The Outsiders was written by S.E Hinton when she was only 15 years old, and was published on April 24th in 1967 when Hinton was 18. It is a coming-of-age novel still loved and read today, and even studied in many US American classrooms because of its challenging themes. The themes of violence, gangs, dysfunctional families, and underage smoking and drinking also proved a little too controversial for some authorities who called for the book to be banned.
Another reason for its popularity was thanks to the 1983 film of the same name, based on the book, and directed by film legend Francis Ford Coppola. The movie starred Emilio Estevez, C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, and Patrick Swayze, among other (gorgeous) famous faces.
The film was well-received by fans and critics alike, however many were a little annoyed by missing details and slight changes to the book. In 2005 Francis Ford Coppola re-released a longer, uncut version of the film which included deleted scenes that made the film more true to the book, something that should please many fans of the original story.
Both the movie and the book were, and are still, so popular that some of us may have forgotten some key and interesting facts surrounding both…
Here are nine facts you may not know about The Outsiders in a handy list, for your enjoyment.