Thank you, thank you to Knopf for the opportunity to read the Pevear/Volokhonsky translation of The Death of Ivan Ilyich & Other Stories by Tolstoy. All else will be taking a back seat – save Water for Elephants, which I'm officially listening to in the car – until I read the almost 500 pp. in this brand new translation.I'm absolutely thrilled!
An official SWOON.
I don't want to rush, but I do want to get through it while it's still so young and fresh. The feel of it! Such heft in the hand; creamy, pristine pages. It's a beauty. And soon it'll have my notes and underlinings all over the interior.
Yes, I'm a librarian who writes in her books… But in this one, only pencil. I promise.
Pinky swear.
Bluestalking 
I know writing in books is a terrible habit – as an ex-librarian it took me years to sum up the courage to do so. Nowadays I tend to compromise by doing my notes in the back with page references (when I’m feeling like a Good Boy). When I’m really naughty it’s ink on the pages themselves. Now I’ve really upset someone…
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How pretty! I love new books
I’ve loved every P&V translation I’ve read! (Okay, only like three) so I think that should be just great!
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If a book’s a paperback, and especially a review copy, I mark it up like mad. If I’m reviewing that’s how I find passages I need to reference, etc.
If it’s a hardback, usually I’ll be more conservative but still mark it up, though to a lesser extent.
Once upon a time I wouldn’t THINK of writing in books. Now I know how interesting it is reading written comments others have left. I used to have a copy of Nabokov’s ‘Pale Fire’ that had all sorts of marginalia from a former reader, things like, This sucks! or STUPID!
You have to love that.
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Rebecca, do you enjoy used books, as well? I love looking through them, and have found some very interesting things, including two photos of women in late Victorian/early Edwardian dresses. I want to frame those, speaking of. I also found a valentine from wife to husband, and a drawing of a 1920s flapper and her husband (or I assumed so!) I love books old and new, any I can get my hands on! 😉
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