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There Must Be a Pony!
Book by Kirkwood, James
249 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1960
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163 people want to read
About the author
James Kirkwood Jr.
13 books46 followersJames Kirkwood, Jr. was an American playwright and author born in Los Angeles, California. His father, James Kirkwood, Sr. was an actor and director in silent films and his mother was actress Lila Lee. He died in 1989 of spinal cancer.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 8, 2025
I found this novel in a used bookstore back when I was in my 20's, many years ago, and I bought it because of the title. I read it and adored it--if there had been Goodreads back then, I would certainly have given it 5 stars. It inspired me to read three others by James Kirkwood--PS Your Cat Is Dead, Good Times/Bad Times, and Some Kind Of Hero. all of which I loved. I also tried Hit Me With A Rainbow but disliked it and dnf-ed it.
This is the story of a rather Holden Caulfield-esque teenage boy whose mother is a slightly past her prime Hollywood actress. The major difference between Holden and the narrator here (Josh) is that Josh is almost relentlessly sunny whereas Holden is disillusioned. In fact, Josh is so agreeable and positive that he didn't quite ring true as a 15-year-old boy to me, and so I only give the book 4 stars upon re-reading it all these years later. There Must Be A Pony! is the story of a young man, his slightly unstable mother, a charming man they both adore, and a crew of side characters. When tragedy strikes and everything seems to go from wonderful to awful all at once, Josh and his mom find themselves in a sea of troubles. The title is taken from a joke about a man with twin sons, one an optimist and the other a pessimist. Their dad gives the pessimist a bunch of games and toys and things but the boy just sits there eyeing it all suspiciously. He gives the optimist a pile of dung, but the boy is thrilled and shovels through it excitedly. When the dad asks him why he is so happy, the son replies that "with all this horse (stuff), I figure there must be a pony!" It's an apt metaphor for what this novel is about.
As a grown adult re-reading the book now, and looking at mid-century mores from the vantage point of the 21st century, the constant--and I do mean constant--consumption of alcohol by everyone in the book except Josh becomes extremely tiresome. Even Josh himself remarks about how the adults around him can't seem to make the slightest move without needing a drink first. Near the end of the book, Josh's mother finds out a friend of hers is pregnant, so what does she do? She proposes a toast. Holy fetal alcohol syndrome, Batman.
Kirkwood can be howlingly funny and there are sections of this book that had me in stitches such as the pet parrot who can only ask "Are you a Communist?" At the same time, the plot of this book is often heart-breaking, so it gets both "funny" and "sad" tags from me. In sum, There Must Be A Pony! didn't mean as much to me in my 60's as it did in my 20's, but I'm glad I re-read it, and do recommend it if you can find it. Kirkwood's books all seem to be out of print now, which is a darn shame.
This is the story of a rather Holden Caulfield-esque teenage boy whose mother is a slightly past her prime Hollywood actress. The major difference between Holden and the narrator here (Josh) is that Josh is almost relentlessly sunny whereas Holden is disillusioned. In fact, Josh is so agreeable and positive that he didn't quite ring true as a 15-year-old boy to me, and so I only give the book 4 stars upon re-reading it all these years later. There Must Be A Pony! is the story of a young man, his slightly unstable mother, a charming man they both adore, and a crew of side characters. When tragedy strikes and everything seems to go from wonderful to awful all at once, Josh and his mom find themselves in a sea of troubles. The title is taken from a joke about a man with twin sons, one an optimist and the other a pessimist. Their dad gives the pessimist a bunch of games and toys and things but the boy just sits there eyeing it all suspiciously. He gives the optimist a pile of dung, but the boy is thrilled and shovels through it excitedly. When the dad asks him why he is so happy, the son replies that "with all this horse (stuff), I figure there must be a pony!" It's an apt metaphor for what this novel is about.
As a grown adult re-reading the book now, and looking at mid-century mores from the vantage point of the 21st century, the constant--and I do mean constant--consumption of alcohol by everyone in the book except Josh becomes extremely tiresome. Even Josh himself remarks about how the adults around him can't seem to make the slightest move without needing a drink first. Near the end of the book, Josh's mother finds out a friend of hers is pregnant, so what does she do? She proposes a toast. Holy fetal alcohol syndrome, Batman.
Kirkwood can be howlingly funny and there are sections of this book that had me in stitches such as the pet parrot who can only ask "Are you a Communist?" At the same time, the plot of this book is often heart-breaking, so it gets both "funny" and "sad" tags from me. In sum, There Must Be A Pony! didn't mean as much to me in my 60's as it did in my 20's, but I'm glad I re-read it, and do recommend it if you can find it. Kirkwood's books all seem to be out of print now, which is a darn shame.
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April 9, 2025This book was one of many that were seized in 1984 from the first gay bookshop in London, or anywhere in the UK, Gay's The Word as part of a policy of intimidation against 'uppity' gays and I am posting information on this event against many of the books seized by the police.
That most of the gay content was so subtextual that I am sure the police never found it.
There Must be a Pony! and the 1984 attempt to destroy 'Gay's The Word' the UK's first gay bookshop:
This novel was one of many 'imported' gay books which were at the centre of an infamous attempt to push UK gays back into the closet by the conservative government of Margaret Thatcher in 1984. Amazingly this event, important not only for gays but civil liberties in the UK, does not have any kind of Wikipedia entry. Because of this lack I have assembled links to a number of sites which anyone interested in free speech should read. If we don't remember our history we will be condemned to repeat it.
The genesis of the prosecution of 'Gays The Word' was the anger of homophobes to books like 'The Milkman's On His Way' by David Rees which were written for young people and presented being gay as ordinary and nothing to get your-knickers-in-a-twist over. Unfortunately there was no way to ban the offending books because censorship of literature had been laughed out of court at the 'Lady Chatterley Trial' nearly twenty years earlier. But Customs and Excise did have the ability to seize and forbid the import of 'foreign' books, those not published in the UK. As most 'gay' books came from abroad, specifically the USA, this anomaly was the basis for the raid on Gays The Word and the seizure of large amounts of stock. The intention was that the legal costs, plus the disruption to the business, would sink this small independent bookshop long before it came to trial. That it didn't is testimony to the resilience of Gay's The Word, the gay community and all those who supported them.
The best, not perfect, but only, guide to the event is at:
https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/10/1...
There follows a series of links to the event connected with an exhibition at the University of London:
The background:
https://www.london.ac.uk/news-events/...
The 142 books seized:
https://exhibitions.london.ac.uk/s/se...
The history of the prosecution:
https://www.london.ac.uk/news-events/...
The fight to clarify the law after the prosecution was dropped:
https://www.london.ac.uk/news-events/...
That most of the gay content was so subtextual that I am sure the police never found it.
There Must be a Pony! and the 1984 attempt to destroy 'Gay's The Word' the UK's first gay bookshop:
This novel was one of many 'imported' gay books which were at the centre of an infamous attempt to push UK gays back into the closet by the conservative government of Margaret Thatcher in 1984. Amazingly this event, important not only for gays but civil liberties in the UK, does not have any kind of Wikipedia entry. Because of this lack I have assembled links to a number of sites which anyone interested in free speech should read. If we don't remember our history we will be condemned to repeat it.
The genesis of the prosecution of 'Gays The Word' was the anger of homophobes to books like 'The Milkman's On His Way' by David Rees which were written for young people and presented being gay as ordinary and nothing to get your-knickers-in-a-twist over. Unfortunately there was no way to ban the offending books because censorship of literature had been laughed out of court at the 'Lady Chatterley Trial' nearly twenty years earlier. But Customs and Excise did have the ability to seize and forbid the import of 'foreign' books, those not published in the UK. As most 'gay' books came from abroad, specifically the USA, this anomaly was the basis for the raid on Gays The Word and the seizure of large amounts of stock. The intention was that the legal costs, plus the disruption to the business, would sink this small independent bookshop long before it came to trial. That it didn't is testimony to the resilience of Gay's The Word, the gay community and all those who supported them.
The best, not perfect, but only, guide to the event is at:
https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/10/1...
There follows a series of links to the event connected with an exhibition at the University of London:
The background:
https://www.london.ac.uk/news-events/...
The 142 books seized:
https://exhibitions.london.ac.uk/s/se...
The history of the prosecution:
https://www.london.ac.uk/news-events/...
The fight to clarify the law after the prosecution was dropped:
https://www.london.ac.uk/news-events/...
June 26, 2015
I really liked this book a lot, more so in the first half than at the end, but I would highly recommend it. I had been put off reading Kirkwood after I saw A Chorus Line and didn't care for it, I found it dated. I feel I've missed out on something now and will be picking up more of his books, I wish they were out in ebook format.
The narrator is a Holden Caufield-esque young man with a famous mother. The joke that lead to the title of the book is great and shows just how far writing was able to progress censorship wise from Salinger's time. The end was a little disappointing and the last 10 pages followed by the second ending were superfluous but I enjoyed the book, the narrator was great, and I'll be reading more Kirkwood in future.
The narrator is a Holden Caufield-esque young man with a famous mother. The joke that lead to the title of the book is great and shows just how far writing was able to progress censorship wise from Salinger's time. The end was a little disappointing and the last 10 pages followed by the second ending were superfluous but I enjoyed the book, the narrator was great, and I'll be reading more Kirkwood in future.
March 18, 2021
The story is narrated by fifteen year old Josh, son of waning film star Rita Cydney. Rita enjoys a traumatic love life, divorced from Josh’s father and with a trail of failed lovers. Enter Ben, the seemingly perfect partner, and father to be for Josh, but then one day Josh discovers Ben’s body at the bottom of the Garden with a bullet in his head. But is it suicide or murder, and so the nightmare begins. A fascinating tale, but the real beauty is the writing, which truly conveys the honesty, passion and innocence of the fifteen year old Josh; an absolute joy to read.
August 1, 2012
My mother first handed me this book when I was twelve, alongside The Outsiders or The Giver. I think it was around the page when the narrator stumbles across his dead father figure (the man shot himself) with ants crawling out of eye that I shut the book and swore never to read it again. Tried it again a few months ago, and I have to admit - it's a great book. Depressing, but touching. If you're twelve, literally or in your reading tastes (nothing wrong with that, it's entirely a matter of preference), I don't suggest it - otherwise, you might give it a shot.
November 20, 2019
The Holden Caulfield-esque teen narrator of this brief novel makes the book. He is the son of a fading but famous Hollywood starlet. His mother is a woman of moods. She entertains a number of lovers, until she finds a real gem, with whom the narrator Josh gets along with very well. It even looks like marriage might be in the works, but then a crime scene intervenes, with the attendant paparazzi around the Hollywood star. Josh is thrown this way and that by what ensues (aggressive cop and DA interviews included), but ultimately is the hero of his own tale, however briefly, before fate throws him another curve. The events of the book are a little depressing, but it ends with a sense of optimism (which illuminates the strange title).
July 23, 2021
This was a good one. Kirkwood is my favorite, and I was expecting this one to be gay like the rest of his are. Didn’t end up that way, which was a bummer, but the story was still good. I liked the part where the Scottish terrier barked at the mom’s boyfriend for being threatening and he got mad at the dog, because that’s my mom’s life with my stepdad. I sent her a pic of that paragraph and everything.
March 6, 2011
Great story, I read it such a long time ago.
The main character is Josh Cydney, Hollywood brat. His mother, Rita, is a sexy, gorgeous star - but a little nuts. In spite of being in Hollywood and having a star for a mom, Josh is a very lonely kid. When his mom's boyfrien, who Josh likes, dies, all hell breaks loose as Josh's mom is accused of murder. This is a coming of age tale.
The main character is Josh Cydney, Hollywood brat. His mother, Rita, is a sexy, gorgeous star - but a little nuts. In spite of being in Hollywood and having a star for a mom, Josh is a very lonely kid. When his mom's boyfrien, who Josh likes, dies, all hell breaks loose as Josh's mom is accused of murder. This is a coming of age tale.
July 14, 2024
I bought this book purely bc I liked the title and it ended up being the perfect easy read that I was needing after my last book. I loved the tone which was v similar to catcher in the rye. Also funny!!
June 5, 2014
This is a forgotten queer classic. it's wanderfully written , it's funny and it's moving. A great reading experience
February 28, 2026
I read another Kirkwood book once, Good Times/Bad Times (someone recommended it to me), and didn't care for it. But I thought I'd give this one a try. I like old Hollywood, and Kirkwood based this on his relationship with his mother, silent-movie star Lila Lee.
About 50 or so pages in, though, I started getting slightly annoyed by all the digressions. The book seems derivative of The Catcher in the Rye, told in that same sort of approximation of a teen voice. There's only one Salinger, and only one Holden Caulfield. But I was willing to go along with it. By about page 80, though, I was talking back to the book, basically saying, "Get on with it."
Then, I got to the part where Ben is found in the hammock. You knew something was going to happen, very likely exactly what happened. But Kirkwood took so long to get to it, with so many other things going on, and so many needless distractions, that there was no shock value. The main character/narrator seemed to take forever to investigate a dog barking and barking in a place where the dog usually never went, on the grounds. Every time he mentioned it you figured he'd go look and see what was up--but he let himself be distracted by one thing after another.
I put the book away, at that point, and came back to it later. The fact is that with some effort you do get to all the reasons for everything, but it's something of a slog. Basically, it's more or less a good idea for a short story--or even a novel that's about half as long as this one--that's dragged out to infinity, due to all the unnecessary observations, asides, side characters, and other detours and digressions. This really needed a good editor.
About 50 or so pages in, though, I started getting slightly annoyed by all the digressions. The book seems derivative of The Catcher in the Rye, told in that same sort of approximation of a teen voice. There's only one Salinger, and only one Holden Caulfield. But I was willing to go along with it. By about page 80, though, I was talking back to the book, basically saying, "Get on with it."
Then, I got to the part where Ben is found in the hammock. You knew something was going to happen, very likely exactly what happened. But Kirkwood took so long to get to it, with so many other things going on, and so many needless distractions, that there was no shock value. The main character/narrator seemed to take forever to investigate a dog barking and barking in a place where the dog usually never went, on the grounds. Every time he mentioned it you figured he'd go look and see what was up--but he let himself be distracted by one thing after another.
I put the book away, at that point, and came back to it later. The fact is that with some effort you do get to all the reasons for everything, but it's something of a slog. Basically, it's more or less a good idea for a short story--or even a novel that's about half as long as this one--that's dragged out to infinity, due to all the unnecessary observations, asides, side characters, and other detours and digressions. This really needed a good editor.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 30, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. 15 year old Josh is quite relatable in certain ways. The book has a couple of quite beautiful moments, and some very sad ones too.
August 15, 2020
Read in 1982. The story of a Hollywood brat whose mother is a movie star.
June 24, 2013
My ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE James Kirkwood story.
June 12, 2016
This book started out slow and did not seem interesting.I was not even sure that I wanted to read it.It did pick up with some mystery and intrigue and turned from a two star to a three star
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews