Thug Notes
A Street-Smart Guide to Classic Literature
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Narrated by:
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Greg Edwards
About this listen
Sparky Sweets, PhD, and Wisecrack proudly present this outrageously funny, ultra-sharp guide to literature based on the hit online series, Thug Notes. Inside, you'll find hilarious plot breakdowns and masterful analyses of 16 of literature's most beloved classics, including: Things Fall Apart, To Kill a Mockingbird, Hamlet, The Catcher in the Rye, Lord of the Flies, Pride and Prejudice, and more!
The series Thug Notes has been featured on BET, PBS, and NPR and has been used in hundreds of classrooms around the world. Whether you’re a student, teacher, or straight-up literary gangster like Dr. Sweets, Thug Notes has got you covered. You'll certainly never look at literature the same way again.
©2015 Sparky Sweets (P)2015 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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"A deliciously executed example of the application of street sensibility to high-culture, high-concept areas." —The New York Times
"Move over, Cliff, there's a new Notes-master in town." —The Huffington Post
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Ice
- A Memoir of Gangster Life and Redemption - from South Central to Hollywood
- By: Douglas Century
- Narrated by: Mirron Willis
- Length: 7 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Ice-T here offers his hip-hop generation’s Horatio Alger story: the narrative of an orphaned child who, drawn inexorably into a harrowing life of crime, ultimately turns away from the streets and, through self-discipline and a single-minded work ethic, forges a path to international fame as a musician and film-and-television star.
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I have a whole new respect for this man!
- By kris on 11-19-12
By: Douglas Century
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The Last Detail
- A Novel
- By: Darryl Ponicsan
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
- Length: 5 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Unlike other branches of the armed services, the Navy draws its police force from the ranks as temporary duty - Shore Patrol. In this funny, bawdy, moving audiobook set during the height of the Vietnam War, two career sailors in transit in Norfolk, Virginia - Billy "Bad-Ass" Buddusky and Mule Mulhall - are assigned to escort 18-year-old Larry Meadows from Norfolk to the brig in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where he is to serve an eight-year sentence for petty theft. It's good duty, until the two old salts realize the injustice of the sentence and are oddly affected by the naive innocence of their young prisoner.
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Surprising ending
- By bella on 09-11-20
By: Darryl Ponicsan
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Will
- By: Will Smith, Mark Manson
- Narrated by: Will Smith
- Length: 16 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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One of the most dynamic and globally recognized entertainment forces of our time opens up fully about his life, in a brave and inspiring book that traces his learning curve to a place where outer success, inner happiness, and human connection are aligned. Along the way, Will tells the story in full of one of the most amazing rides through the worlds of music and film that anyone has ever had.
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Will sure loves Will
- By Kejeco on 11-18-21
By: Will Smith, and others
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The Sacred Place
- By: Daniel Black
- Narrated by: Kevin R. Free
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Visiting from Chicago, 14-year-old Clement is unfamiliar with the social customs of the tiny town of Money. Striding into a general store, he offends the white store clerk by not placing his nickel in her hand. This seemingly innocuous act leads to a horrific murder and a conflict drawn along racial lines.
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learning experience
- By BearBearWolf on 02-22-19
By: Daniel Black
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The Unsung Hero of Birdsong, USA
- By: Brenda Woods
- Narrated by: John Kroft
- Length: 3 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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On Gabriel's 12th birthday, he gets a new bike - and is so excited that he accidentally rides it right into the path of a car. Fortunately, a Black man named Meriwether pushes him out of the way just in time, and fixes his damaged bike. As a thank you, Gabriel gets him a job at his dad's auto shop. Gabriel's dad hires him with some hesitation, however, anticipating trouble with the other mechanic, who makes no secret of his racist opinions. Gabriel and Meriwether become friends, and Gabriel learns that Meriwether drove a tank in the Army's all-Black 761st Tank Battalion in WWII.
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It’s good
- By Bharath on 02-01-21
By: Brenda Woods
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The Witch of Little Italy
- By: Suzanne Palmieri
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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When young Eleanor Amore gets pregnant, she returns to her estranged family in the Bronx, called by the "Sight" they share. It is the first time she has been back since she was 10, and while everyone else remembers that summer, Eleanor can’t recall anything earlier than the moment she left. With her past coming back to her in flashes, she becomes obsessed with recapturing those memories. Aided by her childhood sweetheart, she learns the secrets still haunting her magical family.
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Kept me entertained......
- By Barbara on 05-25-13
By: Suzanne Palmieri
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The Mountaintop
- By: Katori Hall
- Narrated by: Aja Naomi King, Larry Powell
- Length: 1 hr and 4 mins
- Original Recording
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On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated outside of his room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. What happened inside room 306 on the evening of April 3 is the subject of Katori Hall's The Mountaintop. Hours after King's final speech, punctuated by his immortal line "I've been to the mountaintop", the celebrated reverend forms an unlikely friendship with a motel maid as they talk into the early hours of what will be his final day.
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Wow
- By OsteoRD on 10-28-17
By: Katori Hall
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Between Riverside and Crazy
- By: Stephen Adly Guirgis
- Narrated by: Elisa Bocanegra, John Cothran, Seamus Dever, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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After his wife’s death, retired cop Walter "Pops" Washington has made a home for his ex-felon son in his sprawling, rent-controlled, Riverside Drive apartment. Will a long-simmering feud with the NYPD cause him to lose his home and the family he’s built there?
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Relevant material. Great performance by Cothran.
- By Lady Contra on 01-04-19
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Bullwhip Days
- The Slaves Remember: An Oral History
- By: James Mellon
- Narrated by: Janina Edwards, Brad Sanders
- Length: 15 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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In the 1930s, the Works Progress Administration commissioned an oral history of the remaining former slaves. Bullwhip Days is a remarkable compendium of selections from these extraordinary interviews, providing an unflinching portrait of the world of government-sanctioned slavery of Africans in America. Here are 29 full narrations, as well as nine sections of excerpts related to particular aspects of slave life, from religion to plantation life to the Reconstruction era.
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Excellent
- By Norficia Overton on 10-23-17
By: James Mellon
What listeners say about Thug Notes
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Vicky
- 09-11-18
A great modern speak version of Cliff Notes.
I confess I am an addict of the YouTube channel that this is on. Sometimes the language is a bit uhm crass or blunt, but it's like the podcast Small Town Murder you just can't help but love it. In a way at times I understand Sparky Sweets' way of breaking down the books better. He brought the plot and message of A Handmaids Tale to me clearly. Because I was honestly a bit confused with the end of that one. If your kids are at the age that will be exposed to the language anyway and you homeschool (YES! Hold on to your panties!) I say that this is a great reference.
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1 person found this helpful
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- RaveIcon
- 05-24-16
Best notes EVER!!!
Never has paraphrasing been so hilarious and informative. Where was this, when I was younger???
Great book.
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9 people found this helpful
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- FredGDPerry
- 04-01-16
An intelligent analysis of literature: FO' ERRBODY
Would you listen to Thug Notes again? Why?
It has been often said that those who truly know their subject matter can simply and clearly explain it to ANYONE. Sparky Sweets PhD is therefore a highly knowledgeable and learned authority of literature. Moreno than any other I've heard.
He can explain classical literature to anyone, keeping the listerner/reader engaged all the while, and he proves it in this book.
If I were a teacher in collegiat classic literature, I would present this to my class as a powerful learning aid. A wonderful perspective to aid in understanding the subject AND keep my class engaged while they read.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Obviously, the narrator was my favorite speaker. I eagerly await his next project!
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5 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 08-06-23
Funny and smart concept but dense
Funny and smart concept but dense. not ideal for listening casually. It is explained very well though.
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- Loki Liesmith
- 04-20-18
THIS
it's everything I hoped it would be: Brash, vulgar, hilarious, and brilliant. if you enjoy Sparky sweets five minute video reviews of great works of literature, you'll love his 20-plus minute discussions of some of those same works.
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2 people found this helpful
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- ACL
- 07-31-18
New Perspective for an Old Teacher
I have taught English at the secondary level for 15 years. While I know literature and have studied the classics, I was able to take away valuable bits of perspective from a different point of view and am confident that I will be a better teacher this upcoming semester. I thoroughly enjoyed this work and would recommend it to any educator who is looking for a fun review of the classics and/or adjust their teaching style in order to capture and maintain the attention of his or her students.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Roy
- 08-29-17
Wonderfully Helpful.
Very interesting and clarifying in the case of literary works that are less easy to comprehend upon first reading. Still I abstained from from listening to the Crime and Punishment analysis since I haven't finished the book itself yet. The performance is great, feels as if I'm listening to a crazy long episode of thug notes. I only wish it could be longer and more detailed about each classic it covers, since sometimes it does feel like it was rushing through. Definitely worth the money, and I'm glad I didn't listen to the Crime and Punishment section yet since now I have more to look forward to!
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1 person found this helpful
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- J.R.
- 04-29-18
Great book, fantastic performance
Such a fun and thorough breakdown of some of these great literary works. Special shout out to the performer who read the work, as he made it very entertaining to listen to
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1 person found this helpful
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- kristin
- 07-30-16
Awesome performance!
This is one of the books that is a must-listen! Hilarious, insightful, educational, engaging and entertaining throughout! Greg Edwards does a phenomenal job! Looking forward to the next book by Dr. Sweets 😘 😉
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10 people found this helpful
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- Mark L
- 04-08-19
Better than Cliff Notes
I like the breakdown of the classics into themes and character analysis.
While the narrator made good Street comparisons, it seems like it was forced with some of the remarks.
But overall I was able to take away the message of the books.
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4 people found this helpful