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    Black Beauty
    Black Beauty
    Black Beauty
    Ebook97 pages1 hour

    Black Beauty

    By Anna Sewell

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    Black Beauty is an 1877 novel by English author Anna Sewell. It was composed in the last years of her life, during which she remained in her house as an invalid. The novel became an immediate best-seller, with Sewell dying just five months after its publication, but having lived long enough to see her only novel become a success. With fifty million copies sold, Black Beauty is one of the best-selling books of all time. While forthrightly teaching animal welfare, it also teaches how to treat people with kindness, sympathy, and respect. In 2003, the novel was listed at number 58 on the BBC's survey The Big Read.
    LanguageEnglish
    Publisheranboco
    Release dateAug 14, 2016
    ISBN9783736408739
    Author

    Anna Sewell

    Anna Sewell was born in 1820 into a Quaker family whose respect for horses was out of step with the common view of the time, that animals should be worked until they dropped. Disabled in a fall aged 14, Anna lived all her life with her parents but became an expert carriage driver and, as editor and stern critic, helped her mother, Mary Wright Sewell, become a successful author of evangelical children's books. Anna wrote Black Beauty, her only book, in the last years of her life, as a plea for more humane treatment of horses. She died in 1878, a year after the novel was published to wide acclaim.

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    Reviews for Black Beauty

    4/5

    2,244 ratings82 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Excellent teen book
    • 2/5
      I always thought this was a children's book, but I now think it is a treatise on the ill use of horses in the time it was written.
    • 3/5
      "Black Beauty" was my favourite book as a child, but as an adult reader it has lost its appeal. I don't like animal narrators and Black Beauty was just too perfect for my liking. He never complained, nor did he protest at the treatment he often received from his human owners.

      Throughout the book I found many parts slow and I thought Sewell's message was heavy handed. I'm not sure how a 21st century child would cope with this book. I suppose those who are horse crazy would enjoy it, but I think many children would struggle as it is so far removed from their reality. I regret having reread "Black Beauty" as it has now forever spoilt my childhood memories of this book.
    • 5/5
      I thought I had read this book as a child and in fact, as I began to read I remembered much of the story. As a child I either stopped reading midway through or blocked out the rest of the story, because it was rather tragic. The story was set in 19th century England, at a time when almost everyone came into frequent contact with horses. It is told from the narrative of Black Beauty, a noble stallion, who is bought and sold many times to various owners, and who treated their horses in various ways. Anna Sewell wrote this to illustrate the abuse of horses, in particulary the harsh use of the bearing rein. The bearing rein was used to get the horse's head arched, but made it difficult for the horse to breathe and near impossible for the horse to pull a carriage uphill. We meet other horses who share a stable, at various times, with Black Beauty and in some cases their demise which is quite painful. Of course at the end, Black Beauty ends up back with an earlier groom and lives his final years in happiness, but to get there, he endures much. I would suggest not necessarily a book for younger children, but a great read especially when you are trying to teach about proper treatment of animals.
    • 4/5
      This was surprisingly good. A very nice story!
    • 5/5
      An outstanding book slightly marred by some remarks about God's goodness and plans. Much of the abuse described in the book still goes on today. Making the horse the narrator of events was a remarkable literary innovation at the time. The book avoids the sentimentality of a good deal of Kipling's animal-as-narrator stories.It's also quite interesting in the way it describes the legalities surrounding ownership of horses.
    • 5/5
      A classic story about a horse called Black Beauty and the hardships he had to face throughout his life until he finally came to rest at a good home with old friends. This is a story that can help teach compassion for animals as you get to live the story through the thoughts of the horse.
    • 5/5
      This classic children's book narrated by the horse Black Beauty holds up well over time. This book should delight both children and adults. It tells the story of his life through good and bad times. The author of the book was a Quaker woman, and she was definitely trying to teach good moral values to children, but coming from the horse of a mouth, it doesn't seem quite as didactic as some moralistic tales. There are a lot of good pointers about good horsemanship in the book as well. These tend to be a bit preachier than the moral lessons. I enjoyed the story of Black Beauty as a child, but I think I appreciated the story much more as an adult.
    • 5/5
      I revisited this classic horse story not knowing what to expect, really. I have found that I can't really trust my childhood memories. In this case, however, the years made no difference. The odd thing I noticed while reading this book was how completely I'd internalized the messages regarding animals and how one should treat them. I know that I must have read this 20 or 30 times before I was 14, but I didn't realize that I was memorizing whole chunks of it and grafting it into my moral code. It's a wonderful book.
    • 4/5
      Book on CD narrated by Simon Vance.First published in 1877, this is the only novel written by Anna Sewel, but it has become a much-loved classic and one of the most widely read animal stories. Black Beauty tells his own story, from his early days as a colt frolicking with his friends and his mother, to learning to accept a bridle, saddle and rider, to being sold as a carriage horse, then to pulling a cab in London, and eventually to a happy country life once again.I had a copy of this book when I was a child; it was part of a set of classics that included works by Louisa May Alcott and Mark Twain (among others). But for some reason I never read it, even during my “horse crazy” phase. I’m so glad I finally got to it. It’s a timeless tale with a simple message: Be kind to everyone (and everything). Sewell manages to convey this through Beauty’s experiences, both good and bad. The hardcover text edition I got from the library was also beautifully illustrated by Lucy Kemp-Welch. There are several full-page full-color plates, as well as small ink drawings beginning each chapter. Simon Vance does a marvelous job voicing the audio version. He gives life to the story, without being overly dramatic. It’s a great book to “read aloud” and I highly recommend listening to it with your children or grandchildren.
    • 4/5
      a very old version of this popular classic
    • 5/5
      This books introduces younger literary members to tragedy without making it traumatizing. By subtly introducing heartbreak and ending on an uplifting moment, the idea that not every story that takes a turn for the worse will stay that way. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.
    • 5/5
      This was the first book I ever owned. I was a little girl, and it was one I'd selected to take out from the library, and it was already a bit fragile (more than 60 years ago). The librarian looked at it, and said that, if it was okay with my mother, they would just *give* me the book, and I wouldn't have to bring it back. This ruined me forever for libraries, because mostly, they want the books back after you've read them.I read this multiple times (as a child), and have never quit loving it. Children's book, or not, it's well written, with a timeless and sweet story. It's a good book for an older child, since there are situations that might be upsetting for a very young one.
    • 4/5
      One of the most beautiful stories of all time. Black Beuaty's journey is one that will touch the hardest heart.
    • 5/5
      This is one of my favorite books and has been since I was young. I have read it over and over. You are quickly absorbed into the story and I love how it makes you think about the way you treat both the people and animals you meet in your life.
    • 4/5
      4.25 starsBlack Beauty tells the story of a horse, from the horse's point of view, as he grows up and is sold from person to person. He is treated differently depending who is taking care of him, and is put to work doing different types of jobs. It is set (and was written) in the 19th century.I read this when I was a kid, but really didn't remember it. Animal-lover that I am, of course, I really enjoyed it. I always enjoy animal books even more when they are told from the point of view of the animal, as there is an attempt to understand how that animal would feel and how they would react to things and why they might react the way they do. I was actually thinking this would be a good book for people who work with horses.
    • 5/5
      I am revising my rating, having just recently finished the audiobook. Although I had forgotten most of the details of this children's classic, it s actually a very powerful and emotional story about the ups and downs of a horse's life during Victorian times.
    • 5/5
      I enjoyed this cute book! I really enjoyed the way the author allowed her readers to learn about horses through horses' perspectives. It gives a mix of facts and fiction. For example the book states, “One day Farmer Grey decided it was time to break me in. I learned to wear a harness and a bridle with brinkers.” This quote was a fun way to learn the steps of breaking a horse in. It was also easy to connect to the horses because we were reading the story through their eyes. A great quote that shows this is, “”My mother said, “Some men are kind like our master. Others are not. A horse never knows who will buy them.”” The main message of this book was about animal cruelty and how to properly treat animals.
    • 5/5
      This is the first book I remember reading and it started my voracious appetite for books.I still have my copy, tho it's old and fragile. I picked up a copy from the library to re-read and to use to write my paper on the first book I remember reading. Talk about your easy assignments!Surfing for a pic of the cover I have, I found out that the book was part of a Folgers coffee give away. My grandparents used Folgers and so I have to assume that's where I got it. Life is full of weird little twists!
    • 4/5
      One of my childhood favorites has yet to be subjected to the scrutiny of adult eyes. But I still recall the impact Black Beauty's tale had on me decades ago. I have an inkling my early read of this book may have helped to shape -- or at least reinforce -- my love and respect for animals.
    • 4/5
      This book possesses the rare quality of having a writing style that draws the reader in continuously. Sewell's ability to take the point of view of her equine characters and to describe their experiences in knowing detail is marvelous. The book suffers from an overly preachy tone at times, as there is only so much variety a horse can experience and thus the same types of scenarios seem to be gone over more than once. In places Sewell's Quaker faith is evident, as when she describes Old Captain's ambivalent feelings about war. In others, the debates on Christian morality that come before her characters are more likely to clash with some Christian readers' views. In particular, I did not follow the logic between successive chapters in which a character first refuses an entreaty to take work on a Sunday in order to drive a woman who is no longer able to walk to church, and then later accedes to his wife's request that he take another woman unable to walk the distance to go visit a dying relative on a Sunday. These episodes may find root in Sewell's own loss of mobility in life, but regardless, her theology is a bit questionable. She also seems to make no apologies for the character of Ginger "standing up for herself" through bad behaviour when mistreated, and allows the character to go on and on about how much better behaved she'd be if only others had treated her well. This novel thus strikes me as interesting and unusual in that it moves the reader to compassion for animal characters by endowing them with human-like emotional and mental capacities, but does not seem to hold them to the same moral standards of accountability or agency. The horses, thus, do not necessarily display in themselves a clear moral goal to which the young readers are expected to aspire. This does not make the book a bad one, but rather a more complex and interesting one, and while it is not a work I would give to young readers as a straightforward depiction of social equity and the obligations of man, it is definitely one worth leading young readers through with a critical, evaluative eye. A set of discussion questions and project ideas at the end of the Aladdin edition of this book may also help parents and teachers with this aim.
    • 5/5
      This book, in one form or another, has stayed on my shelf since I was a child. It has wonderful life lessons throughout the story and should be required reading of any child, horse crazy or not. It is a must for any child with a pony. It taught me to be kinder to my ponies. (As a result, they were much kinder to me.)
    • 4/5
      “Black Beauty” is a timeless story depicting a beautiful horses life as he travels from home to home encountering many different types of owners. This story carries many powerful lessons for young children, taught by different characters. The first lesson taught in this book was to get to know the things that you are afraid of because they might not be as scary as you thought. This is a valuable lesson for young children because they are usually scared of a lot of things and this teaches them that they do not need to be scared. Another lesson taught in this book was to always behave no matter who your owner is. This can be translated to students as you should always behave no matter who your teacher is. Students cannot pick their teachers, and even if they do not like them they still need to behave and respect them because they are adults. A third very powerful lesson taught by this book was that it is cruel to hurt the weak and helpless and that good people should be kind to man and beast. This is very important for young children to understand. They need to learn not to tease or hurt their peers. They also need to learn that it is not right to hurt animals because even though they cannot speak they still can feel pain. This book is very helpful in teaching students life lessons in a very subtle way. Students can become attached to this character because it is a horse and therefore they are able to listen to the messages this book is sending and understand them easier.
    • 5/5
      It starts when beauty was a colt with his mother at his first home. His mother told him never to bite or kick anyone.
    • 2/5
      I quite liked the book to begin with as I enjoyed all the tales of the humane treatment of animals. It did get a bit tiresome towards the end. The story does not really flow as the horse is passed from place to place.
    • 2/5
      Filled with didactic moralizing...also, Black Beauty was a total Mary Sue. I would say this is one of those books that's best read only in childhood, but then again it also contains a lot of horse abuse and death that I would have found very sad as a child.
    • 5/5
      I used to have one of the original hard bound versions of the books that was my grandmothers when SHE was a little girl, given to her by her mother. By the time I read it first as a little girl, the binding was so brittle that the individual pages were loose, & brittle themselves, like an ancient manuscript. I was only allowed to read it at the dining room table, so the book & the pages could be spread out on the tablecloth under a softer light. I can still remember the antique book smell of it, & as I read each page, I'd turn them over oh so carefully to get to the next part of the story.Beauty, Ginger, Merrylegs, all became like old friends, & it was so sad to see all the sad things that happened over their lives. I cried when the Mistress had to sell them all because of her ill health & move, I cried when the drunk didn't take care of Beauty & his knees ended up a mess, I was sad for Ginger when a spoiled rich young man raced her till she broke down, but I was happy to see them together again in their paddock for a year.When they both were sold as cab horses, Beauty to a kind man, & poor, long suffering Ginger to an abusive lout, I knew in my heart what was going to end up happening to her, but the mental image the original book painted of her in such horrible shape that the life had gone out of her eyes & she was suffering so much that even Beauty hoped she would die , & then when he saw the horse cart go by, & he recognized her body under the blankets, I cried again, & that was more than 30 years ago & I can still see it in my mind.I was so thankful at the end, when as an older horse, Beauty ends up in the final care of the young groom he first knew in happier days, & would live the rest of his life there, loved & well cared for.it's a book I would recommend for anyone, child or adult
    • 5/5
      This novel is all about the life of a horse called Beauty in the Victorian age. He tells tales about all his homes and owners, and the ups and downs about everything he encounters. The book also has a powerful message about the humane treatment of animals. Beaut finally gets settled at his last home, and it turns out that he meets Joe Green, who was just a child the last time they met. Joe was ecstatic to be with Beauty again. The novel ends with the promise of a permanent home, and great friends.I loved this book growing up and loved the movie. I grew up on a ranch with a bunch of horses and cattle and it made me think of a lot of the horses we have saved from the slaughter over the years. Such a beautiful story and a great lesson for children.The first lesson taught in this book was to get to know the things that you are afraid of because they might not be as scary as you thought. This is a valuable lesson for young children because they are usually scared of a lot of things and this teaches them that they do not need to be scared. Another lesson taught in this book was to always behave no matter who your owner is. This can be translated to students as you should always behave no matter who your teacher is. Students cannot pick their teachers, and even if they do not like them they still need to behave and respect them because they are adults. A third very powerful lesson taught by this book was that it is cruel to hurt the weak and helpless and that good people should be kind to man and beast. This is very important for young children to understand. They need to learn not to tease or hurt their peers. They also need to learn that it is not right to hurt animals because even though they cannot speak they still can feel pain. This book is very helpful in teaching students life lessons in a very subtle way. .I would use this in a classroom by doing a unit over horses and read other horse books. I could have them write a little story about a horse or have them draw horse.
    • 4/5
      A year or so before I read this book I read Beautiful Joe and was hugely influenced by it to be kinder to animals. I approved of this book for the same reason as I liked Beautiful Joe, though I remember being puzzled by the horse being bothered by a device which kept the horse's head elevated--I don't think that was pertinent to the horses I had a lot to do with . Our horses were for work, not for show.
    • 4/5
      This eyewitness book tells a shortened version of the story of Black Beauty, while explaining a lot of horse history. The margins are loaded with information about horse care and how it relates to the story. The story is also brought to life with illustrations. This is a great introduction or companion to the novel, and also of interest to young horse enthusiasts.

    Book preview

    Black Beauty - Anna Sewell

    BEAUTY

    CHAPTER I

    MY EARLY HOME

    he first place that I can well remember was a pleasant meadow with a pond of clear water in it. Over the hedge on one side we looked into a plowed field, and on the other we looked over a gate at our master's house, which stood by the roadside. While I was young I lived upon my mother's milk, as I could not eat grass. In the daytime I ran by her side, and at night I lay down close by her. When it was hot we used to stand by the pond in the shade of the trees, and when it was cold we had a warm shed near the grove.

    There were six young colts in the meadow beside me; they were older than I was. I used to run with them, and had great fun; we used to gallop all together round the field, as hard as we could go. Sometimes we had rather rough play, for they would bite and kick, as well as gallop.

    One day, when there was a good deal of kicking, my mother whinnied to me to come to her, and then she said: I wish you to pay attention to what I am going to say. The colts who live here are very good colts, but they are cart-horse colts, and they have not learned manners. You have been well-bred and well-born; your father has a great name in these parts, and your grandfather won the cup at the races; your grandmother had the sweetest temper of any horse I ever knew, and I think you have never seen me kick or bite. I hope you will grow up gentle and good, and never learn bad ways; do your work with a good will, lift your feet up well when you trot, and never bite or kick even in play.

    I have never forgotten my mother's advice. I knew she was a wise old horse, and our master thought a great deal of her. Her name was Duchess, but he called her Pet.

    Our master was a good, kind man. He gave us good food, good lodging and kind words; he spoke as kindly to us as he did to his little children. We were all fond of him, and my mother loved him very much. When she saw him at the gate she would neigh with joy, and trot up to him. He would pat and stroke her and say, Well, old Pet, and how is your little Darkie? I was a dull black, so he called me Darkie; then he would give me a piece of bread, which was very good, and sometimes he brought a carrot for my mother. All the horses would come to him, but I think we were his favorites. My mother always took him to town on a market-day in a light gig.

    We had a ploughboy, Dick, who sometimes came into our field to pluck blackberries from the hedge. When he had eaten all he wanted he would have what he called fun with the colts, throwing stones and sticks at them to make them gallop. We did not much mind him, for we could gallop off; but sometimes a stone would hit and hurt us.

    One day he was at this game, and did not know that the master was in the next field, watching what was going on; over the hedge he jumped in a snap, and catching Dick by the arm, he gave him such a box on the ear as made him roar with the pain and surprise. As soon as we saw the master we trotted up nearer to see what went on.

    Bad boy! he said, bad boy! to chase the colts. This is not the first time, but it shall be the last. There—take your money and go home; I shall not want you on my farm again. So we never saw Dick any more. Old Daniel, the man who looked after the horses, was just as gentle as our master; so we were well off.

    CHAPTER II

    THE HUNT

    Before I was two years old a circumstance happened which I have never forgotten. It was early in the spring; there had been a little frost in the night, and a light mist still hung over the woods and meadows. I and the other colts were feeding at the lower part of the field when we heard what sounded like the cry of dogs. The oldest of the colts raised his head, pricked his ears, and said, There are the hounds! and cantered off, followed

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