The Outcast (Jones novel)

The Outcast is the debut novel by British author Sadie Jones, published in 2007 by Chatto & Windus. In 2008, it won the Costa Book Award for First Novel and was shortlisted for the 2008 Women's Prize for Fiction. In 2015, it was adapted for television.

Summary
Set in the 1950s, The Outcast follows Lewis Aldridge, a man from a privileged family who later spent time in prison.

Reception
The Outcast was received positively by critics. The Guardian's review described at as "pure pleasure from captivating first page to teary romantic finish".

Writing in The Independent, Hermione Eyre praised the novel's "clean and clear" prose but compared the protagonist unfavourably to Holden Caulfield. Louisa Thomas, writing for The New York Times, wrote that "although 'The Outcast' doesn't feel original, it's consistently interesting."

Awards
In 2008, The Outcast won the Costa Book Award for First Novel and was shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction.

TV adaptation
In 2015, BBC One broadcast a television adaptation of the novel.