The $3 thrift store copy of Infinite Jest changed my reading group's whole vibe

Picked up a beat-up hardcover for three bucks at Goodwill. Dogeared and highlighted like crazy by the previous owner. Brought it to my book club and people were actually mad at first. Then three members started reading the margin notes out loud and we couldn't stop laughing. Has anyone else found weird annotations in used books that totally shifted how you saw the story?

2 comments

2 Comments

stone.thomas1mo ago

The real gold in those was probably the previous owner's internal debate with the author - could be a stranger's whole personal literary criticism just scribbled in the margins. That kind of raw reaction is way more interesting than any published review.

bell.taylor1mo ago

Man, I feel that. Finding someone else's raw notes in a book is like getting a secret second story for free.