I read this article in the New York Times and was intrigued. Many readers are put off by classics, finding the language difficult to navigate or the stories somewhat dull. I looked up ThugNotes on YouTube and was impressed. I’ve looked at a number of different sites that provide analysis and recaps of classic book but this was different – true there wasn’t the depth that some sites have (no chapter by chapter recap, no deep character analysis) but it was fun. This is the kind of site that might get a reluctant reader to engage with a classic or, at the very least, have some understanding of the storyline and the themes of the book.

The plot recaps were fun and the analysis was spot on. True there was some swearing and non-pc language which might make some people uncomfortable but overall I liked it. The clips bring out the best in the books – because the truth is many of the classics have great story lines and the recaps in these videos highlight this. The analysis is punchy, relevant and thought provoking. Enough to get a viewer thinking and reflecting and maybe – hopefully – deciding to explore further.

Here are some of the clips I watched and enjoyed:

Lord of the Flies

Of Mice and Men

Animal Farm

This is not for everyone – but it is worth checkin it out.