The Outsiders

Susan Hinton's ground-breaking book is arguably the most widely read of young adult novels since it first appeared in 1967. Unfortunately, it loses much of its grit and energy in this presentation. Spike McClure's Ponyboy doesn't sound "tough" at all; the good-hearted youth beneath Pony's carefully-tended "tough-greaser" image is exposed from the start. McClure brings little emotional range to the part, and the measured pacing fails to convey the drama of knife fights and other rumbles. McClure misses his chance to bring potentially colorful characters to life. Young people who have read the book will likely be disappointed, and this Ponyboy, with his "gee whiz" wholesomeness, will win few new admirers among today's teens. D.M.L. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine


S.E. Hinton's 1967 classic, published when she was a freshman in college, is as appropriate and realistic today as it was then. Fourteen-year-old Ponyboy, his brothers, and his friends are poor outcasts--"greasers." They have little but always stick together. After they're victims of the town's "socs (socials)--kids with lots of money, tough cars, and chips on their shoulders--everyone comes to realize how deep and serious their divide is. Narrator Jim Fyfe presents Ponyboy and his group, along with the socs and their circle, with '60s' language appropriate to each socioeconomic group. No character is all good or all bad, and when the final violent confrontation erupts, listeners are sorrowful but not shocked. This moving story is excellent for all ages and perfect to illustrate both sides of bullying. S.G.B. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine