‘Thug Notes’ Brings Its Brand Of Literary Humor To A New Book

The web series that offers comedic breakdowns of classic works of literature is changing up its format. Thug Notes, in which streetwise lit critic Sparky Sweets, M.D. (portrayed by comedian Greg Edwards) brings a low-brow-yet-intelligent point of view to high school English class staples, has brought its wisdom to a book that is now available from multiple retailers.

The book, which is titled Thug Notes: A Street-Smart Guide to Classic Literature, features Sparky’s takes on “sixteen of literature’s most beloved classics,” ranging from Things Fall Apart to Hamlet to Lord of the Flies. Among other locations, the book is available from Amazon; as of this post, it has already marched up several of the online retailer’s hyper-specific bestseller lists.

Wisecrack, which produces the Thug Notes videos and distributes them on its YouTube channel of more than 500,000 subscribers, worked with publisher Vintage

to bring a handful of Sparky’s most popular episodes to life. Since its 2013 premiere, Thug Notes has been a staple for Wisecrack, which has since crafted several other series based around the idea of “academic material conveyed in a hip, unusual manner.” The channel’s latest offering is Boss Bitches of History, in which a pair of adult film stars discuss famous women from around the world.

For students who are looking for simple, hilarious explanations of their assigned readings, the Thug Notes book is a compelling cheat sheet. As for those of us who no longer have to deal with assigned literature, we are free to enjoy Sparky’s Ebonic lit-crit without having to worry about his improper grammar slipping into our essays.