The Red Pony, by John Steinbeck (Illustrated by Wesley Dennis)

PACIFIC + SOUTHWEST. 
Classic Fiction (Illustrated), c. 1945. 

We are instinctively drawn to regional classic fiction. But it is the rare treat to find a work of classic fiction in great condition that is also presented with a twist, in this case: world-class illustration. John Steinbeck is, of course, a towering figure of American letters whose powerful and unfiltered works of long- and short-fiction (mostly set in central California) dominated the early-mid 20th century. “The Red Pony” falls right onto that list. Though it was released as a single novella in 1937, its 4 chapters first appeared as separate serialized features in North American Review, Harpers, and Argosy across the mid-1930s. Typical of Steinbeck, The Red Pony is an unsparing collection that does not sand smooth the hard edges of life experiences. The central character, Jody Tiflin, is gifted a red pony in the first installment / chapter. Jody is given the task of caring for the colt, only to have it fall ill. Through his (understandable) failing to fully nurse it back to health—which includes his falling asleep while watching over the colt only to have it wander off and die, Jody finding the colt being picked over by buzzards!—the young Tiflin learns to navigate death and the hard-knocks that your actions and chance can deliver into this life. The devastating event, of course, goes on to color the remaining three chapters: The Great Mountains, The Promise, and The Leader of People. And though on its own, The Red Pony still stands as a paragon of classic short fiction, we feel the great fortune of having stumbled upon this fantastic version in an equally fantastic coastal New England bookstore. The craft of famed illustrator of horses and children’s books (and, we would come to find, native New Englander) Wesley Dennis’ mostly watercolor works throughout this 1945 release are so evocative that we will simply let the photographs speak for themselves. [Condition: Used Very Good. It seems possible that this copy was never read, but if so it was treated kindly. There are only minor wear spots with the slightest amount of fabric fraying on the spine, a thin two-part ding on its boards probably from a long ago floor drop. The volume comes with an original cardboard box container that has not aged nearly so well; but did its job in protecting this classic work. The interior pages and the illustrations are pristine!] 

Condition: Used Very Good. 
Classic Fiction. 
John Steinbeck (Wesley Dennis, Illustrator). 
The Viking Press, c. 1945 (original © 1937). 
Hardcover, 131 pgs, 6.75 x 9.75" / 1.1 lb.