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3.5/5
Non-Fiction
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Rating: 4.8/5
Started: 3 May 2022
Finished: 4 May 2022
Summary:
Ponyboy and his older brothers are long-haired greasers, forever at odds with the upper-class Socs. When his friend, Johnny, kills a Soc who attacks them, the two boys decide to go on the run. Through a fire, a fight, and more injuries than he can count, Ponyboy begins to come to terms with both the intricacies of his family and the futility of his town's social divide.
Thoughts:
The writing of this book wasn't particularly pretty. Nothing happened that made me feel a strong emotion. I loved it nevertheless. The narration felt real and raw while being compassionate and full of growth. All the characters, for that matter, felt flawed and complicated but also beautiful in their own right--an idea reinforced by the choice in actors for the movie, which's trailer I watched while trying to figure out how to pronounce Soc. The writing and story were complex but easy to follow, and impressively immersive. I tend to look down upon the 80's idea of a Young Adult novel, but I really could see every scene in the book. For that reason, I'm very excited to see the movie; hopefully I can watch it this weekend.
I'm not quite sure what about The Outsiders made it so good, to be honest. It's making me a little uneasy that it didn't give me a feeling, a clear impression, from which to expand when trying to flush out my opinions. I might need to see the move or read the book again to be able to pin it down. But I am very glad I read this book. I'm a little disappointed I've let it sit on my shelf for so long, but at least I've read it now.
I'm going to need to let it sit, and next time I read it, I'll be able to provide a longer and clearer analysis. In the meantime: the ending was brilliant, that's one thing I can say for sure. The fact that, at the very end, the book is confirmed to be a genuine stream of consciousness completely explains the pacing of the book.
Words:
Socs (soh-sh, like social)