Other editions of book The Outsiders

Adapted into an award-winning film by Francis Ford Coppola, and starring Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe and Tom Cruise, S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders is a young adult novel of enduring power. This Penguin Modern Classics edition is published with an introduction by Jodi Picoult, author of My Sister's Keeper. The Greasers and the rich-kid Socs are at war on the Tulsa streets. Ponyboy, a fourteen-year-old brawler, chainsmoker and dreamer, is a fiercely loyal greaser. But a single, murderous catastrophe is to wrench him from his old life and overturn everything he thinks he knows. The Outsiders was an audacious debut written when S.E. Hinton was only seventeen, laying bare the hopes and terrors between teenage bravado in a world of drive-ins, drag races and switchblades. It confronted America with a new breed of anti-hero from the wrong side of the class divide, and became a bestselling classic of youthful rebellion. Susan Eloise Hinton (b. 1950) wrote her first book, The Outsiders, in 1967, when she was seventeen years old. Hinton is also the author of That Was When, This Is Now (1971), adapted into a film starring Emilio Estevez and Morgan Freeman; Rumble Fish (1975), also adapted into a film by Francis Ford Coppola, starring Mickey Rourke, Nicholas Cage and Dennis Hopper; Tex (1979); Taming the Star Runner (1988), and many others. Hinton lives in Oklahoma. If you enjoyed The Outsiders, you might like Jack Kerouac's On the Road, also available in Penguin Modern Classics. 'Gritty, emotional and very authentic' Jodi Picoult 'The Outsiders is a teenage epic' Francis Ford Coppola

50 years of an iconic classic! This international bestseller and inspiration for a beloved movie is a heroic story of friendship and belonging. No one ever said life was easy. But Ponyboy is pretty sure that he's got things figured out. He knows that he can count on his brothers, Darry and Sodapop. And he knows that he can count on his friends—true friends who would do anything for him, like Johnny and Two-Bit. But not on much else besides trouble with the Socs, a vicious gang of rich kids whose idea of a good time is beating up on “greasers” like Ponyboy. At least he knows what to expect—until the night someone takes things too far.The Outsiders is a dramatic and enduring work of fiction that laid the groundwork for the YA genre. S. E. Hinton's classic story of a boy who finds himself on the outskirts of regular society remains as powerful today as it was the day it was first published."The Outsiders transformed young-adult fiction from a genre mostly about prom queens, football players and high school crushes to one that portrayed a darker, truer world." —The New York Times"Taut with tension, filled with drama." —The Chicago Tribune"[A] classic coming-of-age book." —Philadelphia Daily NewsA New York Herald Tribune Best Teenage BookA Chicago Tribune Book World Spring Book Festival Honor BookAn ALA Best Book for Young AdultsWinner of the Massachusetts Children's Book Award

The 45th anniversary of a landmark work of teen fictionPonyboy can count on his brothers and his friends, but not on much else besides trouble with the Socs, a vicious gang of rich kids who get away with everything, including beating up greasers like Ponyboy. At least he knows what to expect--until the night someone takes things too far.Written forty-five years ago, S. E. Hinton's classic story of a boy who finds himself on the outskirts of regular society remains as powerful today as it was the day it was written.

According to Ponyboy you’re either a Greaser or a Soc. Coming from the wrong side of town, he’s a Greaser and his high school rivals are the Socs – the kids who have the money, the attitude and can get away with anything. The Socs love to spend their time beating up the Greasers, but Ponyboy and his friends know what to expect and stick together. But one night someone goes to far, and Ponyboy’s world begins to crumble.What are the themes?Growing up, friendship, rivalry, loyalty, urban life.Teaching pointsPowerful themes and skilfully drawn characters will engage young readers and provoke discussion. Feature film version directed by Francis Ford Coppolla provides opportunities for media work.