“A book is more like the score of a piece of music than it is like a painting” (22). I have a little music background to understand that line. The music becomes more meaningful and theirs, however, I would have to disagree with that statement not all books are like music, only some.
When it comes to reading and marking I can understand and agree with some of the things Adler is saying, but I just cannot do it. If I am reading a fictional book, wither it be for an English class or not the most I can do is highlight quotes or fold the pages that hold information. I am not sure if it has anything to do with the anti-writing on books from high school or not. When I take a fictional book, let us say Mice and Men, I cannot debate with the book. The most I can say is ‘I like the ending, I agree with it,’ but I cannot put in little side notes questioning a character action. It is the author work and art to create situations. In cases like this, the most I can do is mark things I do not understand underline words I do not know, or pick out the main ideas, but I cannot really argue with the book.
However, between textbooks, books written by philosophers and essays I agree a hundred percent with Adler. I can see why writing all over the books allows you to understand more, actively listen and so on. Those are the music and not the art that you can mark all over.
Adler has some good pointers and reasoning about marking a book. I would have to agree with most of what she debates.
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I completely agree with what she's saying here. When I read a fictional book, I may highlight quotes that I find interesting, but other than that there is really no need to argue or make points about what's going on because that work is from the writer's own mind. However, when it comes to text books or an informational essay, you can argue with the facts. For instance, say you're reading an article on Evolution where a writer gives all the support that evolution did happen. You can, in turn, argue that evolution did not happen, but instead that we were all created by a divinely presence, and give the supporting facts for that theory. Because this article did not come from the writer's own mind, it can be argued with.
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