As I am yet to read the books, I have researched online to find the general plot of both novels, including reading the blurbs on the back. This will help me roughly understand what the book are about. Below I will include a summary of both book which I have referenced from an online source, these should adequately explain the main plots of the novels.
'The Outsiders' by S.E. Hinton:
When Dallas comes to get them, he reveals that the fights between the rival groups have exploded in intensity since Bob's death. Johnny decides to turn himself in, but the boys then notice that the church has caught on fire and several children are trapped inside. When Johnny and Ponyboy rush to rescue them, burning timber falls on Johnny, breaking his back. Dallas rescues Johnny. Ponyboy is relatively unscathed and spends a short time in the hospital. When his brothers arrive to see him, Darry breaks down and cries. Ponyboy then realizes that Darry cares about him, and is only hard on Ponyboy because he wants him to have a good future.
Another of the gang, Two-Bit, informs Ponyboy that he and Johnny have been declared heroes for rescuing the kids, but Johnny will be charged with manslaughter for Bob's death. He also says that the Greasers and Socs have agreed to settle their turf war with a major rumble. The Greasers win the fight. After the rumble, Dally and Ponyboy visit Johnny and see him die. An overcome Dally rushes out of the hospital and robs a store. When he points his empty gun at the police, they shoot and kill him. Ponyboy faints and stays sick and delirious for nearly a week. While recovering, he tries to convince himself that Johnny is not dead and that he is the one who killed Bob.
When Ponyboy goes back to school, his grades drop. Although he is failing English, his teacher says he will pass him if he writes a decent theme. In the copy of Gone with the Wind that Johnny gave him before dying, Ponyboy finds a note from Johnny describing how he will die proudly after saving the kids from the fire. Johnny also urges Ponyboy to "stay gold". Ponyboy decides to write his English assignment about the recent events, and begins his essay with the opening line of the novel: "When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home…".
'What A Carve Up!' by Jonathan Coe:
Tabitha accuses
Lawrence of killing Godfrey who was shot down over Germany. She claims to have
heard Lawrence speaking in German in his study, but no one believes her. When
the family reconvenes for Mortimer’s 50th birthday, Lawrence is attacked in the
night but survives, killing the intruder. The Winshaws are an example of
upper-class British families: rich, political, and powerful. Michael Owens, the
narrator for part of the story, is a writer obsessed with the 1961 British
comedy horror film What
a Carve Up! starring
Shirley Eaton and Kenneth Connor. He is commissioned to write a history of the
Winshaws. Michael lives in London and has been socially withdrawn for two
years. He watches the same film every night and does nothing else except eat,
sleep, and think. Fiona, his neighbour, becomes his friend after she knocks on
his door to ask for sponsorship for a 40-mile bike ride.
After this
encounter, Michael begins to see that he cannot continue to stay inside all the
time and begins his work on the Winshaws' biography again. Hilary Winshaw is a
well-known newspaper columnist. Henry Winshaw is a politician famous for his
backstabbing tactics. Dorothy Winshaw is a farmer who mistreats her animals and
uses mass production in order to maximise profit. Roderick (Roddy) Winshaw runs
an art gallery, sleeping with every college-aged female painter along the way.
Thomas Winshaw works for a bank and makes investments in film technology, while
peeping on closed sets. Finally, there is Mark Winshaw, who sells weapons to Saddam
Hussein.
Michael was tasked
with the project in 1982; however, by August 1990 he has still not finished it.
When Findlay Onyx, a private detective hired by Tabitha some years ago, tracks
Michael down to help him figure out what secrets the Winshaws are hiding, the
story begins to come together. As Michael begins finding out more about these
Winshaw characters, Fiona becomes ill and dies in January 1991. Mortimer
Winshaw also dies around this time and Michael is called to the reading of his
will in order to document it for his history.
At the reading
of the will, the younger generation waits greedily to hear what they will
inherit. They get nothing. As the night goes on, Henry is stabbed in the back;
Hilary crushed under a stack of her newspaper columns; Dorothy hung on a meat
hook like one of her farm animals; Thomas‟ eyes are gouged out, his body never
found; Mark’s arms are chopped off in a “farewell to arms” while Roddy is
painted gold and suffocates. After Michael finds out from Tabitha that his real
father is John Farringdon, the co-pilot who was with Godfrey, Michael
understands why he was chosen to be the family biographer. As Michael goes
through a secret hallway he discovers upon the way the Lawrence had most likely
given away Geoffrey’s location to the Germans. Then, Mortimer shows up. Covered
in blood and looking tired, he admits that he killed off the whole younger
generation of Winshaws: “Mr Owen...I do hope that you aren’t going to expend
any pity on members of my family. They don’t deserve it” (pg. 484).
The story ends
with Aunt Tabitha taking over the plane that Michael is in. He experiences for
the third time a dream that he has as the plane hurtles towards the ground,
Aunt Tabitha singing “Row Your Boat”.
References:
