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In general, I like Steinbeck's writing, despite the fact that it's super depressing. But this collection of four loosely-connected short stories just didn't work for me. They felt unnecessarily brutal without any real character growth. Jody is a little boy when we meet him, and still a little boy in the end, and I feel like he's basically the same little boy - and not a particularly likable one for me since he teases the dog when he's bored and ⬇

Can‘t wait for the #RandomClassics discussion on this one. Just finished it and I am dazed and confused. 🥴 Hoping my fellow Littens can enlighten me!
@TheAromaofBooks

I‘ve read a few Steinbeck through the years, but not this. Now I‘m ready for the #RandomClassic discussion later this month.

I really enjoyed this short story and have kept the collection of Steinbeck stories this appears in. May be time for a reread!

#Aboutabook
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
@Eggs

Sharing for @thearomaofbooks
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September's read is going to be depressing (because it's Steinbeck), but hey, it's short!! 😂 I'm thinking that we'll just plan to discuss the book in its entirety sometime around September 20. Let me know below if you want to be tagged for that discussion!!

I've gone ahead and done a random draw to figure out the first few books of 2025 (!!!) and it looks like we'll be kicking off the year with a Dickens chunkster!! As you may have noticed ⬇

#CoverLove #Horse
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

I love to read Steinbeck‘s writing. This collection of stories allows the reader to witness as the young boy, Jody, learns life lessons. The lessons can be harsh. The story of Gabilan was particularly gut-wrenching. Through it all, I was just reminded of how much I love the way Steinbeck puts words together and views the world. Truly beautiful.

First time reading this and I've not seen either movie version so I only vaguely knew the story and the book is not quite what I expected. But I did very much enjoying the descriptive writing.

#BookBinge
#InvolvesAnimals
@Eggs
@Alwaysbeenaloveerofbooks

My worst rookie teaching mistake: reading this to my then 7th-grade students BEFORE reading it myself. At one point (ahem), I sobbed so hard, snot ran down my nose, and I had to leave the class to collect myself. Damn you, John Steinbeck! I never read it in front of any kids again. 🖤🐴🖤

At daybreak Billy Buck emerged from the bunkhouse and stood for a moment on the porch looking up at the sky.
#Firstlinefridays @ShyBookOwl

I‘m a Steinbeck fan. I love The Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden and Of Mice and Men, but this one is a low pick for me. One, it was not all one story like I thought but 4 short stories. Two, I think maybe it was not timed well in my life because it was just a downer. I know Steinbeck‘s books in general are not heaping with happiness and I went in prepared for an Old Yeller feeling but still not a favorite. #authoramonth #march #aam #Booked2023

Sparse but effective writing; a small sentence or paragraph conveys a mood or emotion. You really get a feel of what it‘s like to be the adolescent Jody living on a ranch, & it brings back childhood memories of things like boredom, pure happiness & disappointment. It‘s not something I would gravitate towards reading as the subject matter wouldn‘t appeal to me but it was a pleasant surprise. Might try more of his books in the future! #authoramonth

Gabilan deserved better. I‘m only through the first chapter, but I‘m sad now.

#AuthorAMonth

I enjoyed this collection of short stories. Steinbeck's writing represents a time, place and culture and for a small while I felt like a very close observer of the young boy Jody and his experience, or at least a slice of his time. It isn't exactly an uplifting book, reminding you that growing up on the range kept one close to loss and death.It wasn't depressing though, it was just life.

In case anyone needed a few more reasons to justify their reading habits or kickstart those reading habits again....#5 is particularly persuasive 😂

Kickstarting my own reading habits with some books I picked up from a local book sale. First on the list, one of Steinbeck's first pieces of work!

I‘ll read any & everything by John Steinbeck and I grabbed this when I was requesting his other books from the library. It‘s only 100 pages and is set on a ranch in Salinas, CA in the 1930s. By the time I got done with this, I didn‘t really see what the point of the story was, but it‘s still a well-written snapshot of ranch life in the 1930s seen through the eyes of a 10-year-old boy. You can‘t go wrong with Steinbeck! 3⭐️

#JohnSteinbeck

🐴🐎🐴

Steinbeck doesn't write the happiest of stories, but ones that are fairly raw, simple, and profound.

The Red Pony is really four separate stories focused on the Tiflin family in the Salinas Valley. They are all about the eventualities of life and their contrast to young hopes and dreams.
This edition includes the short story Junius Maltby, a story of a man that leaves a working life behind to enjoy the simplicity of the country, perhaps too much.

Short but deep. Worth a second reading.

#wintergames #thefilthyanimals #impulseread This year for my birthday one of my dearest friends gifted me her Mum‘s first illustrated edition of John Steinbeck‘s The Red Piny. This is one of the most precious gifts I have ever received. The illustrations are delicate but convey the strength of the horses and the aching beauty of the story. ❤️❤️❤️

This is a reread from my childhood days. I recall it being one of those tear jerker formative reads, but this time around I was confused. It is still sad with some very real lessons about life & death & character & purpose and it‘s appropriate there isn‘t definitive closure. The part I‘m confused about is that it‘s structured like a novella of short stories. (?) Snapshots of a family. I always recalled it being a singular heartbreaking story.

Because they were only .50 on the library rack - usually it‘s full of stuff that isn‘t appealing. Red Pony is long overdue for a reread. 😢

This is a coming of age story for a boy in Salinas Valley. I liked it, but I didn‘t love it. Definitely indicative of the hard times living on a ranch. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Reading this with my 9th grade daughter. So far, so good!

My #bookhaul from my second stop at the library book sale. They had some newer stuff out yesterday and it was a little more ($1 paperbacks and $2 hardcovers) still great prices. I‘m kind of kicking myself for not picking up a couple that I put back. There is also 1 more but it‘s for my #fallswap person. Six books for $7 isn‘t bad at all (Red Pony and the swap book were $.50 each)

"The people of the valley told many stories about Junius. Sometimes they hated him with the loathing busy people have for lazy ones, and sometimes they envied his laziness; but often they pitied him because he blundered so. No one in the valley ever realized that he was happy." - John Steinbeck

Easily going from innocence to brutality, Steinbeck creates beauty from heartbreak in the most simple of stories. Great book.

1. Miss Beatle from Little House on the Prairie
2. The earliest I remember is in 5th grade The Red Pony by John Steinbeck, we also viewed the film
3. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
4. N/A
#weekendchat

A tale of love and loss as Jody Tiflin gets a red pony and then loses it to distemper. I got to sit on a faux pony at the John Steinbeck museum today.

No happy endings with Steinbeck, just harsh unrelenting reality. Was cut into all the tiny pieces after the first chapter. It‘s now one of my favorite 📚 books. Death is a reoccurring theme in all his stories. Was certainly a lot of pain in this one as well. Forever cemented into my heart and mind. 🐴

Beautiful #nakedcover,,, and my dad‘s inspiration for my name ❤️. #riotgrams

Too good

Day 31:A Book📖to reflect on what has been-I think it only fitting to end this year w/a gift🎁from my #SSGP 🎅🏼, & even more fitting that it‘s one from My all time fave Steinbeck♥️! Fitting in that it reflects my love for literature & all things 📚ish, the generosity & 💕 in the world 🌎, & the joys in communities such as these😃📚. Adios 2017🥂🎊 #SurvivingDecember #BookTherapy #PhotoChallenge #NekoKappu #MatchaMallows 🍵🍡🐎

#litsyclassics #litsyclassicsmatches

@TheKidUpstairs @Schlinkles

This is my least favorite trip to the Salinas Valley with John Steinbeck so far. Each of the four chapters is a stand-alone story and none are resolved pleasantly. There is a horse in each of the first three chapters and life isn‘t great for any of them. Grandpa shows up in the last chapter and the woe continues. Despite this being a somber novel, it was written beautifully and contains great descriptions of Steinbeck‘s California settings.

Sheesh, this isn‘t exactly Steinbeck‘s feel good hit of the autumn.

The next book in my Steinbeck short novel love fest.

Day 5: Book You Read Because of a Teacher (World Teachers Day) - The Red Pony was required reading going into my freshman year of high school. I don‘t remember much about it, but with that said, young adults are so malleable & I think this book was one of the many things that influenced my sensitivity toward the tragic plight of animals. That windpipe scene (shudder). #bookishwackyholidays #octoberbookchallenge #requiredreading #classics

This is a nice short story to read during lunch break or to relax on the coach after a hard day at work after a hard day at work. I love horses and ponies and have always wanted to have my own horse or little cute pony. However, in reality I do not think I will ever be able to own a horse, so stories about horses and ponies are my way of getting to live my fantasy of owning a horse.

I finished this late last night and was a bit underwhelmed. It's Steinbeck, so the writing and descriptions are gorgeous, but it felt disconnected--like semi-interconnected short stories rather than a whole. My copy also includes the short story "Junius Maltby" which I was liking a lot until it ended abruptly and left me wondering what happened to the ending. Overall, I'm glad I read it, but I wanted a bit more story. #SteinbeckShortsReadalong

"At daybreak Billy Buck emerged from the bunkhouse and stood for a moment on the porch looking up at the sky. He was a broad, bandy-legged little man..."

How's that for alliteration?! I do love Steinbeck's writing. It's been a while since I've read Steinbeck, and I'm enjoying diving in again! I'm a bit late to the party as I jump in for this week's #SteinbeckShortsReadalong, but better late than never. ?

This has been on my #TBR for I'm not sure how long, and I keep seeing posts about it for the #SteinbeckShortsReadalong, so I'm hoping to pick it up this week amongst my other reading! My very first association with this book was when I read Matilda by Roald Dahl when I was in 4th grade. It's probably time for me to read it, too. 😊#quickreads #anditsaugust

Well it wasn't my favorite, but I remember now why Steinbeck wasn't my favorite author when we read a few of his (not this one though) in middle school. I still don't understand why they pick such dreary novels for middle school students to read, the yrs of teen angst, peer pressure, & growing pains could certainly use a few comedies or adventures that might promote love of reading instead of only required reading. #SteinbeckShortsReadAlong #1932

⁉️ What age group do you think this book would be most appropriate for? Would you recommend this title to a friend? If so, why?

#SteinbeckShortsReadAlong

⁉️ Death seems to be one of the recurring themes in this book. What other themes can you identify?

#SteinbeckShortsReadAlong