Reviews

Like countless others I read the Outsiders when I was in the 9th grade for English class. I was immediately enthralled. A decade later I cannot begin to tell you what entranced me so.

Considering the fact that S.E. Hinton wrote the bulk of this at 16 and I was approximately two years younger than that when I read it, my prevailing theory is that I was simply too young to know any better. That's not (totally) a knock against her as it is impressive she wrote a novel of this caliber so young. I don't love it any longer, but I wouldn't say it's outright garbage. On the other hand, 14 year-olds are not known for their particularly insightful criticism on their entertainment. I'm sure part of the appeal was in feeling like a peer was speaking to me directly - a boon when in the context of a high school English class yet a curse otherwise.

I was thoroughly turned off by how heavy-handed the writing was. Ponyboy would go on these dense, long winded internal monologues on the futility of violence or the tragedy of the sociopolitical scene that allowed for such division in the community as if he was a Lit professor being evaluated in his first year of teaching. I am willing to suspend my disbelief to a point, and yes I could believe that Ponyboy was an intelligent young man, however, there was many a time I felt like Hinton was writing from a romanticized ideal of a mature teenager rather than what one would actually be like. It'd be one thing if it was limited to Ponyboy, but almost every character speaks in such a manner.

Haphazard factoids would pop up that were theoretically plausible, but felt like Hinton threw them in to make a plot element work with no regard for universe consistency.

For example, at the beginning of the book it is established, Ponyboy's older brother, Darry is always after Ponyboy about doing better because he's a smart kid with opportunities to do more in life unlike his pals. Ponyboy blows him off a lot for plot reasons plus Ponyboy feels he has a reputation he needs to uphold as a Greaser. It gives you the impression that Ponyboy is squandering a chance to improve his lot in life out of spite and naivete. At the end, suddenly Ponyboy is like 'oh actually I'm All American in track and on the honor roll lol, did I forget to mention that?'

Technically, of course, Ponyboy could do those things and not mention them in his recount. The same way Jane Austen could have revealed Darcy had a fish taped to his head the entirety of Pride and Prejudice in the last chapter and technically we couldn't argue that he doesn't. After all, if it's not directly relevant until that moment then why should it be mentioned?

Except regardless of what specific bearing it lacks, it is absolutely relevant to the whole since whether or not Darcy has a fish on his head says a lot about who he is as a character. Ponyboy having pitch perfect grades and a letterman jacket despite his Greaser status says more about the absurdity of the divide between the Socs and Greasers more than any of his melodramatic spiels ever could.

Though to be fair, as annoying as I found it, it was absolutely true to form. As a teenager I was similarly drawn to theatrics over everyday milieu. My chief grievance is that S.E. Hinton depicts it as great wisdom rather than the predictable ruminations of a person just learning about injustice in the world.

The abrupt inclusion of unfounded random information extended to the characters, hobbling the believability of their relationships to one another. I could buy that Ponyboy was close to Johnny based on how much time the two spent together. I could not buy that Johnny was all that Dally cared about in the world just because S.E. Hinton via Ponyboy told me so especially when it's in the fourth quarter of the book.

I was not disappointed to find I no longer enjoy The Outsiders all that much. My love for it was not that deep. I can see why it resonates. I can see why it's still a classical staple. I even - to a point - cosign it being a classical staple. I just see all the faults more than its strengths now.