The Red Pony
by John Steinbeck
Rating: 3.0 / 5 · Read · Finished 2014-06-26
This is not a book of four chapters so much as a collection of four short stories that have the same setting and characters. Each stands on its own. Additionally, there was a truly separate short story at the end of my copy called Junias Maltby, which is a great, hilarious allegory which I probably enjoyed more than the main story.
Each chapter deals with some sad event, mostly to do with death and growing old. As far as I can tell, the book is about facing the harsh reality of nature. A lot of creatures don’t survive birth. And a lot of creatures make it to a painful, drawn-out old age. Nature doesn’t care about our feelings. The boy Jody has to give up romantic notions and face reality.
The book is short and well-written. It’s a pleasure to read, but leaves you feeling like there should have been more meaning in the pages. If your copy has Junias Maltby in the back, enjoy!