u/Fine-Cicada9309

Hey everyone,

I’ve been thinking a lot about my last post where I said The Outsiders was bad, and I want to give a more sincere apology. Looking back, I realize my comment was overly harsh, poorly explained, and honestly kind of dismissive. I didn’t take the time to really explain my perspective, and instead I reduced a book that clearly means a lot to many of you into a blunt negative statement. That wasn’t fair to the story, the author, or this community.

I also recognize that The Outsiders has had a lasting impact on readers for generations, whether it’s through its themes, characters, or the way it connects with people at different points in their lives. Even if it didn’t resonate with me on my first read, that doesn’t make it “bad,” and I shouldn’t have framed it that way. I understand now that I came across as dismissive of something others genuinely care about, and I regret that.

I’m going to revisit the book with a more open mind and try to engage with it more thoughtfully. If I still have criticisms, I’ll make sure to express them in a more respectful and constructive way instead of just writing it off.

I appreciate everyone who responded, even if you disagreed with me—it helped me reflect on how I came across. Sorry again for the negativity, and thanks for giving me the chance to do better.

I'm a teenager and I like to write. Recently, I found out that "The Outsiders," supposedly a great classic, was written by a 15 year old girl. My interest peeked; I wanted to compare my ability to write with other, highly-talented peers. So I began reading.

The introduction immediately stood out in its "gayness." A teenage guy does not describe other guys in such detailed, salivating fashion. And the exposition of the characters, setting, whatever, meanders through banal and useless information. There is no reason for the reader to care.

Now let me be honest. I did not finish the book. Perhaps it is unjust for me to hate on something I did not even fully read. Yet the cliche and corny dialogue completely arrested my motivation to keep on reading.

Why is this book considered not only good, but also a classic of American literature? Don't get me wrong, I have a short attention span, although I still have read many books with boring introductions such as Crime and Punishment or War and Peace. The thing is, SE Hinton is not granted the leeway that Tolstoy may have; his book is about one thousand pages that develops the world slowly. Meanwhile, The Outsiders is about sixty pages, so every single sentence must serve a meaning.

Perhaps the themes may be profound? I doubt it. In fact, from what I've seen, the themes are--just like the prose--cliche and banal.

There may be two conclusions that can be drawn from this: either I am too prideful in my own writing, so I try and catch every mistake and thereby cannot actually enjoy this piece of art, or, everybody who enjoys The Outsider is a shallow teenage girl, literally, otherwise spiritually.