Hard Read

Before the internet, Cliff Notes were popular books that summarized and provided insight into meaning for classical literature. Students used them in place of reading the actual book.

I completely missed that on the table until you pointed out, and was highly confused as to what he actually did
- I just kept thinking that it was supposed to be condoms for some reason lol.
I vividly remember getting the cliff notes for "Of Mice and Men", realizing it was nearly as long as the actual book, and begrudgingly hammering through the book the night before the test.
- Steinbeck had a knack for saying a lot with a little. "The pearl" is another of his works that is also incredibly short but you could easily discuss it well past its length.
  I highly recommend the "grapes of wrath" to anyone who hasn't read it as well. Its account of the brutal knock on effects of the dust bowl and the nature of human kindness and sadism left a mark on my life that never left.
In Poland, we still do read this type of things instead of the actual book, because it's better at preparing you for the exams
The only reason I know the contents of most classic literature is because of "So You Haven't Read" series on YouTube.
- Me with Thug Notes. I wish I had discovered it during highschool :(
- I just watched Wishbone
Thank you. This joke completely went over my head.
Chatgpt from yesteryear.

I don't get it

The Cliff Notes
- ??
The book on the table has the telltale Cliff Notes branding imagery. Cliff Notes is a company that was real big in the 90s and 00s (not sure how big these days) for making short summaries of famous novels, including plot points and themes. Everything you would need to write a competent essay on the book. They're notorious for allowing high school kids to get through literature classes without actually doing the reading work.

Looks like there's Cliff Notes on the table.
Cliff's Notes. Book version of male enhancement.
- It's the friend on the earpiece or nearby instructing him what to say.

Link to the direct comic in case you want to share with easier credit: https://pbfcomics.com/comics/hard-read/

How does the book suddenly appear on the table in the second frame? It could not have been obscured by the the man's jeans, because he is still wearing them in the first frame.

That’s actually the entire joke of the comic, that he had her cliff notes in his jeans. He’s trying to explain “I was just supplementing my reading and understanding” when she cut him off and walked out for reading her cliff notes in the first place
- I miss peanuts. I could follow peanuts, or just think snoopy was cool.
It's falling out of his jeans, but movement lines don't really gel with the artists' style
Cliffs notes... Fell out of his jeans is my interpretation

At some point you realize that many of the classic books are just... really good books! The terrible part is what they do to them in literature class. But many of those old books have become classics for a reason.

Some teachers allowed coles notes and some didn't but was anyone else a member of the gang whose parents couldn't afford coles notes so you never had that leg up and only had the source material or a friend you could borrow off if you were lucky?