The Red Pony (Puffin Classics S.)
by John Steinbeck
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Read in August, 2007
My reintroduction to Steinbeck began with The Red Pony.
Sure I had read Of Mice and Men and Grapes Of Wrath in High School, but that was a number of years ago, and I can hardly remember either.
I found The Red Pony (a mass market paperback edition) all worn and hidden on one of the bookshelves in the classroom I work in. Apparently before it was my room, the teacher used to use it as a classroom text for 4th graders. The cover was striking and I'd been meaning to start reading some Steinb...more
Sure I had read Of Mice and Men and Grapes Of Wrath in High School, but that was a number of years ago, and I can hardly remember either.
I found The Red Pony (a mass market paperback edition) all worn and hidden on one of the bookshelves in the classroom I work in. Apparently before it was my room, the teacher used to use it as a classroom text for 4th graders. The cover was striking and I'd been meaning to start reading some Steinb...more
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Read in October, 2007
recommends it for:
Steinbeck fans
WARNING! HORSE-LOVERS: DON'T READ THIS BECAUSE YOU THINK IT WILL BE ABOUT HORSES AND DON'T REVIEW IT SAYING THAT THAT'S WHAT YOU EXPECTED BECAUSE I JUST WARNED YOU. I am sorry if you were forced to read this book for school - it would really take the beauty out of it if someone forced you to read The Red Pony. I feel that way about all Steinbeck books actually.
It is a little difficult to get into in the beginning, but overall, this book shows the raw and unpredicible way people deal with ...more
It is a little difficult to get into in the beginning, but overall, this book shows the raw and unpredicible way people deal with ...more
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Read in February, 2008
There was a period in my life when I was obsessively buying used books from the library. I picked this one up for $0.35 about three years ago. I read about half a chapter, then forgot about it until a couple weeks ago. It became my commuting book.
I enjoy John Steinbeck. He's a little bit sullen, but he's also kind of hilarious in this unassuming way. The way he describes characters and sets up situations. I often find myself smiling/chuckling to myself on the bus/rapid transit.
I was re...more
I enjoy John Steinbeck. He's a little bit sullen, but he's also kind of hilarious in this unassuming way. The way he describes characters and sets up situations. I often find myself smiling/chuckling to myself on the bus/rapid transit.
I was re...more
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Read in January, 1975
Forget Flicka, to hell with Old Yella, don't shed a tear for the Yearling.... this is the quintessential death-of-pet-plunges-child-out-of-innocence-into-the-burdens-of-being-an-adult-story. It has some of the greatest landscape descriptions you can find, but, more importantly, it doesn't sentimentalize the boy's relationship with the pony (or ponies, actually). This is one of the few books that in my cynical old age still makes me well up. The only part I don't like is the fourth story in the s...more
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Read in June, 2007
Ummm...what the heck? I liked The Red Pony, but I was a little confused with what happened to the pony. Not the red one. The other one. And why the heck were there like three stories, only one of which dealt with the red pony. I mean, it's cool that there were other stories, but why call it "The Red Pony" then? Maybe it's just the version I read, being misleading. I find that I don't quite care. Maybe that's because it's midnight and I'm reviewing books online. I need a better hobby an...more
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Read in September, 2007
I love this book. It's short, succinct, and encapsulates the dramatic, but realistic suffering side of life in three ways: the red pony, the black colt, and Jody's relationship with adults.
The Red Pony's also peppered with moments of human courage, brilliance and love. Jody's devotion to the red pony is sweet, and his idolization of Billy Buck is, I think, a realistic representation of how boys look up to men.
The Red Pony's also peppered with moments of human courage, brilliance and love. Jody's devotion to the red pony is sweet, and his idolization of Billy Buck is, I think, a realistic representation of how boys look up to men.
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If you read my Travels with Charlie review, you'll see that I do not entirely appreciate John Steinbeck and his works. Nevertheless, this one was acceptable as the plot took us on a sort of "Old Yeller" journey. But with a horse.
Also, if this book were even a page longer I would immediately downgrade it to 2 stars. But since you can roll through this novelette, as i
Also, if this book were even a page longer I would immediately downgrade it to 2 stars. But since you can roll through this novelette, as i
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I'm not saying that this is not a good book. I just didn't get it. (Some of the other goodreads reviews have clarified the issue that the book is actually 3 or 4 short stories, only one of which is about a pony. Thanks goodreaders!) I read it a long time ago, and then got my sister to read it as well, thinking her younger and more impressionable brain would see what I didn't. Well, let's just say we are a lot alike, and that "The Red Pony" is one of our favorite private jokes. How...more
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Read in January, 1987
One of the most vivid books my mom ever read-aloud to me when I was a girl. I still distinctly remember the images that were painted in my mind with this vivid portrait of the rough life of a ranching family.
Jody's need to love and be loved by his brusque father, and the sudden understanding of death and its contrast to life are so stark; it made my sisters and me weep hot tears as my mom read. I still remember the way my heart heaved and ached as I heard the climax of this story.
Jody's need to love and be loved by his brusque father, and the sudden understanding of death and its contrast to life are so stark; it made my sisters and me weep hot tears as my mom read. I still remember the way my heart heaved and ached as I heard the climax of this story.
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Read in October, 2007
I just read this during a lull in my semester. Steinbeck captures what it's like to be a kid with such accuracy and elegant, spare prose. I haven't read much Steinbeck, but after reading this, I'm moving some of John's recommendations to the top of my list. The kid in this book has his hopes dashed when his pony gets sick and [**spoiler***] dies. The disappointment becomes heartbreak, which manifests itself in cruelty. The cruel parts are a little hard to read.
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I know, it's Steinbeck. I hate to give a poor review but I never liked this book. I don't care about anything that happens and it was forced on me by a teacher I hated back in junior high. Guess what? Just because the schoolboard okays anything with fucking horses does not make it good. You can't make me say it's good. I actually went back to it as an adult to see if I missed anything. ITS STILL BORING.
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I used to read this with,to, my jr high city kids in sept when they were quiet and didn t know each other yet. sad, but I couldn t use anything like this as they made new friends in early oct. Then I had to nurse them through each assignment. I used to thank Steinbeck for helping me get through sept. I loved him, have read most of his books and a great bio of him by Jackson J. Benson.
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WOW! I think the only thing I had ever read by Steinbeck was The Grapes of Wrath. Didn't like that one. This is a book about a boy and his pony. The book is divided into 4 chapters, that represent 4 different times in the boys live. I didn't remember how graphic Steinbeck is. I do NOT care for his writing. DD (dear daughter) and I cringed on many pages in this book.
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Read in May, 2008
Why did I read this? Because I couldn't ever get through Grapes of Wrath but wanted to see what was so wonderful about Steinbeck ... don't think this book satisfied that curiosity. It has some well-written passages and descriptions, and I was enjoying it until I realized it was already over - it seemed like too much was left out - what happened to the rest of the story??
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I should just rate all the Steinbeck stuff low stars. Here is a little "spoiler" for ya. Its a SAD depressing book. The pony doesn't make it. What a horrific thing to make kids read in school.
Actually..all steinbeck's stuff are depressing. WELL written, mind you...but DEPRESSING.
Why the hell would you want to waste your time reading depressing stuff?
Actually..all steinbeck's stuff are depressing. WELL written, mind you...but DEPRESSING.
Why the hell would you want to waste your time reading depressing stuff?
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Read in March, 1992
recommends it for:
no one
If I could give this less stars I would. It's not about a Red Pony...it doesn't even SYMBOLIZE a red pony, nor does the actual red pony, who turns out to be insignificant, symbolize anything. It's just loooong Seven Years in Tibet-length descriptions of the clouds and landscape. I swear he spent five frikkin' pages on the rancher's moustache. Just awful.
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Read in August, 2007
I had this in my classroom as an enrichment book before, but now there's the possibility I'm going to have to teach this at my new school. It took me awhile to get into it, so I can only imagine how 12-year-olds will relate (or should I say, NOT relate) and respond to it. There is some potential, but it's going to take a lot of creativity on my part.
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Read in October, 2007
Am I missing something? I went back and read the transition between the last two sections three times, and never again is there a mention of the new colt. Also no mention of the colt dying. I have to say I finished feeling very dissatisfied. This surprises me, because I love Steinbeck so much, and I'm in the process of re-reading all of his books.
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Honestly, this is really a 3 star book at best, but I allow an extra as this is the book, that 7th grade assignment book that I began reading out of obligation and felt for the first time the literary corner of my 12 year old brain shudder to life, cough...in short, the book that first made me say, "Oh, I get it!" The second was Of Mice and Men.
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Read in January, 1980
I read this in the 7th grade, picking it from the classroom shelf for a reading assignment. Except for listening to my mom laugh and read aloud the passage from The Wayward Bus where Alice(?) is plotting against the flies, this may have been my first introduction to Steinbeck. It's a sad story, but for some reason it really got to me.
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