Italics

When I was at secondary school in the 1960s, a fellow pupil who had borrowed Guardians Of Time, asked me, "Who says this?" and pointed at a short italicized passage. I explained that it was a thought and added that Anderson always italicized thoughts so that the meaning was always clear to the reader. I think that it should (usually) be clear even on a first reading. When Everard says:

"'...you two were newly married.'"
-Poul Anderson, "Brave To Be A King" IN Anderson, Time Patrol (Riverdale, NY, 2010), pp. 55-112 AT 1, p. 57 -

- this is immediately followed by:

"After I introduced you..."
-op. cit., p. 58.

Sometimes it is even clearer:

"Sure, thought Everard, the best man got the girl."
-op. cit., p. 59.

Over the page, a paragraph describing the role of Time Patrol Specialists like Keith Denison is followed by:

"Besides all of which, Keith was a friend of mine.
"Everard took the pipe from his mouth."
-op. cit, p. 60.

Again, a consecutive reader should readily understand that Everard thinks the italicized sentence.

However, italicized thoughts were a practice of Poul Anderson. We were not taught it in English lessons at school and other authors do not observe it.

"...Vanger knew just how shaky things were when he first contacted Berger. What sort of game was he playing?"
-Stieg Larsson, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, trans., Reg Keeland (London, 2008), CHAPTER 17, 292.

Is the question italicized for emphasis or because the viewpoint character, Blomkvist, thinks it in those words? Maybe "...Vanger knew..." (etc) is a fact on which he has just reflected but not a word-for-word thought?

"The report questioned Blomkvist's refusal to comment during the trial. Smart woman."
-ibid.

Same comments.

"But Salander had used his original wording. He glanced again at the cover of the report. It was dated three days before Blomkvist was sentenced. That was impossible."
-ibid.

In this passage:

if the first sentence were a thought by Blomkvist, then it should have read, "But Salander used my original wording...";

the second sentence describes an action, not a thought;

the third sentence describes a fact that he notices;

the fourth sentence, if a thought, should have read, "That is impossible."

"You've been in my computer, Froken Salander, he said aloud. You're a fucking hacker."
-ibid.

Sentences spoken aloud should have been printed inside inverted commas and not in italics.