The Red Pony

Having reread Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath this year, I had a clear memory of Steinbeck's power to tell a story both in action and in feeling. And then I read The Red Pony. Wow. Can I say that I think Red Pony may be an even better book than Grapes? Hard to believe, I know, but true, I think. A 1001 CBYMRBYGU.

“Then he saw what he was looking for. Below, in one of the little clearings in the brush lay the red pony. In the distance, Jody could see the legs moving slowly and convulsively. And in a circle around him stood the buzzards, waiting for the moment of death they knew so well.”“He saw a hawk flying so high that it caught the sun on its breast and shone like a spark. Two blackbirds were driving him down the sky, glittering as they attacked their enemy. In the west, the clouds were moving in to rain again.”Oh, how I love John Steinbeck. Even though Steinbeck's novels are all raw and bleak, they somehow amuse me every time. And at the end of every Steinbeck book, I'm always left fighting that lump in my throat!The Red Pony is no different. It stars with the story of a young boy named Jody who receives a red pony, Gabilan from his father Carl, as a gift. He loves his pony ardently, taking care of him with the help of rancher Billy Buck. The story moves on with Steinbeck's powerfully descriptive, simple and sparsely wonderful style of writing. As usual, Steinbeck manages to stir up your emotions and totally drags you inside his novel; inside the world of Jody Tiflin and his house near the might and beautiful Gabilan Mountains. Overall, it's a great book and set in the backdrop of Trifin Ranch and is sort of like a fictional sneak peek into John Steinbeck's childhood.I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would rate it a complete 5/5!

It's easy to misunderstand Steinbeck's The Red Pony. I can think of a couple reasons why this is so. First, the title. Steinbeck was known as having a problem with titles. Naming this one The Red Pony was probably his first idea—much like Something That Happened was his original idea for Of Mice and Men and The Salinas Valley his title for East of Eden. Fortunately, Steinbeck's friends, editors, and publishers were not afraid to offer criticism of his titles. Perhaps they should have had something to say about this one. Secondly, this is not a novel. And no, it's not a novella either. It was not originally meant as a stand alone piece. It was part of a collection and the stories within are stories meant to essentially stand individually. Trying to connect all the loose ends can be quite frustrating. Finally, this isn't a children's book. Not sure how it ever came to this classification, but it is misleading. Granted this is one of Steinbeck's most child-friendly works, but only for the parent who doesn't mind subjecting their child to the image of a vulture vomiting up the eye of a boy's beloved pony.

Misunderstandings aside, The Red Pony was a wonderful 100-page read. Steinbeck's strong language and characters are throughout. As are his stories of hope, saturated with fear and sadness, misunderstandings and missed opportunities. It's a fabulous introduction to the power of Steinbeck when viewed as a collection of four short stories. Four short stories about a boy—and not so much his pony.