Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
But if the notes are long and/or numerous, they can interfere with the flow of the text.
|
I prefer inline notes because I find them less disruptive than constantly flipping back and forward.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
Eg, the wonderful Penguin eBook of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" (an example to every publisher of how to produce a good eBook) has many notes in each chapter, and many of them are long. If I'm reading it, I wouldn't look up a note on what a "chaise and four" is, because I know what it is, and I wouldn't want to see the half page of text on it in the middle of the main text either.
|
I always tend to read the notes. I've a vague idea what a "chaise and four" is, but a note could also expand on other topics; e.g. it's social significance at the time the story is set. If the note is half a page long, it's likely to tell me something I didn't know - if I assumed I didn't need to refer to the note; and it's hidden, unseen, at the back of the book, I'd be missing out.