I finished John Steinbeck's
The Red Pony pretty quickly. I had never read it before and it has been years since I read Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath. When I found it for a quarter at a thrift store, I decided to "broaden my horizons" by reading a classic I hadn't read before.
I'm not quite sure what I think of this book. It follows a young boy growing up in the early 1900s in his relationship with his father, his experience-driven-education about life and death, and his admiration for some of the older men in his life. In Steinbeck's trademark realism, it was rather depressing.
But at the same time, I saw a little boy developing more compassion throughout the story--both more than he had in the beginning and more than his father had. It has also made me think and it makes me want to revisit Steinbeck's classics I've read in the past, so I can't say it was a wasted quarter or a wasted couple hours of my life.
I read The Grapes of Wrath my freshman year of high school, was bored to tears, and immediately decided I hated Steinbeck. I now think that hormone-fueled decision may have been a little hasty, and perhaps I should revisit his work.
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ReplyDeleteI've never read anything by Steinbeck.
ReplyDeleteI know. I know....