CC Spin #34: The Red Pony by John Steinbeck

🐴 The Red Pony is a compilation of four novellas. It follows the life of Jody Tiflin, a little boy of ten, who lives in a ranch, owned by his father Carl. Unlike his stern, cold-hearted father, Jody is a kind-hearted, sensitive boy.

🐴 The first story (The Gift) is about a red pony his father gifted Jody - the one which inspired the title. Jody named the pony Gabilan, and he adores him so much. With the help of Billy Buck, the ranch's reliable hand, Jody takes good care of Gabilan - feed, clean, and train the house regularly.

🐴 One rainy day, due to weather miscalculation from Billy Buck, Gabilan was out in the field, exposed to downpours. He (Gabilan, not Billy) caught a cold. A severe one, in fact, which exerted Billy's whole efforts to cure the horse. Will he succeed?

🐴 The third story, "The Promise", is also about horse. Carl thinks it's time for Jody to have more responsibility. He asked him to bring their mare Nelly to be "serviced" at a neighbor's farm, and Jody can raise and train its colt. The foaling, however, isn't a smooth process, but Billy Buck has promised Jody to give him a colt. Can he keep it?

🐴 The rest two stories are about two outsiders. The one is an old Mexican who claims he was born in that ranch long before the Tilfins bought the land. The other is Jody's grandfather who keeps re-telling same stories about how he used to lead a wagon train across the plains. These stories bored Carl and Billy, but fascinated Jody, who consoles his weary grandfather by stating that he, too, wants to be a leader.

🐴 As a whole, this book is about Jody's journey to adolescence, through responsibility and experience. Steinbeck wrote these stories while tending her ill mother in the hospital, and his anxiety reflected throughout the stories. Not a fun read, but Steinbeck wrote it quite beautifully.

Rating: 3,5 / 5