Good evening, folks! I hope you like this video. I'd love to have a chat about annotation in the comments section down below. Do you annotate your books? Do you write separate notes as you read? Do you have any comments on 'The Bees' by Carol Ann Duffy, or 'Poor Things'? Let me know! xx
We spent a whole week studying this book at uni and you made me grasp the nuances of the story far better in 25 minutes! Going to have to give this a reread
Possibly the most awesome youtube video I have watched. I did a foundations of English module at my university last year. Semester one was all literature and your analysis of texts is what we had to do. Your notes are amazing and show one of the most accomplished understandings of text I have witnessed. I have learnt more here than 12 weeks in class. Fantastic.
My. Mind. Is. Blown. I briefly talked about this book in a wrap-up recently, but I've just linked to your video in the cards and in the description box because I didn't even scratch the surface... Thank you so much for this Jen!
I love the idea of authors' works being pollinated by the past works they have read. I also love the idea that poems written in the moment could only be written in that moment, but would be different in a different moment. I think that is also reflected back on the reader: the poem you read on the page will only ever be that poem to you in that moment. When you go back to revisit, it is a different poem, not in the words, but their impact. I love that you demonstrated this by choosing a poem that you had previously annotated, too. Lovely thoughts, and I liked that poem a lot. I'll have to check out the collection. I haven't read Poor Things, so I skipped that part, but loved the poetry deconstruction.
"I think that is also reflected back on the reader: the poem you read on the page will only ever be that poem to you in that moment. When you go back to revisit, it is a different poem, not in the words, but their impact." Absolutely! xx
I absolutely loved this! I have never wanted to read a book so much after watching this analysis of Poor Things. I used to be hesitant about scribbling in the margins, but now I think it is so wonderful to revisit my own thoughts in a book (especially after watching this)! Thank you 😊
I can't annotate books in the book, I need to take notes. It is from growing up in a home that could not afford books so almost all books came from the library and the book I got every Christmas was very special and was handle carefully. Thank you for sharing your notes. I just read the book and found it amusing and funny. It is a surrealistic. I think I would have not liked it if I read it as a teen but for my ages now it was perfect.Thank you for recommend it.
I read Poor Things earlier in the year based on your recommendation. I enjoyed it and enjoyed this video. I loved the epilogue when Victoria told her version of the story. It was moving and empowering to read it and witness her victory.
Hello there! I found this video extremely helpful, I need to do deep readings for my classes at university, and your way of annotating (with a video along to show how, what and where) is a lifesaver! Yes I do annotate books now, before I used to cut tiny pieces of paper to make my notes and put them into the book if I was afraid of 'tarnishing' the poor thing. It never falls out if you put it correctly. I tried sticky notes (I don't recommend them) and tabs, but they're distracting and hide the text. Writing directly on the text or keeping a reading journal is what I found most fitting.
This came at a perfect time! I've just started a second degree in literature and we've really been getting into close reading, which is something I'm not necessarily used to, although I really enjoy finding new layers in stories and poems. I will definitely use your tips in the future!
I enjoyed reading Poor Things a lot! Gothic fiction is definitely one of my favourite genres and Frankenstein and Jane Eyre two of my favourite books, so I loved all the references. I found the introduction and epilogue very interesting, they change the whole experience of reading the book, as you mentioned too. I absolutely loved this video! You gave me a lot of new insights. Your annotations are so clever and well-thought-out. I hope you'll do more of these annotation videos in the future. I don't think I'll ever get enough of them. As for me, I don't really annotate books. I'm getting over my reluctance to write in books (I'm sometimes underlining or highlighting sections now) and would love to annotate them, but I never feel like my thoughts are coherent and intelligent enough to write them down.
Absolutely fascinating, Jen! How I wish I'd seen this while studying for my English Lit exams in school haha. I haven't read Poor Things (yet) but I'll definitely be coming back to this video once I have. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts!
Jen Campbell, you never cease to amaze me with these videos. I definitely need to reread this book next year and try my hand at annotating my books. I’m almost done reading Asymmetry by Lisa Halliday and regret not annotating while reading it now. I hope you’re doing well!!
I JUST finished it. It was ok. I gave it 3 stars. I enjoyed the writing style and the way she crafted it. However, the thread connecting the three parts together was completely underwhelming. Also, it ended up being one of those novels that was a little too “deep” for my liking.
I 'didn't approve' of annotating books when I was young and was quite snitty about those who did. Now, in my very late sixties, I find it increasingly difficult to remember what happened even a few chapters ago in a book, if I don't read it in one sitting. Annotating me books has become an intellectual lifeline for me, particularly as I like to write a few paragraphs about every book I read in my book journal. I can also comprehend now that annotating is a way of interacting with the author and the book which is vital in any sort of engagement with the arts. Thanks so much for this extremely helpful video.
i was the same and in my early 50's i still get all jittery inside when i see writing in books. I was brought up in a family that loved books and saved their money to buy books and respected those books and also the work that goes into writing and publishing books. When i buy second hand books i know there is the possibility that it has been written in but so far i have been lucky. When i buy my own or have my OU Text Books i don't write in them.. There is also the fact that i may want to read them later and wouldn't want to see my own scribbles in the book.
Jen Campbell -- here to save my Uni grades 🙏 my mum bought me The Bees for my birthday years ago and I loved the use of sound and her firm grasp on language. Bees always make me think of Sylvia Plath, her father had an expertise on bees (I think). I believe Sylvia Plath greatly inspires Carol Ann Duffy, so that's quite an interesting connection. I'm going to see her do a talk in December, so excited!
Very late comment - view it as my annotation of this video :). I couldn't write in a book (sacred objects!) for years, but now do - usually in books of literary criticism, and in pencil, so not necessarily permanent. Just for fun. What jumped out at me from this poem: All the buzzy sounds B, S, Z - "brazen" also a colour - "brassy" Bees do "dance" to give other bees an "airy map" to find their way to a good source of nectar (kind of, what you do!) playful but purposeful The flowers mentioned are the national flowers of Wales, Scotland and England -Carol Ann Duffy's national role as Poet Laureate - flowers also words - both are beautiful, colourful Then, out of nowhere, "the golden lotus" - evoking images of Buddhism, golden Buddhas, associations with the East (words from afar?) and wisdom - also honey colour - "gilded, golden" - something precious To me, the bees/words are wise - they contain wisdom packed inside them from all their varied origins, influences and histories The words/bees bring their wisdom/scent with them "shadowed, busy heart" shadowed? not sure, perhaps the private, inner space of the hive/heart, mystery of artistic process - "busy" busy bees, poet working away on poem "heart/art" rhyme - first traditional "poetic" feature occurs at the end - the bees have stopped buzzing about, collecting - poem turns to sentences, not just lists of words - now calmer, more ordered, productive Poet collects words from different sources, brings them home to the hive/heart, works to transform them into art So fun! Enjoy your videos so much - thank you.
@@jenvcampbell It had so many themes that I find super fascinating, such as hints to feminism and politics/socialism, and Frankenstein is one of my favorite classics so to see that influence was really nice! The physical copy is very enjoyable to read because of all the beautiful illustrations and the written words etc. I definitely want to read it again, I'm not a very strong close reader, so I think I can definitely pick up more once I read it again!
No i just can't write in books. I use large post-it notes for short immediate notes when i am inspired or something leaps out at me and i have a notebook for more detailed notes. it is how i was brought up, to respect books, specially those belonging to others. I am studying at the moment and when i have finished and look at the books later i may not read them the same and don't want even my own scribbles in the book.
Hi Jen or anyone else who could help me find this book I’m looking for. I remember you talked about it in a video before it’s about how people’s lives intertwine, it starts with one person meeting another and then that person meeting another person etc.
Ah, it's like having a conversation with your past self, ha. I don't find that to be a problem, but if you do then perhaps have a separate notebook for note taking :) x
I am opening some book mail as I watch this, and the exact moment that you show Poor Things on screen, I pull it out from the envelope. What are the chances! Guess I better not watch the rest of the video now!
I am sorry but I couldn’t watch more than about 2 minutes of this video. I hate annotating my books directly. Research papers were not a problem but I couldn’t even annotate my research books until three years into my own PhD. Unfortunately photocopying wasn’t an option as I was working from home and didn’t have easy access to a scanner. My book shelves contain many books: all of which look like they haven’t been read... but unfortunately some still contain evidence of my vandalism :-( As a side note to my main research (into AI and Agent Theory), I would like to add the following observation: highlighter pens are evil and should be banned.
...annotating a book is just interacting with the text. As an author, nothing pleases me more than seeing someone scribble in the margins of a book I’ve written.
Honestly I’ve never thought of in that way. I always thought of it as being disrespectful to the author and to books in general. To hear from an actual author has made me reconsider my viewpoint. I think that I may need to think about this a bit more :-) Thank you.
@@eloquentlyemma As an avid annotator...I like to think of it like this: If you were crossing out the author's words and then placing your own over them, then yes, perhaps one could argue that to be rude or vandalism...However, underlining sections you like, circling words that follow a pattern, writing notes in the marginalia with your own thoughts/reactions about specific passages, highlighting long sections, or even doodling emotive expressions next to a plot point are all ways for readers to interact with the text. Annotating books not only (quite literally) forces you to slow down when you read, but it also allows you to pull out meaning and readings from the text. In a lot of ways, I feel like I'm interacting directly with the author when I annotate and overall my most beloved books are the ones that I annotate the most. Sometimes I'll even find a passage I love a lot and put a heart next to it because it just is perfectly crafted prose, or, verse. It takes a while to get used to at first, but now I almost always buy books as opposed to renting them because I hate the fact I can't annotate rented books lol.
Leigh L - I’ve heard that there are some people who actively look for annotated books in bookshops because they feel that it adds to the original experience. I don’t think that I’ll ever become like that, but I am going to try to be a bit more accepting in future - even if I never completely understand on an emotional level...
@@eloquentlyemma It's okay to have a different preference! Personally, I used to feel quite along the same lines as you...until I had a professor in a Gothic novel class who was absolutely adamant that we had to annotate our books. In fact, he would check them at the beginning of every class to ensure that we were reading the books. At first, I hated it, and, I was kind of angry at him for making me "damage" my books. However, as time went on, and the more and more comfortable I got doing it, I slowly began to annotate more and get better at it, and now I freaking love it...I prefer used books myself, however, I do not relate at all to wanting to buy a copy with someone's annotations already inside of them, haha. Like, I would like to have room for my own annotations, not some random strangers. When I go to my University's bookstore sometimes I'll have to flip through like 5 used copies of a text required for my class just to find one without any annotations. But again, I understand where you're coming from, and it's completely fine not to annotate...I personally am just one of the individuals who loves it :)
An interesting video, but I see no reason why anybody who is not a student should annotate their books. And even if you're a student, I think making actual notes makes more sense as you tend to have very little space in the margin or between the lines to write anything... I love the fact that books can be shared, lent and borrowed, passed on, donated to charity or a public library. The action of annotating books in pen (as opposed to pencil) makes the book a disposable object.
Annotating a book doesn’t mean you can’t share it or pass it on. I worked in a secondhand bookshop for many years and it’s always lovely to see how previous owners have annotated their books. Their voices are interacting with the text. You don’t have to annotate books if you don’t want to, of course, do what works for you but saying anyone who is not a student shouldn’t annotate their books is a bizarre thing to say. I’m a writer and a book reviewer; annotating is a way for me to further engage with the material. Even if I wasn’t those things, I’d probably still do it. Each to their own.
I don't think annotating makes the book a disposable object. I actually love reading annotations others had made as they often highlight things that I haven't noticed. But I even like notes, shopping lists and various other things one can find in second hand books.
I have the precise opposite opinion. An unannotated book is just an object, a box for the story it contains, while an annotated book is intensely personal and has additional value. Full of evidence that someone has engaged with the story within. And honestly as for resale goes, well second hand books go for tuppence anyways.
