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Unit4[P61]WritingBetweentheLinesMortimerJ.AdlerU.S..J.Youknowyouhavetoreadbetweenthelinestogetthemostoutofanything.Iwanttopersuadeyoutodosomethingequallyimportantinthecourseofyourreading.Iwanttopersuadeyoutowritebetweenthelines.Unlessyoudo,youarenotlikelytodothemostefficientkindofreading.Icontend,quitebluntly,thatmarkingupabookisnotanactofmutilationbutoflove.Therearetwowaysinwhichyoucanownabook.Thefirstisthepropertyright[youestablishbypayingforit],justasyoupayforclothesandfurniture.Butthisactofpurchaseisonlythepreludetopossession.Fullownershipcomesonlywhenyouhavemadeitapartofyourself,andthebestwaytomakeyourselfapartofitisbywritinginit.Anillustrationmaymakethepointclear.Youbuyabeefsteakandtransferitfromthebutchersiceboxtoyourown.Butyoudonotownthebeefsteakinthemostimportantsenseuntilyouconsumeitandgetitintoyourbloodstream.Iamarguingthatbooks,too,mustbeabsorbedinyourbloodstreamtodoyouanygood.Therearethreekindsofbookowners.Thefirsthasallthestandardsetsandbest-sellersunread,untouched.Thesecondhasagreatmanybooksafewofthemreadthrough,mostofthemascleanandshinyasthedaytheywerebought.(Thispersonwouldprobablyliketomakebookshisown,butisrestrainedbyafalserespectfortheirphysicalappearance.)Thethirdhasafewbooksormany-----everyoneofthemdog-earedanddilapidated,shakenandloosenedbycontinualuse,markedandscribbledinfromfronttoback.Isitfalserespect,youmayask,topreserveintactandunblemishedabeautifullyprintedbook,anelegantlyboundedition?Ofcoursenot.IdnomorescribblealloverafirsteditionofParadiseLostthanIdgivemybabyasetofcrayonsandanoriginalRembrandt!Iwouldntmarkupapaintingorastatue.Itssoul,sotospeak,isinseparablefromitsbody.Andthebeautyofarareeditionorofarichlymanufacturedvolumeislikethatofapaintingorastatue.RembrandtButthesoulofabookcanbeseparatedfromitsbody.Abookismorelikethescoreofapieceofmusicthanitislikeapainting.Nogreatmusicianconfusesasymphonywiththeprintedsheetofmusic.Ifyourrespectformagnificentbindingortypographygetsintheway,buyyourselfacheapeditionandpayyourrespectstotheauthor.Whyismarkingupabookindispensabletoreading?First,itkeepsyouawake.(AndIdontmeanmerelyconscious;Imeanwideawake.)Inthesecondplace,reading,ifitisactive,isthinking,andthinkingtendstoexpressitselfinwords,spokenorwritten.Thatmarkedbookisusuallythethought-throughbook.Finally,writinghelpsyourememberthethoughtsyouhad,orthethoughtstheauthorexpressed.Letmedevelopthesethreepoints.Ifreadingistoaccomplishanythingmorethanpassingtime,itmustbeactive.Youcantletyoureyesglideacrossthelinesofabookandcomeupwithanunderstandingofwhatyouhaveread.Nowanordinarypieceoflightfiction,like,say,GonewiththeWind,doesntrequirethemostactivekindofreading.Thebooksyoureadforpleasurecanbereadinastateofrelaxation,andnothingislost.Butagreatbook,richinideasandbeauty,abookthatraisesandtriestoanswergreatfundamentalquestions,demandsthemostactivereadingofwhichyouarecapable.Ifwhenyouvefinishedreadingabook,thepagesarefilledwithyournotes,youknowthatyouhavereadactively.But,youmayask,whyiswritingnecessary?Well,thephysicalactofwriting,withyourownhand,bringswordsandsentencesmoresharplybeforeyourmindandpreservesthembetterinyourmemory.Tosetdownyourreactiontoimportantwordsandsentencesyouhaveread,andthequestionstheyhaveraisedinyourmind,istopreservethosereactionsandsharpenthosequestions.Evenifyouwroteonascratchpad,andthrewthepaperawaywhenyouhadfinishedwriting,yourgraspofthebookwouldbesurer.Butyoudonthavetothrowthepaperaway.Themargins(topandbottom,aswellasside),theendpapers,theveryspacebetweenthelines,areallavailable.Theyarentsacred.And,bestofall,yourmarksandnotesbecomeanintegralpartofthebookandstaythereforever.Youcanpickupthebookthefollowingweekoryear,andthereareallyourpointsofagreement,disagreement,doubt,andinquiry.Itslikeresuminganinterruptedconversationwiththeadvantageofbeingabletopickupwhereyouleftoff.Andthatisexactlywhatreadingabookshouldbe:aconversationbetweenyouandtheauthor.Presumablyheknowsmoreaboutthesubjectthanyoudo;naturally,youllhavetheproperhumilityasyouapproachhim.Butdontletanybodytellyouthatareaderissupposedtobesolelyonthereceivingend.Understandingisatwo-wayoperation;learningdoesntconsistinbeinganemptyreceptacle.Thelearnerhadtoquestionhimselfandquestiontheteacher.Heevenhastoarguewiththeteacher,onceheunderstandswhattheteacherissaying.Andmarkingabookisliterallyanexpressionofyourdifferencesoragreementsofopinion,withtheauthor.