The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton is a thrilling story about two rival groups of teenagers, known as the Greasers, who are the lower working class, and the Socs, who are the upper class, in 1960s America. The story is narrated by a 14-year-old “greaser” Ponyboy Curtis, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This story goes into themes of class division, rival groups, trauma, abuse, murder, and family dysfunction, all of which add to the book’s thrilling story.
As tensions between the two rival groups escalate, Ponyboy and his friends face tragic events that challenge and force them to confront the realities of their world. S. E. Hinton’s writing captures the struggles of the youth in the 60s with emotion and authenticity, making The Outsiders a timeless novel of friendship, loyalty, and the fight for a better life
This book was published on April 24, 1967, and became so popular that it was later made into a movie on March 25, 1983, starring Thomas Howell, Ralph Macchio, and other famous actors such as Tom Cruise, Matt Dillon, Emilio Estevez, Patrick Swayze, and Rob Lowe as “the Greasers” of this story. The movie did excellent at the box office and has grossed $25.7 million on a $10 million budget. The book has earned a cult following, a live-action movie, a 90s sequel television series, and a 2023 Broadway musical.