I understand these stories were the way it was in history but I still don't like to read about it. Not my favorite type of stories.

Both stories were rereads, but it's been about 15 years so I didn't remember much.
The Pearl - 4 stars
The Red Pony- 3 stars

the pearl teaches us that capitalism is the root of all evil (4.5/5)

the red pony teaches us about death, guilt, and coping with ageing (3.5/5)


an odd parring if i say so myself

The Pearl- 4 stars
The Red Pony- 2 stars

Wonderful novella by a famous writer.

Well-written but depressing.

The Red Pony:

I decided to re-read many Steinbeck books I've read in the past in the order that he wrote them, starting with The Red Pony. I enjoyed reading these coming of age stories again.

the pearl>the red pony
tako lahkotno branje ig (dobri zgodbi, sam ne neki bas posebnga, ampal dobri)
drgac pa mi je ful lepo napisan in bom sigurn se kej od njega prebrala

My first Steinbeck. What a treat!

2,75 ☆
W skrócie, dziecko nie bądź babą

The Pearl Review (8/30/12)
Gave 3.5 stars
The novella is widely entertaining with great plot and characters, still, I was just really hoping that the infant, Coyotito, could have gained something. I was anticipating a happy ending. I was not hoping for Kino and Juana to become rich after they found the pearl (that would go against Steinbeck's message), but I was disappointed when Coyotito was killed off like that! Once Kino and Juana found the pearl, I was rooting for them the whole time and sharing that same enthusiasm with Kino-hoping that Coyotito would get an education. My wishes for a different ending is probably silly though. Killing off Coyotito, unfortunately, is probably the only way for Kino to understand how corruptible the pearl became. Unlike Juana, Kino did not recognize the pearl's evil until very late (actually, too late) in the novel.

Either way, the techniques used to craft the novella were really clever. I liked Steinbeck's use of different characters and the balance between Kino's idealistic dreams and Juana's practicality. The story was focused primarily on the plot and characters, so it was not a dull read (not too much description on setting involved this time). The read is not too difficult or long, so I recommend to everyone! I read this in one sitting.

The Red Pony Review (9/1/12)
Gave 2 stars
To be honest, I felt like the story was just a bit too depressing. To me, The Red Pony has an aimless plot with static characters. The read was interesting enough to get me to finish the book, but this isn't one of Steinbeck's best works. If you started out with this book thinking that Steinbeck is a mediocre writer, you really have to read his master pieces - like The Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden, and/or Of Mice and Men! Those are the works that truly exemplify Steinbeck's genius in literature.