Random Doodles!

Andrea here, What with the holidays upon us, and this week likely being a frenzy of last-minute running around, I’ve decided to keep my scribbling short. Very short! So I'm doing something a little different.

Now, scribbling is the operative word. Many of us here enjoy historical books—both ones written by contemporary authors set in the past, and ones actually penned in the past. (I adore seeing displays of historical manuscripts. I literally got goosebumps seeing Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre at the British Library!)

I recently saw a delightful blog that made me have a fun “ah-ha!” moment regarding on how we read books. (more on that in a moment.) I would like to posit that there are two fundamental types of readers: Those who revere the printed page and abhor the idea of adding any markings to it. And those who don’t hesitate for a moment about adding their own personal doodles.

So, showcased below is a selection from the rare book collection of the Yale Law School library on doodles. (All images are courtesy of their website, which has an amazing array of wonderful visuals for those who love books. I’ve been lucky enough to meet the head librarian, who is a real treasure.) What makes me laugh is the types of doodles done in the Renaissance is so much like what we do today—ie, the silly faces, the little animals . . .

So have a look and smile! And as with all our Wench posts, I’ll end with a question for our readers! Are a margin scribbler? Or do you feel it’s sacrilege to doodle in a book?

Don't you love the black eye!

Silliness knows no century

Giving the finger has apparently been done for ages

Picasso would be jealous!

The fantasies of bored schoolboys never seem to change

Bellicose doodles have always been popular

As have castles in the air

And we all know that feeling when one's concentration is going to the dogs!

FINIS!

 

Comments

[Mary T]

These are funny!

I have never doodled in a book, but during classes at school and meetings at work, I would have a pad to take notes. However, the pad usually had more doodles than notes.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all wenches and all those who follow this post.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Fiddling is forever! I was the 'never leave a mark on a book" person until I started writing. Now I slash highlighters with abandon on research books. (I doodled plenty in school notebooks. *G*)

[Lil]

I did most of my doodling on school notebooks. (I can remember drawing daggers dripping with blood when people were boring me!) I rarely doodle or write anything in books, mainly because most of the books I have read over the years are library books. I truly hate people who write in library books, especially since so often what they write is just plain dumb!

[Sue McCormick]

Our ellementary and textbooks were free and were to be used by the pupils who followed us (I believe this was true in highschool also).. And most of my reading was from the library (although we also had a housefulll of books). So I was taught at an early age not to write in books. i've never broke the habit.

On the other hand, note books are fair game; after all you buy them to write in!

[Pamela DG]

I'm a doodler. My college notebooks had numerous scribbles and lists in them. If the prof wandered off on a tangent, I'd doodle as I half listened to him while I amused myself quietly until he dragged himself to the topic he was paid to teach. My writing prompt books will have a doodle or two as I contemplate the responses. When I write, I doodle. A sketch of the hero, the heroines hairstyle, what her daughter's doll looks like.

As for books I purchase, the only scribbles will be underlines, bookmarks, and notes. Very seldom does fiction get the personalization nonfiction gets. But if it is a narrative history, it will be marked and thumbed through until, like the Velveteen Rabbit, is so thoroughly used that when anyone looks upon it they will know it's a dearly loved book.

[Andrea Penrose]

So glad you enjoyed them, Mary. I never mark a book, but confess to doodling in my school notebooks—a lot!

Happy Holidays and a wonderful 2020 to you and all the Wench family of readers! We love our wonderful community!

[Andrea Penrose]

LOL—so true! I love that the same archetypal scribbles seem to appear throughout the centuries!

I really don't like to mark up books, but like you, I do highlight sections in research books of stuff I need my stories.

[Andrea Penrose]

SO funny, Lil. (I'd to be someone who bored you!)
I really dislike people who write in library books, too. It's just plain thoughtless to others.

[Andrea Penrose]

Yes, it was REALLY forbidden to write in textbooks, Sue, so I guess that where I learned it. Also, I just respect the printed page and don't want to mess it up.

Notebooks are definitely fair game. I doodled a lot in mine.

[Andrea Penrose]

That's very cool that you sketch elements from your stories, Pamela!

I have very well-worn books just from the number of times I've read them. No markings but I think people would still be able to tell they were much loved.

[Anne Gracie]

Nope, I was taught to revere books and I still can't bring myself to mark a book -- not even underlining in pencil. If I do need to mark passages it's sticky notes all the way for me. I still have books that I studied at university with particular passages marked by perforated computer strips.

[Vicki L]

I know several of my college text books had marks in them but for the most part I am a doodler on paper or in my notebooks. NOT in regular books.

The markings I always find funny is when I end up with a hardback from the library or a used paperback and somebody with a pet peeve had read them. There will be various corrections to sentences and paragraphs. I see things but I just roll my eyes and keep going.

I think I must have been taught not to write or draw in books because I don't remember any of the books at home having markings in them from me or my 4 sisters.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to one and all.

[Kareni]

Happy holidays to Wenches and readers alike!

I've never been one to mark in or highlight books, even when they belong to me. Doodling during a meeting is quite another thing!

As regards writing in library books, someone in my area has taken it upon him or herself to correct grammatical errors in library books. My question: Does one berate or thank such an annotator?

[Andrea Penrose]

Yes, I was also taught to revere the printed page, Anne. I never, ever mark a novel, and try to use sticky paper in making a research book. But on a few ocassions in research I have resorted a pencil, But I really try not to!

[Andrea Penrose]

It drives me crazy when people correct or leave a running commentary in library books. Write a letter to the editor! Subjecting countless readers to margin comments detracts from the enjoyment of the book.

I think many of us were taught that one isn't supposed mark up books. Those lessons stick!

Merry, Merry Holidays to all, and a very happy 2020!

[Andrea Penrose]

Happy Holidays to you, too, Kareni!

I vote that your grammarian gets scolded. Even if he/she is right it's just annoying.

[Quantum]

I would never mark a hard back book but digital versions are different. With some authors that I disagree with, the temptation to comment can become irresistible! I wonder if we have a genetic need to make our mark ... perhaps a more civilized evolved version of animals marking their territory. 😉

[Annette N]

Because books are treasures, I would not write in them. In college, I had some paperback study support books, I did make notes in them. If I am going to doodle, I normally use note paper or something like that. But, books are too valuable to deface them. And, cutting them up for decor or some crafty thing....that is a real crime.

I promise that in the future, I will tell you how I really feel about people who deface books.

[Karin]

I'm not a doodler, but these are hilarious!

[Anne H]

These annotations are funny and/or show a fair amount of artistry. In general, however, I revere books, especially the handwritten parchments and illuminated manuscripts, far too much to doodle in them or to appreciate someone else's doodles. I doodle in exercise books and on note pads, but never mark up even my own reference books that I will probably recycle when they are too out of date to keep; I use sticky notes to highlight important pages or passages

[Andrea Penrose]

Ha, ha,Quantum! A very intertesing observation. Maybe you could get a literary-minded colleague in biology to do some study on that!

[Andrea Penrose]

Ha, ha. I feel the same way. I cringe when I see book cut up——especially old ones torn apart for the illustrations!

[Andrea Penrose]

So glad you enjoyed them, Karin. I found them very funny, too.

[Andrea Penrose]

It seems most of us are on the same page, Anne. We may doodle in notebooks or random sheets of paper, but respect too much to deface them!