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    Rumble Fish
    Rumble Fish
    Rumble Fish
    Audiobook3 hours

    Rumble Fish

    Written by S. E. Hinton

    Narrated by Tom Stechschulte

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    Here's an easy way to begin discussing the provocative issues of teenage violence and gangs. S.E. Hinton packs this story of a fourteen year old who idolizes his big brother-the toughest streetfighter in the city-with powerful images and poignant insights.

    Editor's Note

    An ageless tale…

    At less than 100 pages, this coming-of-age classic is an incredibly quick read, and the story is subtly engrossing: an ageless tale of brothers, hero-worship, and abandonment.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateDec 4, 2015
    ISBN9781490676975
    Author

    S. E. Hinton

    S. E. Hinton was the first author to receive the Young Adult Services Division/School Library Journal Award for Life Achievement, and has received numerous other awards and honors. Her gritty and powerful novels have also inspired four major motion pictures. She lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

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    Reviews for Rumble Fish

    3.5/5

    422 ratings20 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      This was one of my favorite books as a pre-teen reader. I ènjoyed how totally cool the motorcycle boy was. He oozes charisma. Ĥis James Dean/ Arthur Fonzarelli cool was magnificent. How this white boy kid could go into a African American pool hall and be accepted and respected. He wasn't trying to be anything other than himself. He respected their culture and was there because his type of character transcended the status quo and couldn't be constrained by color lines. That's the kinda cool I wanted to be as a kid. Being cool was just a ɓy product of me being myself of me being real.
    • 2/5
      It was okay, a perfect two-star rating. S.E. Hinton's writing was good - not great, but good, with minor spots of brilliance - but the characters did nothing for me and the action scenes were bland. And I'm pretty sure if someone gashes into you with a knife, deep enough to expose bone through the cut, pouring a bottle of wine over it before dressing it up won't cure it. Hinton writes mainly about drifters and rejects and outcasts, right? If they're anything like the boys in this book - listless carousers who fight for no reason and treat their girlfriends like shit and occasionally pretend to be wise - then I'll pass.
    • 4/5
      Been an S.E. Hinton weekend. Reading "That was then, this is now" Forgotten how relevant these were
    • 3/5
      Her book The Outsiders was my favorite when I was around 12 or 13 and read it numerous times. I then went on to read her That was then, this is now and liked that as well.

      I have no memory if I read Rumble Fish or not, as we are talking about 40 years now. This was a quick and easy read, though not sweetness and light, and does not feel overly dated.

      I liked it, but I am sure I would have liked it a whole lot more when I was 13 and not 55.
    • 4/5
      This is a quick and interesting read with a lot of inference.
    • 4/5
      Not as good as I thought it was going to be. My sister loves S.E. Hinton's books and I thought (with my odd Greaser kick lately) that I would try them out and Rumble Fish just let me down.
    • 2/5
      I thoroughly disliked this book, partly because I thought it was poorly-written...which is not something I would have expected from this author. Off to the used bookstore it goes.
    • 5/5
      This book is nice and okay the outsiders is much better but it's a good story
    • 4/5
      A bit muddled until 2/3 of the way through, then a fairly strong plot emerges, and characters sharpen. I sort of wish she'd started there, though, at that place where the conflict between Rusty-James' worldview shifts because of TMB's mental illness becoming noticeable to him. A good novel, bit a great ending-of-a-novel.
    • 4/5
      I found Rumble Fish to be a very interesting book. The way the plot is set up. The mix of drama, action, and suspense. This book is based on gang life in the 1950’s. Rumble Fish shows the life of someone who is poor. It shows just how ruff life is on the bad side of town. My opinion on this book that this book was very good. Rumble Fish show how gang life in the 1950’s is related to today’s gangs. It has a perspective of a young gang member who wants to be like his older brother. I would recommend this book to teens and young adults. I would give this book 4/5.
    • 4/5
      a great book with intense and exiting parts.
    • 4/5
      It is hard to image writing such a powerful story as Rumble Fish with relatively few words, yet S.E. Hinton’s book from the sixties about teenager brothers who are disconnected from healthy human emotion and behavior is told very simply and sparingly. That is part of the book’s appeal—and of course lends an authenticity to the protagonist’s voice. There is so much depth in this story in which Rusty-James, a street-fighter who enjoys his status as the toughest kid in the neighborhood, battles personal demons—primary among them is a fear of being alone. He idolizes a distant and disconnected older brother, the Motorcycle Boy, but doesn’t trust him and senses that he can’t depend on him. Hinton has a way of getting into her characters’ psyches and then expressing their feelings in very believable way. In a sequence leading up to an important plot development, Rusty-James, the Motorcycle Boy and a friend, Steven, cross the river to go to the city. Rusty-James comes alive amidst the sights and sounds of the city at night, declaring, “…you could feel energy coming off things, even buildings.” In that passage, I got the feeling that his senses were usually deadened and that he felt comforted by the garish, artificial environment. Rusty-James is fourteen, but seems older because of the drinking and street fighting he engages in. The Motorcycle Boy is seventeen, but he is described as looking more like in his 20s. The book can be read in middle school, but would also be a great pick for all types of high school students, who might bring more mature insights to classroom discussions. They also might be able to better understand the bleakness and alienation of the characters. Rumble Fish delivers a rich, nuanced story that provides an opportunity for rich literary analyses—for reluctant readers, English language learners, and the enthusiastic readers alike. Target audience is grades 7-10.
    • 4/5
      Rusty-James, his drunken dad, and his older brother who everybody calls the Motorcycle Boy stay in an old, beat up apartment and live poor lives. Rusty-James is the only one in his family that goes to school, and he doesn't do that well there. He is late or absent almost every day and has been suspended numerous times. His older brother, the Motorcycle Boy is famous to everyone in his town. He could beat up anybody, but speak words of wisdom if he was in a good mood. Rusty-James' dad is a drunken wreck that has no job and is barely able to support his kids. Rusty-James' mother left him and the rest of his family when he was young, and has never visited or helped them out. Rusty-James' life is sad, but he makes up for it by being a good person and a loyal friend.I think that Rumble fish, for the most part, was a very good book. One of its pros was that it was very suspenseful. There were fights were I would near expect someone to get killed, but at the last moment, the Motorcycle Boy would drive up and "save the day". Also, there were times where I found myself rooting in my head for Rusty-James in a fight or nervously reading to find out if he would be killed or make it out of a chase alive.There were also a few cons to this book. I felt that once I was done reading it that I hadn't read much of story, rather a few quick scenes of a fight or a chase. I think the book would have been better if it had more of an actual story behind it, so for this, I deducted one point. I also found that certain characters weren't described good enough. For example, there were a couple people that Rusty-James are friends with, but you don't know much about them besides their name, so for this, I took off one half of a point.Overall I think that Rumble Fish was a very good book that is definitely worth reading. Even though there are a few cons to it, I very much enjoyed reading this book. There were times of high suspense and others were you find yourself rooting for Rust-James in a fight. Make sure you read Rumble Fish by S.E. Hinton.
    • 4/5
      I really loved this book. It's a classic S.E. Hinton novel. Her stories are touching, moving, and bring out your inner emotions to make you feel inspired. Her books make me want to reach out and help another, struggling with some kind of burden. As you read "Rumblefish", you will begin to notice that our world isn't as perfect as it seems, and you can't help but shed a small tear."Rumblefish" is about a 14 year old small town boy named Rusty-James. Everyone sees him as the toughest kid in town, for he's always wanting to pick fights and act cool. He smokes, drinks, and cheats people out of there moneyl. He's basically the town's very own delinquent. When he's not out stealing from convenience stores or jumping some poor kid off the street, he's either at his girlfriend, Patty's, house, or at home, waiting for his drunk of a father to return from the bar. He doesn't have a mother (she ran away when he was very young), and he doesn't exactly have the potential to lead out a good life. As you get deeper into the book, you'll realize that Rusty's biggest set back is his older, tough cooler brother. No one knows his real name, so they all call him "The Motorcycle Boy." He tells Rusty stories of when there used to be gangs in the good old days, how everyone belonged to one and there were the "Greasers" and the "Socs". Rusty tries so hard to be like his older brother that he, in turn, loses sight of who he really is. One of the most admirable things about Hinton's novel, "Rumblefish", was that it had real character and reality to it. It was blunt and to the point, which is perfect. It shows how real life was back in the 60's or 70's, and it just makes you think of how much our world has changed since then. Think about; today you don't just jump everyone you see, and there are far more laws and policies about bullying now than back then. Back then, if you got called "gay" or "fat", there just weren't the same disciplinary actions as there are today against that type of harassment. it gives you a real view of now vs. then (which is ironic because an other one of Hinton's great novels is "That was Then, This is Now")I rated this book a 4/5 because, all though it was an exemplary novel, it had a few kinks in it, so I deducted a point. One of these so called "kinks" was that i thought she could have described the characters a tad bit more. instead of getting a true, cinema-like picture buzzing through my head, i got kind of a blurred vision, with a blank background. when there was a lot of action going on, it started to get confusing. i really think it would of helped if Hinton spent a little more time and gave the characters morecomplex personalities that created a real image inside my head.Another thing that is really notable about "Rumblefish" is that Hinton left the ending kind of open. In my opinion, this is wonderful! It had just the right amount of closure to end well, but she left you with a job. When you finish the book, you think to yourself "What happens next?" But its that kind of question you can answer yourself, even though the author never stated anything indubitable or sure about it. That is the real magic of this book. You read the whole thing and then, YOU, the reader gets to decide what happens to Rusty. But really, it all depends on your perspective and what you see Rusty as.
    • 5/5
      This book was amazing. I think that S.E. Hinton is an amzing writer that is really great with the way he writes his stories. This book does a the same kind of theme as the other books with gang violence and fighting.
    • 4/5
      This story really grabbed my attention and I thought it was really good book. It was a really fascinating book and I liked the story. They ending was a whole flip around and it had a different turn around.
    • 4/5
      I love the tough guy characters that S.E. Hinton has created over her career. Boys acting at being men, talking tough, carrying blades, getting in trouble. The softness of the main character, Rusty James, fits nicely with his idolization of his big brother Motorcycle Boy. The main story is about these brothers. The tragic end is expected, but sad nonetheless. Another young boy becomes a man after violence and love disappoint him.
    • 2/5
      This is a useful book when you are overwhelmed by some very serious reading beforehand.
    • 5/5
      Motherless, with a drunken father, and a brother who is always on the run, Rusty James' future looks pretty bleak. For now, however, he is the king of the hill. His brother built up a reputation as the toughest, baddest, and most indifferent fellow to ever walk his streets. With few role models to look up to, Rusty James does everything in his power to emulate Motorcycle Boy. Despite being able to take a knife to the side, drink like there is no tomorrow, and get with any girl he wants, Rusty James just cannot be his brother. His brother is in a league of his own. He is apathetic to the world. He sees in black and white and hears nothing. After a series of tragic events culminating in Motorcycle Boy's unnecessary death, Rusty James' wish finally comes true. He has become Motorcycle Boy. When all is said and done, though, and the scar tissue has formed, Rusty James is unhappy. Yes, he has become his brother. But in doing so, he has become a ghost.
    • 2/5
      I really didn't understand the hype with this book. I, for one thing, didnt like it. I thought it was a little boring and I didn't care much for the characters. I don't get why Rusty-James wanted to be like Motorcycle boy in the first place. Eh. I'm giving it one and a half stars. I think I'm being too generous.