You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.33 AVERAGE
3.33 AVERAGE
I love the intimate nature of Steinbeck's writing. I greatly enjoyed how this book did not have a conclusive ending, allowing the reader to ponder for themselves the kind of life Jody will have, the kind of person he will grow into. The astute descriptions of the interactions and people in this story continually draw me in. Because of these qualities and length of this book, I believe it is a wonderful introduction to Steinbeck.
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
A good novel but not a great novel. In short, it’s a story about a kid who lives in a farm with his parents and a hired help, Billy. One day he is gifted a red pony and he loves it dearly. However one day it gets sick because of rain and it dies. Jody the kid is extremely sad. He moped around but eventually gets over it. Later on we see an old man character, Gitano, and after that the grandfather comes to visit. There is not really a plot, but rather a story telling about daily life in a farm in California.
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
This book was quaint. There was no real action or adventure or deep philosophical thought, but it did an incredible job of capturing childhood wonder.
I found myself smiling at Jody’s simple exploits. But I also felt abject horror at some of the scenes.
I read this book as part of a collection of Steinbeck’s shorter novels. This felt like a great book for younger kids. It felt instantly relatable while also covering one of life’s most difficult topics: death. I could see this being a good book to give to a younger reader.
Reading this as an adult, I felt a connection with Jody and I was reminded of my younger days running around ponds trying to catch frogs. This was a really enjoyable, super short read. Definitely worth the hour and a half it took to read through.
I found myself smiling at Jody’s simple exploits. But I also felt abject horror at some of the scenes.
I read this book as part of a collection of Steinbeck’s shorter novels. This felt like a great book for younger kids. It felt instantly relatable while also covering one of life’s most difficult topics: death. I could see this being a good book to give to a younger reader.
Reading this as an adult, I felt a connection with Jody and I was reminded of my younger days running around ponds trying to catch frogs. This was a really enjoyable, super short read. Definitely worth the hour and a half it took to read through.
Adolescent boy encounters birth and death that teach him about loss and "profound emptiness." This is a sad book. Prepare to be sad.
Note to self: Stop reading introductions before reading the story. The introduction definitely spoiled the more poignant moments for me.
Anyway, I really enjoyed the anti-sentimentality of this book. If, as the author of the introduction states, Steinbeck is the father of the rise in more realistic fiction in America, then we--or, at the very least, I--owe him a greater debt than I realized. (Maybe this is already common knowledge; I admit that I'm not particularly well-read.) I love that maturity is shown here as more of a solemn reaction to loss and death, rather than... well, whatever passes as maturity these days.
Anyway, I really enjoyed the anti-sentimentality of this book. If, as the author of the introduction states, Steinbeck is the father of the rise in more realistic fiction in America, then we--or, at the very least, I--owe him a greater debt than I realized. (Maybe this is already common knowledge; I admit that I'm not particularly well-read.) I love that maturity is shown here as more of a solemn reaction to loss and death, rather than... well, whatever passes as maturity these days.
dark
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Quite depressing really. I expected something… vastly different I think… a boy, with his horse, growing up, harsh realities but really it was ~30 pages of him with this horse that dies from Strangles, a very real and more often than not fatal (especially then) sickness… and then this kid, Jody, hurting other animals like toads, dogs and other horses… like I get ur mad but don’t hurt things/ beings in your anger!!
My library, physical tbr
My library, physical tbr