REVIEW | The Outsiders (Novel)
Written by Michael Richardson
Published 21 July 2018
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Opinions expressed in this review are of the reviewer alone.
Novel Written by S.E. Hinton
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Decisive Victory
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I can count the number of school required books I have enjoyed throughout my academic career with two hands. Their often exhaustive use of figurative language, symbolism and rhetorical devices culminate in experiences that are hardly understandable without hours of analysis. Occasionally, a great story comes along such as Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief, Jeannette Walls’s The Glass Castle, or Elie Wiesel’s Night that immerse students in enriching, memorable worlds unlike most they write essays about. One such book highly praised by my peers is S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders, a young adult fiction written from a teenager perspective. They liked the book because of its immerse setting and great characters, so I decided to give it a try. After finishing the novel, I find myself asking why I did not read The Outsiders sooner. S.E. Hinton’s young adult fiction is an extraordinary achievement in storytelling that seamlessly blends its setting, characters, and plot together in inspirational ways few stories offer, but suffers from an abrupt ending.
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Thirst for a Rumble
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The Outsiders stars Ponyboy Michael Curtis, a fourteen year old boy from Oklahoma who associates with a gang known as the Greasers. The Greasers relate to the lower class in modern society, unlike their higher class rivals, the Socs. The Greasers are known for their ignorance and inexorable acts of smoking, robbing banks, fighting, and of course, using extensive amounts of hair grease. In contrast, the Socs are known for little discipline and wealth. The main characters, the Greaser brothers of Ponyboy, Sodapop, and Darry, their real names by birth certificate, lost both their parents at a young age which causes Darry to look after his younger siblings. Aside from fighting the Socs in fist fights, they must face the hassles of associating with the gang, such as with Sodapop dropping out of high school to support his siblings. Additionally, the gang extends far beyond Ponyboy’s household, with members such as Johnny and Dally that are referred to throughout the novel. Overall, I thought the setting and characters of The Outsiders were terrific. The setting is a character in and of itself, with landscapes changing as the book progressed and rich imagery that perpetually poured into my head. Add to the fact that the gang is influenced by S.E. Hinton’s early life, who was constantly ridiculed in her Oklahoma school where gangs were rampant, the setting adds a author and reader connection that never ceases throughout the novel.
Those same characters are what make The Outsider’s plot so unique and special. The book is brilliantly written in a teenage point of view, but at the same time has a balanced amount of dialect and maturity that few young adult novels offer. Every single character has a noticeable and unpredictable arc that had me invested in learning their traits. Moreover, Ponyboy is by far the best part of The Outsiders. His interesting character development, dialogue, and world views move the story forward and had me wondering where his story would go. I found myself reading for an extra hour so that I could finally hear what happened next and experience another set piece, such as evading a police chase. Also, there are many plot twists along the way that kept me on the edge of my seat, and many are well foreshadowed.
What I especially enjoyed was how each aspect of the plot is discussed by characters in thoughtful dialogue. Therefore, everything had purpose and the gang-ridden world of Ponyboy felt lived in. Additionally, few aspects of the plot feel arbitrary and the pacing benefits as a result. However, Hinton’s perfectionism in creating a seamless plot makes the rushed ending stand out all the greater. The Outsiders tries to weave all of it’s themes together within the last few pages that many come off as cliché and arbitrary. More detail regarding character experiences and how they relate to theme would have greatly benefited the novel. However, the abrupt ending does not undermine the astonishing effort and inspiration on display that says more in one hundred and eighty pages than most five hundred page stories can. Furthermore, The Outsider’s seamless blend of world building, characterization, and plot created an enthralling experience that immersed me in Ponyboy’s world, even though more time spent on theming would have improved the experience.
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Verdict
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The Outsiders truly impressed me. The setting, characters, and plot provided both an enthralling and memorable experience. Every single thing has purpose, the world feels lived in even after you put down the pages, the characters have an astonishing amount of depth, and it’s overarching themes truly inspire. While many of its themes have been covered before, I believe S.E. Hinton handles them among the best of any young adult book I’ve read because they apply fifty years after publishing. If you’ve been struggling recently or want an exciting, well paced story, absolutely read The Outsiders. It will emotionally attach you in ways few other things do, and create a childlike sense of curiosity regarding the modern world.
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