A meme can communicate so much with so little, including the entire trajectory of a classic work of literature, apparently. SparkNotes is famously the place kids used to turn when they didn’t read the book, but still needed to hand in a book report the next day. The company concisely summarizes plots, important themes, and characters in a tidy bow and to be fair, they are good at helping a reader understand a book better…if they do actually read the book, too.
The SparkNotes Twitter account is getting a lot of fresh attention because they’re exploiting how good everyone else has gotten at condensing information. They’re constantly sharing memes about books like The Great Gatsby, Pride and Prejudice, the works of William Shakespeare, and other high school English class mainstays. Anyone who has read any of these will find the following memes hilarious—though you might not be able to understand them unless you’ve read the books. Wow, SparkNotes is encouraging reading through memes!
1. The Great Gatsby
— SparkNotes (@SparkNotes) July 11, 2019
2. Pride & Prejudice:
Mrs. Bennet: "If you go
on refusing every offer
of marriage in this way,
you will never get a
husband at all!" Elizabeth: pic.twitter.com/UrADjqQJaU— SparkNotes (@SparkNotes) July 10, 2019
3. Macbeth:
— SparkNotes (@SparkNotes) May 31, 2019
4. The Phantom of the Opera:
Every woman I know: beautiful, pure of heart, fantastic singing voice
Every man I know: lives in the basement, plays nonstop organ music, wears a mask and drops chandeliers on innocent bystanders when his protégée isn’t allowed to perform in the opera's starring role
— SparkNotes (@SparkNotes) May 3, 2019
5. The Catcher in the Rye:
A taxi driver:
Holden Caulfield: pic.twitter.com/V8nsjKvTHr
— SparkNotes (@SparkNotes) July 3, 2019
6. To Kill A Mockingbird:
Atticus: Jean Louise, this is Mr. Arthur Radley. I believe he already knows you.
Scout: pic.twitter.com/8VlEz4amp0
— SparkNotes (@SparkNotes) April 17, 2019
7. Lord of the Flies:
Simon in Lord of the Flies pic.twitter.com/54hzRNi7rR
— SparkNotes (@SparkNotes) April 9, 2019
8. The Crucible:
Abigail: I saw Goody Proctor with the devil!
Goody Proctor: pic.twitter.com/qMD81oxwa1
— SparkNotes (@SparkNotes) June 14, 2019
9. Wuthering Heights:
Heathcliff to Catherine: Kiss me again; and don’t let me see your eyes! I forgive what you have done to me. I love my murderer—but yours! How can I?
Nelly Dean, who’s standing like right over there: pic.twitter.com/rpPD2QWsZN
— SparkNotes (@SparkNotes) June 17, 2019
10. Antony and Cleopatra:
Me whenever there’s a minor inconvenience pic.twitter.com/74vbTVBPEJ
— SparkNotes (@SparkNotes) June 24, 2019
11. Hamlet:
flowchart: should you murder your uncle?
did he kill your father so he
could marry your mother and
steal the throne for himself?
| |
yes maybe
/
do it do it but
procrastinate a lot— SparkNotes (@SparkNotes) July 8, 2019
12. Much Ado About Nothing:
Beatrice: Against my will, I am sent to bid you come in to dinner.
Benedick: pic.twitter.com/40wctFGA2c
— SparkNotes (@SparkNotes) July 3, 2019
13. Romeo and Juliet:
— SparkNotes (@SparkNotes) July 1, 2019
14. The Tell-Tale Heart:
— SparkNotes (@SparkNotes) June 28, 2019
15. Les Misérables:
— SparkNotes (@SparkNotes) April 26, 2019
16. Jane Eyre:
https://twitter.com/SparkNotes/status/1114178155395342337
17. King Lear:
That's it. That's the play pic.twitter.com/Q611kzLkLY
— SparkNotes (@SparkNotes) June 24, 2019
18. Pride and Prejudice:
Darcy: "You must
allow me to tell you
how ardently I admire
and love you." Elizabeth: pic.twitter.com/QHFojA9Ot4— SparkNotes (@SparkNotes) June 13, 2019
19. The Odyssey:
https://twitter.com/SparkNotes/status/1149375037998284802
20. Othello:
Othello: Wait but I thought you said my wife was cheating on me.
Iago: pic.twitter.com/4yQPITN6zk
— SparkNotes (@SparkNotes) April 25, 2019
21. The Scarlet Letter:
https://twitter.com/SparkNotes/status/1138092443239419910
22. The Yellow Wallpaper:
"The Yellow Wallpaper" (1892) pic.twitter.com/gZlYNBKiRJ
— SparkNotes (@SparkNotes) July 1, 2019
23. Oedipus:
https://twitter.com/SparkNotes/status/1114243922312814597
24. 1984:
https://twitter.com/SparkNotes/status/1138872401813483520
25. Frankenstein:
The creature:
Victor Frankenstein: pic.twitter.com/gJ4PYpq4iM
— SparkNotes (@SparkNotes) May 22, 2019
Headed to the library immediately.