Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Teaser Tuesday 330: The Outsiders

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Jenn of Books and a Beat. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current book or recent read.
* Share a few "teaser" sentences from somewhere in the book.
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away. You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author so that other participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teaser!



Welcome to Banned Books Week! This week I have another frequently challenged book for you, The Outsiders by SE Hinton, which is the September group read for TNBBC at Goodreads. This is one I read a few times back in middle and high school, and my sister and I also watched the movie several times around that time as well. The book is frequently challenged due to its portrayal of gang violence, strong language, family dysfunction and underage smoking and drinking.


When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home. I was wishing I looked like Paul Newman — he looks tough and I don’t — but I guess my own looks aren’t so bad.

(Opening paragraph)






ABOUT THE BOOK:
Originally published in 1967

According to Ponyboy, there are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs. A soc (short for "social") has money, can get away with just about anything, and has an attitude longer than a limousine. A greaser, on the other hand, always lives on the outside and needs to watch his back. Ponyboy is a greaser, and he's always been proud of it, even willing to rumble against a gang of socs for the sake of his fellow greasers--until one terrible night when his friend Johnny kills a soc. The murder gets under Ponyboy's skin, causing his bifurcated world to crumble and teaching him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a greaser.





4 comments:

Lea said...

I think I read that many years ago. Maybe I should read it again.
I just finished reading 'The End of the Pier' by Martha Grimes. Interesting murder mystery with a totally surprising ending.
Hope you are having a great week!

aspiritofsimplicity said...

I remember reading this when I was a teenager. I was about 4 years old when the book was first published.

Alice Audrey said...

I can't help but wonder if there's a connection between this and the movie Grease.

If I'd heard of this one before, I'd forgotten and I haven't read it. Why on Earth was it bands? Sounds like a good read.

Heather said...

Hi Lea! I have that Grimes' book in Mount TBR! :)

Spirit: It is usually read/taught in the early teens.

Alice: I don't think the book (1967) is related to or influenced the writing for the Grease script (1972). Similar worlds, but one is grittier than the other.