Publisher's summary

Academy Award nominee Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction) rocks this mock bedtime story, capturing a hilarious range of emotions as the voice of a father struggling to get his child to sleep.

Go the F--k to Sleep is a bedtime book for parents who live in the real world, where a few snoozing kitties and cutesy rhymes don’t always send a toddler sailing blissfully off to dreamland. California Book Award-winning author Adam Mansbach’s profane, affectionate, and radically honest verses perfectly capture the familiar - and unspoken - tribulations of putting your little angel down for the night. In the process, he opens up a conversation about parenting, granting us permission to admit our frustrations and laugh at their absurdity.

Beautiful, subversive, and pants-wettingly funny, Go the F**k to Sleep is a book for parents new, old, and expectant. Due to its explicit language, you probably should not play it for your children.

Feel free to share the link to this page with tired parents and other people who could use a good swear and a laugh.

©2011 Adam Mansbach. Cover Illustration © 2011 Ricardo Cortes. (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Publisher's summary

Academy Award nominee Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction) rocks this mock bedtime story, capturing a hilarious range of emotions as the voice of a father struggling to get his child to sleep.

Go the F--k to Sleep is a bedtime book for parents who live in the real world, where a few snoozing kitties and cutesy rhymes don’t always send a toddler sailing blissfully off to dreamland. California Book Award-winning author Adam Mansbach’s profane, affectionate, and radically honest verses perfectly capture the familiar - and unspoken - tribulations of putting your little angel down for the night. In the process, he opens up a conversation about parenting, granting us permission to admit our frustrations and laugh at their absurdity.

Beautiful, subversive, and pants-wettingly funny, Go the F**k to Sleep is a book for parents new, old, and expectant. Due to its explicit language, you probably should not play it for your children.

Feel free to share the link to this page with tired parents and other people who could use a good swear and a laugh.

©2011 Adam Mansbach. Cover Illustration © 2011 Ricardo Cortes. (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

About the Performer

Appearing in well over 100 films, Samuel L. Jackson is one of the most respected actors in Hollywood. Jackson’s portrayal of Jules, the philosopher hitman, in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction made an indelible mark on American cinema. In addition to unanimous critical acclaim, he received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations as well as a Best Supporting Actor award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
Jackson can most recently be seen starring alongside Maggie Q in Lionsgate’s The Protégé. Jackson can also be seen reunited with Salma Hayek and Ryan Reynolds for Lionsgate’s The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, the sequel to the 2017 film The Hitman’s Bodyguard. Earlier in 2021, Jackson starred in the newest Saw sequel, Spiral, with Chris Rock and Max Minghella.
In 2020, Jackson was seen in the EPIX docuseries Enslaved, which he also executive produced with LaTanya Richardson Jackson. He also starred opposite Anthony Mackie in the Apple drama The Banker.
Jackson’s career began onstage upon his graduation from Morehouse College in Atlanta with a degree in dramatic arts.

Critic reviews

"Total genius." (Jonathan Lethem, author of Motherless Brooklyn, father of two)
"A children's book for grown-ups! I really did laugh out loud - hilarious!" (David Byrne, musician, father of one)
"Finally, someone tells it like it really is. This is no-guilt funny and a godsend!" (Cristina Garcia, author of The Lady Matador's Hotel, mother of one)
"The viral phenomenon comes to audio in this clever adaptation of Mansbach's "children's book for adults." NOT a family-friendly listen, this audio will have you giggling and looking around to see if anyone else heard what just came through the speakers. Samuel L. Jackson, known for his foul-mouthed onscreen characters to begin with, is a perfect choice for such a lovingly irreverent audiobook. The desperation in his voice rises as the child, who is the object of the parental pleading, refuses to cooperate. By the end, both seasoned and expectant parents will be alternating between laughing and cringing at the exasperation in Jackson's tongue-in-cheek narration. The production begins with a casual introduction from Jackson, which appears to act as an apology for what's to come, as if Jackson (and author, producers, etc.) wants to assure the listener not to worry—despite everything, we DO love our children very much. Even when they refuse to go the f--k to sleep." ( AudioFile)

What listeners say about Go the F--k to Sleep

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • 3 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
    719
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    1,061

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Great joke the first time through

Any parent who claims never to have thought this stuff is either in denial or a liar. It's a charming idea and deserves to be read at least once. I don't know about twice. Having Samuel L. Jackson read it would seem to be an inspired choice, but I felt he was straining a bit. For this particular book, I think I would recommend going for the full experience of the spoofed picture book with your own voice. Just keep it away from the kids. That said, I would never have been satisfied until I had heard Samuel L. Jackson himself take a crack at it.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
  • JC
  • 06-30-14

Samuel L. Jackson. 'Nuff said.

What made the experience of listening to Go the F--k to Sleep the most enjoyable?

The narrator. Oh God, he sounds just like what every parent probably sounds like in their head when their tiny terrors won't go to sleep. I don't have kids, but if I did, I'd sound just like this.

What other book might you compare Go the F--k to Sleep to and why?

Hmmm... It's not really a book, well I certainly don't consider it one since it's too short and doesn't actually have a story.

What does Samuel L. Jackson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Emotions. You can feel his utter frustration and boredom while trying to read a story to his child who won't go to sleep.

Who was the most memorable character of Go the F--k to Sleep and why?

Didn't have actual characters, just the Dad. Who was also the narrator. So I guess.... The Dad?

Any additional comments?

I now kind of wish Samuel L. Jackson would narrate more audiobooks. Oh and I wish this had been longer since I was laughing the entire time I listened to this. Well worth the dollar I spent (it was on sale!)

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

best book

best bed time story of all damn time. and remember go the fuck to sleep.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

did not know i needed this

great for kids who just want to go the fuck to sleep I would recommend it

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great for kids!

Could not recommend more! My toddler LOVES to listen to this every night before bed!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Hilarious for frustrated adults

Although I wouldn't recommend reading this to a child, it is a hilarious parody of a bedtime story that brought tears of laughter to my eyes. Jackson does a masterful job in his narration.

I recommend it for parents frustrated by how long it takes to put their kids to bed, so long as the cussing won't offend you. I would think that the title should be enough warning for anyone who is going to be offended by that.

If you are an audible member don't waste one of your credits on it, because it is very brief, as all bedtime stories are, but it is well worth the price to just pay for it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Go the fuck to sleep

I loved this book short and fucking sweet going to sleep with a smile on my cheeks

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

author knows parenting.

this is exactly how it feels to be a parent. emotions and all, great insight.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Best reading of a great story

Sam L is the only person who could have read this story. I will play it for my grandchild before she can understand what he is saying.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Funny as F*uck

Not just cursing. Funny, well written and on point. It really captures - in a comedic way - the hopelessness of parenting an energetic child who refuses to sleep.

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