By: S. E. Hinton
Paperback, 180 pages
Published April 20, 2006
Puffin Books
Synopsis (from Goodreads): The Outsiders is a book that delves deeply into the hearts, minds, and stories of a group that had no voice before S. E. Hinton gave them one. She began writing the book at age 15, spurred on by the disturbing trend she saw growing in her high school towards division between groups. "I was worried and angered by the social situation," Hinton writes. "I saw two groups at the extreme ends of the social scale behaving in an idiotic fashion -- one group was being condemned and one wasn't.... When a friend of mine was beaten up for no other reason than that some people didn't like the way he combed his hair, I took my anger out by writing about it."
Thirty years after it was first published, The Outsiders still carries the same frightening and unifying messages for teens (and readers of all ages). The ruthlessly realistic and violent story of the Greasers and the Socs, rival gangs from very different sides of the railroad tracks, is narrated by Ponyboy Curtis, a smart, sensitive kid who has grown to become one of the most recognizable figures in the history of young adult literature. Any teen who has ever felt isolated or different can identify with Ponyboy, a kid forced to be tough on the outside, but who underneath is just as scared and needy as anyone. Hinton herself has said that she has never written a character as close to her own self as Ponyboy is. Young Adult fiction was shaped and defined by Susan Eloise Hinton, and the realism she attached to the genre became the norm, enabling later writers like Robert Cormier and Judy Blume to find characters and voices that actually spoke to adolescents. Since 1967, Ponyboy has become the hero for countless teenagers nationwide as The Outsiders stands to influence an entire new legion of adolescents who need Ponyboy as much as ever.
Thirty years after it was first published, The Outsiders still carries the same frightening and unifying messages for teens (and readers of all ages). The ruthlessly realistic and violent story of the Greasers and the Socs, rival gangs from very different sides of the railroad tracks, is narrated by Ponyboy Curtis, a smart, sensitive kid who has grown to become one of the most recognizable figures in the history of young adult literature. Any teen who has ever felt isolated or different can identify with Ponyboy, a kid forced to be tough on the outside, but who underneath is just as scared and needy as anyone. Hinton herself has said that she has never written a character as close to her own self as Ponyboy is. Young Adult fiction was shaped and defined by Susan Eloise Hinton, and the realism she attached to the genre became the norm, enabling later writers like Robert Cormier and Judy Blume to find characters and voices that actually spoke to adolescents. Since 1967, Ponyboy has become the hero for countless teenagers nationwide as The Outsiders stands to influence an entire new legion of adolescents who need Ponyboy as much as ever.
My Thoughts: I had to let this one sit for a while after I finished it Friday night. I got The Outsiders from my student teaching co-op because I am going to be teaching it to 10th graders next semester. We walked into the book room and she was so excited because the school had ordered a whole bunch of new copies of the book and I got the FIRST new copy. So, I started this one on Thursday night and I got about 50 pages into it and had to put it down. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it, but I had to press through if I was going to teach it. I was kind of depressed at the beginning and I wasn't in the mood to read any more depressing literature after my Modern American Fiction class. I went home on Friday and decided that it was high time to finish the book. Needless to say, I stayed up until I finished it. I loved how honest this book is. S. E. Hinton doesn't sugar coat anything but she also doesn't make anything more gory or violent than it needs to be. It was just honest. Ponyboy is an incredible 14-year-old boy who has gone through so much in his short life. I thought that the depiction of the relationship between Pony, Darrel and Soda was great. They were so supportive of each other and loved each other so much that they would do anything to keep the family together. The gang of greasers were like an extended family. They all just wanted to belong to something and feel a part of a family unit. The whole time I read this book I was thinking about high school cliques. I know that this gang stuff is much more serious but I needed something to compare it to. I kept thinking how stupid all of this rivalry is, especially because everyone is pretty the same on the inside. Things are rough all over. Ponyboy is the only one that seems to realize that everyone is really the same. We are all just people. I loved all of the characters in this book. I have a hard time saying that about any book, even the ones that I love beyond reason. They all played an important part in Ponyboy's life and in the process of him growing up. I was rooting for all of them and I wanted to know what was going to happen to them after the story was over. I love Johnny. I can't say more than that. I really didn't think that I would like this book, but I did. I got attached and I think I'm going to have to read it again before I go out and teach it. I hope that my students will learn as much from Ponyboy as I did. Stay Gold.
Would I recommend this to my 9th graders? Maybe if they were high lever and I knew them pretty well. Some of the story is pretty intense but I think that they could appreciate it with the right background knowledge and understanding.
My rating: 4.5/5
By the way, has anyone seen the movie for The Outsiders? I looked up the trailer but I don't know if I am going to watch it before I read the book again.
Would I recommend this to my 9th graders? Maybe if they were high lever and I knew them pretty well. Some of the story is pretty intense but I think that they could appreciate it with the right background knowledge and understanding.
My rating: 4.5/5
By the way, has anyone seen the movie for The Outsiders? I looked up the trailer but I don't know if I am going to watch it before I read the book again.
Ah, I loved The Outsiders when I was a teen. The "gang" stuff seems a little hokey now, especially given how much more West Side Story it is now in context with current gangs. Still, I LOVED it as a teen and now as an adult it is like going home. I loved the characters and, like you, appreciated the family feel of the greasers.
ReplyDeleteI highly recommend the movie. It's a very good adaptation. Plus, there's a ton of 1980s eye candy! I think the actors each did a good job portraying their characters and driving home the message.