page stands out…
When people lend me books, I don’t mark them because it’s THEIR book. It’s not mine. I shouldn’t physically alter the book unless they tell me to.
I disagree about e-books. A) It’s much harder on the eyes. B) A hard drive crash is much more likely than a fire. C) How is paper worse for the environment than the electricity used to power the computer that stays on for hours while you read?
Sphincters unclenched yet?
JP
I confess….I fold pages. Before you stone me, let me say this in my defense: I think that a well-worn, dog-eared book is more beautiful than a room full of perfect books with crisp pages still new from the bookstore. It shows that they’re actually being read, you know?
I totally agree with Jen a well worn book is better than perfect crisp looking books. Though I like using pretty bookmarks better.
Page folding I can live with. It’s the spine-breakers who bug me. I got a nice, fresh new novel once and loaned it to my mother-in-law after I was done reading it. She gave it back to me and it looked like it had been through several wars and a police action or two. I told her to keep it. Looking up at my bookshelf I find it very easy to tell which books I bought new and which used, because the new purchases STILL look new. I’ve nothing against a well-worn book as long as it arrives at that state after years of careful reading.
I’m not a big fan of page-bending. All though I’ll admit I use book marks (because I make my own, and they always end up really pretty, heehee.)
Though, now that I’m in high school, WE’RE SUPPOSED TO WRITE IN OUR BOOKS!
When my teacher told me that I almost cried. I just stick them with mini Post-Its instead.
I confess, i fold down pages. I can’t memorise pages and i’ve lost more bookmarks then i can count. Besides, its the words that are the real treasure, and once i’ve unfolded the corners they just look normal.
Bookmarks can actually do more damage, particurlarly the ones that actually stay in the books. They can cut teh pages and stuff.
Once, a teacher really annoyed me. I had asked them to watch my book while i ate. When i returned from the lunch hall, I was told “You’re a nice girl, and i can’t beleive it was you who folded down the page. You wouldn’t do that, would you?” and she opened the book to show me the folded page-
\Folding back the front half of the book to behind the back cover, and breaking teh spine, and completely ruining the book!
I had only bought it the day before. I was so angry. My mum was too, when i told her. I had to stop her from complaining to the school.