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The Red Pony (Penguin Great Books of the…
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The Red Pony (Penguin Great Books of the 20th Century) (original 1933; edition 1993)

by John Steinbeck

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5,444931,892 (3.49)1 / 253
Classic Literature. Fiction. Literature. Raised on a ranch in northern California, Jody is well-schooled in the hard work and demands of a rancher's life. He is used to the way of horses, too; but nothing has prepared him for the special connection he will forge with Gabilan, the hot-tempered pony his father gives him. With Billy Buck, the hired hand, Jody tends and trains his horse, restlessly anticipating the moment he will sit high upon Gabilan's saddle. But when Gabilan falls ill, Jody discovers there are still lessons he must learn about the ways of nature and, particularly, the ways of man.… (more)
Member:The_Book_Guy
Title:The Red Pony (Penguin Great Books of the 20th Century)
Authors:John Steinbeck
Info:Penguin (Non-Classics) (1993), Mass Market Paperback, 112 pages
Collections:Your library
Rating:
Tags:American, fiction, California

Work Information

The Red Pony by John Steinbeck (1933)

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Showing 1-5 of 90 (next | show all)
Steinbeck is a master at writing. His descriptions of landscape and actions paint a picture that grows larger in meaning than the words. The dialog is sparse, but with Steinbeck it is the spaces in the words as much as what is said.

This is a collection of four stories of a boy Jody, Billy Buck the farm hand, Carl the father, Jody's mother Ruth, and a few animals. We learn mostly about Jody and the world he lives in. The forces of nature and relationships of those living around him. Learning about Jody's world is much more than an entertaining set of stories. These are stories to be read and chewed thoroughly before taking in.

Enjoy. ( )
  wvlibrarydude | Jan 14, 2024 |
The Red Pony is, in essence, a coming of age story. It's about a boy named Jody Tiflis and how the getting and caring for a pony is a seminal event in his life, one that changes him from a child into a young man. This change can be seen as the initiation into the world of death, birth, and disappointment - which is the world of adulthood.

As usual, this Steinbeck novella is poetically beautiful and brutally honest. As I reread this novella, I realized that it's not one of Steinbeck best works, but it is still moving and wonderful. And the message that maturation occurs only through the difficult experiences of life is one that is indeed universal. ( )
  ryantlaferney87 | Dec 8, 2023 |
A novella length collection of short stories, of which the titular one is the most gutwrenching (in usual Steinbeck fashion). However, the rest of the material is slice of life that while familiar to anyone raised up farming, lacks the emotional core of the first work (and most Steinbeck stories). ( )
  A.Godhelm | Oct 20, 2023 |
I was warned in advance that this is not a horse story, and to an extent that's true. It's four stories, in fact, that appear to be sequential and can also be read as one complete story. All take place among the same characters on the same ranch. There's some cringeworthy scenes here that make me glad I was never a ranch hand, or at least not then, but they enable mortality and the facing of death to become a running theme. Steinbeck is sharing the lessons to be learned from such a life without our having to live it. He is - or has since become - like the grandfather in the last story: it is not so important what the content of these stories is than how they make the reader feel. One element gets in the way now that perhaps he didn't foresee, the reference to colonialists ousting American natives from their land as a "heroic time".

Different editions of this story come published with a variety of other Steinbeck works. Mine is only accompanied by "Junius Maltby", a short story about a family who puts its happiness ahead of societal mores, until awareness is imposed and the bubble bursts. ( )
  Cecrow | Sep 24, 2023 |
Steinbeck’s prose is always a pleasure, and this short novel of his snuck up on me. It left me a good deal more to think about than a boy and his pony. Good stuff. ( )
  bobbybslax | Mar 21, 2023 |
Showing 1-5 of 90 (next | show all)
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» Add other authors (27 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Steinbeck, Johnprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
Dennis, WesleyIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Duhamel, MarcelTraductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Galeron, HenriIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Héron, Bernardsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Morise, MaxTraductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Muller, FrankNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Seelye, JohnIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Wesley, DennisIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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At daybreak Billy Buck emerged from the bunkhouse and stood for a moment on the porch looking up at the sky.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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This is the entry for the single work "The Red Pony". Please don't combine with anthologies containing more than this story, or with abridged/retold versions.
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Classic Literature. Fiction. Literature. Raised on a ranch in northern California, Jody is well-schooled in the hard work and demands of a rancher's life. He is used to the way of horses, too; but nothing has prepared him for the special connection he will forge with Gabilan, the hot-tempered pony his father gives him. With Billy Buck, the hired hand, Jody tends and trains his horse, restlessly anticipating the moment he will sit high upon Gabilan's saddle. But when Gabilan falls ill, Jody discovers there are still lessons he must learn about the ways of nature and, particularly, the ways of man.

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Penguin Australia

3 editions of this book were published by Penguin Australia.

Editions: 0141185090, 0141332905, 0241952506

 

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