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A review by writerdgabrielle
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I was thirteen, or maybe even twelve, when I first met Ponyboy.
Not Ponyboy Curtis, Ponyboy Crawford.
I knew where the name came from, originally, just not what he had done to earn it. But it was probably around that same time that I saw the film adaptation of this book. I honestly can't remember. I feel like I've always kind of been on the outside (ahem) of some kind of cultural in crowd, having never been exposed to this book through academia the way others of my generation had been.
It just never came up. And yet, I had a friend and later boyfriend whose friends and family all collectively agreed to call <i>Ponyboy.</i>
Anyway, all of that is to say, I enjoyed the story in these pages and had to keep reminding myself, as I was reading, that save for the last two chapters, this entire story played out over the course of just a few days. And if you remove the stint in the church, it was really only 72-96 hours.
It is an excellent illustration of how quickly an entire young life can go irreparably pear-shaped.
I also think this is another example of a story that, if done right, would have benefited immensely from the adaptation. As it has been more than 30 years, and I am a wildly different person, now, I think it is high time to revisit that adaptation. As I was reading I would revisit the IMDb to remind myself who had played which character as my recollection is so strongly tied to C. Thomas Howell (who will never not be Ponyboy . . . Curtis, not Crawford) and Ralph Macchio, but less to the others.
But I can imagine the emotional payoff being higher on screen than on the page.
When asked about stories that make me cry, I always go to the movies. In reading, I feel like I'm given the time and space to process what is coming before it happens and moreso in a case like this where I knew already, going in. There is something in the visual storytelling that catches me off guard, even when I am expecting it. It doesn't matter how many times I watch Todd Anderson climb atop his desk . . . I think, this time will be different. This time I will make it through. But it never is and I never do.
That is not to say I am unaffected by the emotionality of a scene in a book. It just hits different nerves, different areas of my brain are stimulated seeing it on screen, provided, of course it is done well. And because no one in Hollywood has proposed trying again and because I'm not the only person in the world who has inextricably tied Howell to this role, despite so many others he's played, that seems proof enough it was done well.
It might be time to revisit the film with a fresh perspective, having now read the book I waited so long to read.
Not Ponyboy Curtis, Ponyboy Crawford.
I knew where the name came from, originally, just not what he had done to earn it. But it was probably around that same time that I saw the film adaptation of this book. I honestly can't remember. I feel like I've always kind of been on the outside (ahem) of some kind of cultural in crowd, having never been exposed to this book through academia the way others of my generation had been.
It just never came up. And yet, I had a friend and later boyfriend whose friends and family all collectively agreed to call <i>Ponyboy.</i>
Anyway, all of that is to say, I enjoyed the story in these pages and had to keep reminding myself, as I was reading, that save for the last two chapters, this entire story played out over the course of just a few days. And if you remove the stint in the church, it was really only 72-96 hours.
It is an excellent illustration of how quickly an entire young life can go irreparably pear-shaped.
I also think this is another example of a story that, if done right, would have benefited immensely from the adaptation. As it has been more than 30 years, and I am a wildly different person, now, I think it is high time to revisit that adaptation. As I was reading I would revisit the IMDb to remind myself who had played which character as my recollection is so strongly tied to C. Thomas Howell (who will never not be Ponyboy . . . Curtis, not Crawford) and Ralph Macchio, but less to the others.
But I can imagine the emotional payoff being higher on screen than on the page.
When asked about stories that make me cry, I always go to the movies. In reading, I feel like I'm given the time and space to process what is coming before it happens and moreso in a case like this where I knew already, going in. There is something in the visual storytelling that catches me off guard, even when I am expecting it. It doesn't matter how many times I watch Todd Anderson climb atop his desk . . . I think, this time will be different. This time I will make it through. But it never is and I never do.
That is not to say I am unaffected by the emotionality of a scene in a book. It just hits different nerves, different areas of my brain are stimulated seeing it on screen, provided, of course it is done well. And because no one in Hollywood has proposed trying again and because I'm not the only person in the world who has inextricably tied Howell to this role, despite so many others he's played, that seems proof enough it was done well.
It might be time to revisit the film with a fresh perspective, having now read the book I waited so long to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Classism
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Death of parent