That Was Then, This Is Now

Infobox Book
name = That Was Then, This Is Now
author = S. E. Hinton
country = United States
language = English
genre = Youth Novel
publisher =
release_date = 1971
media_type = Print (Hardback & Paperback)
pages = 147 pp (first edition, hardback)
isbn = ISBN 0-670-69798-2 (first edition, hardback)
preceded_by = The Outsiders "(1967)'
followed_by = Rumble Fish "(1975)'

"That Was Then, This Is Now" is a novel by S. E. Hinton. It was later made into a film starring Emilio Estevez.

Plot

Bryon and Mark have been inseparable best friends from childhood, but now at sixteen, they both sense they are growing apart. Bryon is disturbed by the fights and the violence yet Mark takes it all as a matter of course-part of life of a kid on the street. They seem to be changing too fast for Bryon. He is in love with Cathy-growing up and beginning to care and to realize that they are no longer kids.

When Bryon discovers that Mark is pushing drugs to younger kids he must face a choice that may destroy a lifelong friendship.

Connections to The Outsiders

The book (like "Rumble Fish") takes place in the same universe as Hinton's first book, "The Outsiders". However, unlike "Rumble Fish", which only hinted at a connection between the two books, in "That Was Then, This Is Now" the main character of "The Outsiders", Ponyboy Curtis, is actually a brief minor character. He is often referred to as a sometimes rival of Bryon, the protagonist, and even makes a few cameo appearances in the events surrounding the dance. The characters of Tim and Curly Shepard from "The Outsiders " also appear, as does their sister Angela, who is original to "That Was Then, This Is Now". Randy, who was in "The Outsiders", also appears as a hippie in this book, which is appropriate to those who have read or seen "The Outsiders", as Randy is an affluent kid who feels guilty about the class division and becomes repulsed by it, which was the background and beliefs of most hippies.

(This article is currently under repair)

This is a great companion for The Outsiders.