How is this as an adult read?

Somehow I missed it as a teenager and only read it as an adult, but I do think you should do a re-read and compare. It was wild how differently I read Catcher in the Rye in my early 20s vs late 30s. And if you loved the movie, you should definitely listen to Rob Lowe’s memoir Stories I Only Tell My Friends. He talks a lot about the filming!

You can also visit The Outsiders house if you are ever in Tulsa! It was bought by Danny Boy O’Connor from the band House of Pain and preserved as a little Outsiders museum.

I read this book 50 years ago and taught it for a decade with grades 7/8. It’s definitely young adult, but worth reading or rereading as an adult. The theme of social differences between groups is as relevant today as it was in the 60’s. Plus the message that in spite of our differences, we are more alike than we may think, still is true. The writing is raw and very simple…