The Red Pony (Penguin Great Books of the 20th Century) (Mass Market Paperback)

by John Steinbeck (Author) "At daybreak Billy Buck emerged from the bunkhouse and stood for a moment on the porch looking up at the sky..." (more)
Key Phrases: ridge ranch, red pony, brush line, Billy Buck, Carl Tiflin, Doubletree Mutt (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Book of four related stories by John Steinbeck, published in 1937 and expanded in 1945. The stories chronicle a young boy's maturation. In "The Gift," the best-known story, young Jody Tiflin is given a red pony by his rancher father. Under ranch hand Billy Buck's guidance, Jody learns to care for and train his pony, which he names Gabilan. Caught in an unexpected rain, Gabilan catches a cold and, despite Billy Buck's ministrations, dies. Jody watches the buzzards alight on the body of his beloved pony, and, distraught at his inability to control events, he kills one of them. The other stories in The Red Pony are "The Great Mountains," "The Promise," and "The Leader of the People," in which Jody develops empathy and also learns from his grandfather about "westering," the migration of people to new places and the urge for new experiences. -- The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature

Product Description
Tells a story of a young boy and life on his father's California ranch, raising a sorrel colt.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (February 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140177361
• ISBN-13: 978-0140177367
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (174 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #234,402 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sad But Great, January 12, 2000

By	"kevbo-l" (Littleton, CO USA) - See all my reviews

Even though the book "The Red Pony", by John Stienbeck, was one of the saddest books I have ever read I would recommend it because the plot has many interesting turns and the theme is very emotional. "The Red Pony" was about a young boy, Jody, and his family who live on a ranch. The book consists of four short stories, each of which involves Jody learning a lesson of life. It is so tragic because in every story, something dies. In "The Gift" and "The Promise", two horses die, in "The Great Mountains" it is implied that Gitano committed suicide, and in "The Leader of the People" a part of Grandfather dies when he realizes that Westering has passed. When he realizes this, his whole motivation is gone, so a part of him is missing, or dead. My favorite story in "The Red Pony" was "The Promise", because I enjoyed the way Jody would imagine things about what he was doing on the way home from school, and about what the new colt would be like. Over all, I found this book very enjoyable, even though it was so melancholy.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant affirmation of life, April 18, 2001

By	Janice M. Hansen (California United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I read some of these reviews and could not believe how unrealistic some of these people are. Why should every novel be a princess pretty tale? If that is what you need, keep pretending and don't ever read some of the most poignantly beautiful reflections of what it is like to be a 10 year old boy growing up on a farm!

This is a sensitive, time realistic story of what it would be like to live on a farm back in the days when you had to know practical therapy for your stock animals. These people respected their animals and knew that it was important to know emergency procedures, and knew how to do them to try and save their stock. Sometimes it worked, sometimes, it did not. It is this down side that focuses on Jody, the 10 year old son, that gets to own a pony who becomes ill with "strangles" a disease that shuts off his airway. The stockhand pulls no stops to save his life, and Jody chooses to stay by his beloved pony's side. The event is pivotal. As all events that revolve around life and death, this is the basis of which the story continues to move.

I do not find the story to be distasteful at all. I find it to be full of life and love. For those that can not get through the saddness of the pony dying, I feel sad that you missed some very relevant, affirming representations of the real meaning of life and love.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars From the sadness of death springs hope and purpose in life, April 3, 2007

By	Lloyd Sakazaki (Bellevue, WA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

John Steinbeck's The Red Pony is a deceptively simple "young reader's" book that blossoms into full life meaning when examined as an artfully presented novella. The brief 100-page work reads like a four-paneled painting which, viewed from the proper perspective, should be appreciated for what it truly is--a remarkable rendition of realism in 20th century American literature.

What to expect from the book: Expect four loosely connected short stories or vignettes, not a tightly woven epic plot. Expect crisp, articulate prose, without the extravagant detail, depth of characterization and flowing drama afforded by a longer work. Expect to experience thought-provoking, coming-of-age events in a young Salinas ranch boy's life, not the entertaining action of a Hollywood thriller. Also, expect to have to dig a little to understand the author's message, not to be spoonfed the theme of this unique work.

Here's my view of the thematic "glue" holding the individual stories together:

1. Boy learns about death: In "The Gift," 10-year old Jody learns through the sudden sickness, suffering and gruesome, buzzard-pecked death of his beloved red pony, Gabilan, that even "happy" gifts can result in sadness and loss, despite the best efforts of well-intentioned adults.

2. Boy views consequences of the ways of man: In "The Great Mountains," Jody sees how compassion has its economic and cultural limitations, when father refuses to honor the old paisano, Gitano's, request to live out his remaining years on the ranch where he was born. Consequence: Gitano disappears into the lonesome mountains towards the west, riding father's decrepit horse and ominously carrying only a sharp-bladed rapier.

3. Through loss comes hope: Against a gloomy backdrop of loss, "The Promise" builds hope but culminates in the harsh choice between life of birthing mare and her breech-positioned colt. The bittersweet outcome, death of the mare to save her colt, is difficult to accept but does offer at least a glimmer of optimism.

4. Despite life's trials and tribulations, its fullness arises from having a sense of purpose: The final story, "The Leader of the People," mentions neither the loss of Jody's red pony nor his presumed raising of the newborn colt. Instead, the connection to the other stories and unifying message of the novella can be found, in my opinion, within the final, almost trivial event: "Grandfather was about to refuse, and then he saw Jody's face," which led him to accept Jody's offer to make him a glass of lemonade. Importantly, through the simple act of accepting Jody's offer, Grandfather nourishes the boy's sense of purpose. Although Grandfather's own life purpose has withered since that unforgettable year decades ago when he led a group of settlers out west, the boy's life lies ahead with plenty of potential for a purposeful future.

In sum, out of death, and love, springs life's potential: When life has a purpose, however big or small--from caring for a pony to returning to one's birthplace to die, from being a leader of the people to making lemonade for a loved one--we not only live but thrive. The Red Pony is a sensitive affirmation of life--recommended reading for anyone willing to experience a little darkness before seeing light.