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Author: S.E. Hinton
Narrator: Jim Fyfe
Publisher: Listening Library
Edition: Unabridged
Duration: 5 hours, 27 minutes
Summary: (taken from Overdrive)
Ponyboy can count on his brothers. And on his friends. But no on much else besides trouble with the Socs, a vicious gang of rich kids whose idea of a good time is beating up "greasers" like Ponyboy. At least he knows what to expect - until the night someone takes things too far.
Overall Rating: 4/5
My favorite stories are ones about friendship and family. Those are two things that everyone can relate to, no matter what decade or place they may be in. Ultimately, that's what The Outsiders is about.
Ponyboy is just trying to find his place in the world. While the people who make up his family and friends are outsiders, he feels like an outsider himself. Unlike his "greaser" pals, he gets good grades and likes to read and watch sunsets. But he doesn't fit in with the other group either, since he's poor and lives a rough sort of life. The Outsiders is about Ponyboy realizing what's important to him in life. After going through some tough situations, he eventually comes to understand and appreciate his family and friends in a way he had never been able to before.
While this book has some action, it's mostly character-driven, which is what I like about it. Even though it's short, the characters are perfectly depicted, and you get to know a lot about them. I found myself relating to every single one of them and caring a lot for them by the end.
I can't even begin to tell you how awesome Jim Fyfe's narration is. While it's important that each character has his or her own voice, some of them tend to get weird if there are too many characters. Every different voice completely fits the character being portrayed. I was never confused as to who was speaking. Better yet, Fyfe isn't afraid to take his time with the narration. If the situation calls for the character to speak a slow drawl, or for the action to be taken down, he slows down the pace.
The Outsiders is such a good story, and the audiobook is well made so that I don't think it really matters which format you read it in. Hard copy works just as well as the audiobook. Either way, read it! It's intense, touching, heartfelt, and a truly great story.
New motto for life: Stay gold.
