I saw the musical on broadway a couple days ago, and immediately wanted to read the book.

No spoilers for the book but spoilers for what transfers to the musical ahead!

This was so, so good. It was so interesting to read the book right after watching the musical because there are parts that the musical did better and and parts where the book did better.

The musical gives a lot more depth to Soda and Darry and their relationship with each other and Ponyboy, and a TON more depth to Dally. However, the musical gives barely any acknowledgment to the group’s relationship with Two-Bit and Steve. And Sandy isn’t in it really at all. Oddly, the musical adds a new character called Ace who isn’t important to the storyline at all instead of her. I don’t really see the point in that, they could’ve included Sandy, gave Sandy a song for more female perspective, and she would actually add to the story.

The book also had some really interesting details that the musical left out, like how there was a lower gang than the Greasers who joined them in the rumble. And Randy! Reading it I was so sad he wasn’t in the musical. His character seemed important to me. The end was also interesting in the book. The whole part where Ponyboy was in the hospital after the rumble and he doesn’t know if he asks for Darry at all and talks to his brothers about it is something I wish they kept. And I DESPERATELY wish that they kept the trial where ponyboy refuses to believe that Johnny is dead and believes that he kills Bob, but it was cut

SPOILERS AHEAD FOR BOOK & MUSICAL!

I also think Dally’s death was more interesting in the book. In the musical, he jumps on a traintrack instead of getting shot by a police officer. I understand why the musical did this, I think it would’ve been hard to understand that Dally was attempting suicide, not picking a fight, without words. However, I think it does add more layers to the class divide in The Outsiders. And in the musical, Dally is Black, so that would shed light on police brutality against people of color, which fits in with the Outsiders because of how much it intersects with clsss divide.

The musical did make me slightly disappointed with the book several times, though. Soda’s Letter, for one. It was so heartfelt in the musical, and it was underwhelming in the book. The rumble was incredibly underwhelming to read after watching the show as well, but I expected that. If you’re not familiar with the musical, the stage for the outsiders is filled with crushed tire rubber and it’s raining onstage for the rumble. The fighting movements are synchronized and insanely visually cool. The lighting is stellar. Stay Gold also disappointed me in the book. It was sad, obviously, but the musical was HEART WRENCHING. Listen to Stay Gold from the Outsiders. It’s soooo much better than how the book did it.

Overall, they were two different mediums and I think they both epically succeeded. I’m hoping the Outsiders will tour at the regional theatre closest to me because I’m desperate to see it again and I know this won’t be the last time I read the book.