Yeah, endnotes in books are quite annoying. I think I prefer footnotes, although sometimes there are footnotes that are so long that they take up half the page, and then I think “well if it requires that much explanation, why not just make it a part of the regular text?” But then it might distract the reader from the point… but then again, having a huge block of small text that takes up half a page is distracting anyway. Then I guess it’d be better to have it as an endnote… hmm. And it’s not good to mix endnotes, footnotes, and parentheticals for things like that, but I think that’s only for citations, and not explanations. I guess that means it’s good to have endnotes if your explanation is going to be really really long. I don’t know where I’m going with this.
Yeah, endnotes in books are quite annoying. I think I prefer footnotes, although sometimes there are footnotes that are so long that they take up half the page, and then I think “well if it requires that much explanation, why not just make it a part of the regular text?” But then it might distract the reader from the point… but then again, having a huge block of small text that takes up half a page is distracting anyway. Then I guess it’d be better to have it as an endnote… hmm. And it’s not good to mix endnotes, footnotes, and parentheticals for things like that, but I think that’s only for citations, and not explanations. I guess that means it’s good to have endnotes if your explanation is going to be really really long. I don’t know where I’m going with this.
33 Responses to “Endnotes”
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first…=_=
post is early today
No Yuyuko endnote? Maybe even a gapping hole in the flash frame?
Also,
Second
My copy of Frankenstein doesn’t have endnotes! I may be being deprived of potentially useful information.
Forth
Oh snap Muffin!
Yo dawg, I heard you like endnotes, so we put some endnotes in yo endnotes so you can read while you read.
@Anon_of_TC Oh you~
and darn you Endnotes and your ebil plans >:O! *shakes fists*
Ibid is totally Marisa. I mean, she’s EVERYWHERE!
Heh… after the endnotes started getting ridiculous I was expecting more after the endnote endnotes…
That was confusing to read.*
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*This should be confusing to read, too.
Yay, excessive endnotes!
I actually coded footnotes into my site’s CMS. I can’t figure out how to make nested footnotes, though … :x
yay, endnotes
Ah…what?
House of Leaves.
Read it.
i c whut u did thar. :O
I do agree with the Encyclopedia Brown footnote. I only ever figured out one of those gosh darned things as a kid. :(
あるあるｗｗｗｗ
I mean, 16th!
Encyclopedia Brown cheats anyway. Most of the clues will never be noticed simply because they aren’t real clues. They’re playing off the Sherlock Holmes trope of the detective observing every little detail, but the details here are mostly useless. They gain “clue” status merely by being stated as clues.
When is it that I am going to see at least 1 comment that doesnt read “Yay, (subject of day)”?
@RinKou
THIS BOOK, MAN…
Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series does the “excessively long footnotes” thing. Sometimes the footnote of footnote and all end up taking half the page, then a quarter of the next page too. Still, it’s better than excessively long parenthesis.
Endnotes and similar citations are best for text where you’re expected to read several times over anyway to grasp what’s going on. A light read certainly shouldn’t have them to explain minor points only interesting academically.
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Disclaimer: the above is the opinion of a Physicist, not a Literature student.
Longhaired and Headphones Character-*Having a long discussion about endnotes*
Unnamed: I don’t like them.
That was lulzy.
Yeah, the endnotes are really annoying, but sometimes is a “little necessary”*.
[…]
*”little necessary” is referring about that this guy actually don’t read too much the endnotes (maybe, never), but loves the footnotes (that don’t read too, if this is excessive).
[…]
Now this endnote/footnote (arararara?) takes unnecessary space…
I was totally expecting a Cirno joke at the ninth endnote. D:
I would have read the endnotes but I wasn’t feeling like it right now. I’ll read em later.
Novel gains asterisk moe status!
asterisks and endnote numbers are the new neko-mimi of literature
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@Psieye: Yes, but to clarify, Pratchett uses the footnotes to brilliant comedic effect. They are purposely useless as far as the normal use of footnotes goes, but are great for delivering extra punchlines.
Oh ho ho my copy of The Life of Lewis Carroll has very interesting FOOTnotes enjoy your end notes oh ho ho!
The only footnotes I want to see are in Terry Pratchett novels. Those things are hilarious.
great =D
The best footnotes are the one in Perfect Memento in Strict Sense.
Akyu’s personal comments and opinions ..lol
“There are times when you get lost even in not particularly long roads. When this happens, eight or nine times out of ten, you would be right to think that it is the work of a fairy. (＊1)
1: You can avoid being humiliated if you blame fairies. “
Well, anyway, yeah. Footnotes are superior.
Terry Pratchett is an awesome writer. He uses footnotes and they’re funny.
Kay. From now on, whenever anything goes bad, I shall blame the fairies.