Those who
were high school students in the days before the Internet may remember combing
through a rack of CliffsNotes at the
local bookstore, looking for the title of the novel assigned in English class.
Those little, inexpensive books helped many get through difficult classes.
Chapter by
chapter, CliffsNotes offered expert
commentary on themes, plotlines, characters, symbolism and even some historical
background of novels like Moby Dick
and Animal Farm. When it came time to
study for a test or write a paper, all the basic information needed was there.
CliffsNotes were great study aids, but
some were tempted to misuse this resource. Rather than reading the work
assigned, some read “the CliffsNotes
version” by reading the thorough chapter summaries in the little study guide.
The information was so good, and the commentary so thorough, that one could
read 10 pages of CliffsNotes rather
than 100 pages of To Kill a Mockingbird
and be able to pass the quiz and participate in class. For some students, the CliffsNotes became a way of passing the
test without doing all the work.
Apparently
this form of cheating was such a problem that CliffsNotes began to publish a disclaimer in each book saying the
study guide was not intended to replace the original work. Their stated goal
was to help readers get the most out of Pride
and Prejudice, for example, and not to be used as a substitute for reading
Jane Austen’s work.
Today on
the CliffsNotes website there is an
article called “Cheating With CliffsNotes?”
which contains the line “CliffsNotes
is a reference companion to the original, not a replacement for the full book,
play or poem.” They then quote their founder, Cliff Hillegass, as having “always
said, ‘A thorough appre
