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Loading... The Red Pony (Penguin Great Books of the 20th Century) (original 1933; edition 1993)by John Steinbeck
Work InformationThe Red Pony by John Steinbeck (1933)
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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. 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. no reviews | add a review
Belongs to Publisher SeriesIs contained inSetinbeck Hardcover Collection: Tortilla Flat, The Winter of Our Discontent, East of Eden, The Grapes of Wrath, Travels with Charley, & The Long Valley by John Steinbeck (indirect) Is abridged inHas as a student's study guide
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. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.52Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1900-1944LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
Is this you?Become a LibraryThing Author. Penguin Australia3 editions of this book were published by Penguin Australia. Editions: 0141185090, 0141332905, 0241952506 |
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. ( )