Semi-Tough Audiobook By Dan Jenkins cover art

Semi-Tough

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Semi-Tough

By: Dan Jenkins
Narrated by: L. J. Ganser
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Seventh on Sports Illustrated's Top 100 Sports Books of All Time, Dan Jenkins' Semi-Tough is a raucous, politically incorrect football spoof starring New York Giants' redneck star Billy Clyde Puckett.

As Puckett records the outrageous buildup to his team's Super Bowl clash with cross-town rivals the Jets, his best friend's voluptuous main squeeze puts some knee-buckling moves on him that he finds difficult to dodge.

©1972 Dan Jenkins (P)2008 Recorded Books, LLC Fiction Genre Fiction Literature & Fiction Satire Sports Comedy

Critic reviews

"Jenkins is as irreverent and hip a sports satirist as ever ..." ( Publishers Weekly)

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All stars
Most relevant  

Would you consider the audio edition of Semi-Tough to be better than the print version?

No idea

What was one of the most memorable moments of Semi-Tough?

When the narrator wasn't trying too hard.

What didn’t you like about L. J. Ganser’s performance?

Too theatrical, but I guess it grew on me to be tolerable, but just barely.

Great book almost ruined by narrator

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The story is funny and entertaining but the reading from L.J, Ganser is brilliant! It really takes you into the characters and the story

Very funny and entertaining

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The people that left the one star reviews are exactly who you think they are. This gem is 50 years old and set in a sports setting in the early 70s and there are a lot of racial slurs thrown around and the vast majority are in jest. There are a couple parts that get uncomfortable but as a whole it's a great listen. It took a bit to get rolling but I was sad when it was over.

Don't be mislead by the 1 star reviews

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Rereading after 40 years I can still laugh at Dan's wit, and cringe slightly @ words. It caused me to think how publishers nowadays in a politically correct world, how would this book be published.
Hopefully it wouldn't as I am sure there's no maliciousness involved.
I'm looking forward to reading more from Dan Jenkins, his daughter Sally as well. I am becoming a big fan, she's every bit as good as her father was.

Reread 40 years later

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Pre-internet glimpse into the lives of rich & famous athletes. Racial epithets & descriptions of women made me uncomfortable

Maybe too raw

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Loved this book when I was in High School. But the culture has changed. The parts I remember as funny are still funny, But the vocabulary is more jarring than I remember.

This has not aged well

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I am no prude, but this book simply has no redeeming qualities. It is filled with pathetic attempts at eight grade humor, laced with vulgar profanity.

Vulgar and Disgusting

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What disappointed you about Semi-Tough?

The effort to overcome years of avoiding this type of name branding

What was most disappointing about Dan Jenkins’s story?

Bigotry

How could the performance have been better?

Read Ball 4 and start over...

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Semi-Tough?

Page one to the end.

Outdated and Unfunny

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Never was a fan of locker room trash talk. Here's a book that has nothing to do with sports/football, and has everything to do with racial slurring, female degradation, and towel popping antics that were offensive when published and even more so today. How it ranks as No. 7 on SI's top 100 sport books of all time is a mystery. Do yourself a favor and buy The Match, by Mark Frost. You'll be inspired and in awe of a classy sport with classy figures - the very opposite of this waste of time.

TRASH!

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