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Black Beauty: The Autobiography of a Horse
by
Anna Sewell
Tor Classics are affordably-priced editions designed to attract the young reader. Original dynamic cover art enthusiastically represents the excitement of each story. Appropriate "reader friendly" type sizes have been chosen for each title--offering clear, accurate, and readable text. All editions are complete and unabridged, and feature Introductions and Afterwords.
This e ...more
This e ...more
Paperback
,
208 pages
Published
August 15th 1989
by Aerie
(first published 1877)
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Chloe
No black beauty hated london
Rinji
So far I found this book interesting. However, I am on chapter 8 right now.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
Sep 10, 2014
Susan
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favoritechildhoodstories
This is the first book I ever read. I remember the day that I brought it in to show to my teacher, Miss Gerardi. She asked me if I could read it, so I started reading it aloud to her right away.
The story is told in Black Beauty's own words. Beauty's friends are hard to forget, especially high-spirited Ginger. Anna Sewall's words are full of loving empathy for these beautiful animals. The story was set in 19th century England, at a time when almost everyone came into frequent contact with horses ...more
The story is told in Black Beauty's own words. Beauty's friends are hard to forget, especially high-spirited Ginger. Anna Sewall's words are full of loving empathy for these beautiful animals. The story was set in 19th century England, at a time when almost everyone came into frequent contact with horses ...more
view all 15 comments
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
...more
Black Beauty
is one of those rare books that can preach without being preachy. 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. When Sewell died, the hearse to carry her body used horses with bearing reins. Her mother went out and made the driver get rid of them.
Another Sewe ...more
Another Sewe ...more
I'm sorry, I read this book when I was 6 or 7 and it almost scarred me for life..the sight of Ginger's body being carted away stayed with me for years. Between this, Where the Red Fern Grows, The Yearling, and of course Old Yeller I have to assume that somewhere there is a Marquis de Sade school of children's literature. I never gave these to my children as they were growing up (they had to make do with Narnia, Charlie Bucket, and some others). Neither the books nor the movies did I take them to
...more
Aug 28, 2007
Lisa Vegan
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyoone who loves horses or well written children's literature
This book probably deserves 5 stars or at least 4, and I do recommend it to everyone, especially to girls who love horses. I’m giving it only 3 stars, however, not because I wasn’t one of those girls who were big horse fans (which I wasn’t really), but because for me it was just too emotionally harrowing. This might have been the first book I ever read that made me sick with depression. The horse goes through a lot of suffering in this book. Not for the overly sensitive but a beautifully told st
...more
As I young girl I never was much into horses as were all the other girls from my class. This is why I never read Black Beauty. I also never saw any of the movie adaptions. All I knew was that it was about a very beautiful horse.
Reading this book I was surprised by three things: First of all, it was completely different from what I expected. I had kind of imagined a story about a wild horse. This so totally wasn't the case. The second thing was, that Anna Sewell turns out to be the Charles Dicken ...more
Reading this book I was surprised by three things: First of all, it was completely different from what I expected. I had kind of imagined a story about a wild horse. This so totally wasn't the case. The second thing was, that Anna Sewell turns out to be the Charles Dicken ...more
Sep 18, 2007
Jordan
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
horse lovers
Shelves:
animals
,
literature
I was so in love with horses from a young age and I remember crying my little eyes out when I read this book. It broke my heart when poor Black Beauty was abused and broken. I was elated when Beauty was reunited with a former caregiver. This classic story is great and a must for anyone who cares for animals.
Ultimamente o que me tem apetecido comprar e ler são clássicos.
Descobrir clássicos.
Acumular clássicos.
Descobrir edições bonitas de clássicos a adicioná-los à pilha por ler.
Nesta onda, descobri este livrinho, que é um clássico infantil e que, também tem uma adaptação cinematográfica, que conto ver em breve.
"Black Beauty" traz-nos a história de um cavalo desde o seu nascimento até à sua velhice.
Black Beauty é um cavalo que, desde que nasce até aos seus primeiros anos, tem uma vida que ele adora, ...more
Descobrir clássicos.
Acumular clássicos.
Descobrir edições bonitas de clássicos a adicioná-los à pilha por ler.
Nesta onda, descobri este livrinho, que é um clássico infantil e que, também tem uma adaptação cinematográfica, que conto ver em breve.
"Black Beauty" traz-nos a história de um cavalo desde o seu nascimento até à sua velhice.
Black Beauty é um cavalo que, desde que nasce até aos seus primeiros anos, tem uma vida que ele adora, ...more
Sep 02, 2008
Kelly
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fiction
,
childhood-loves
I can't count the number of times I cried over this when I was a kid.
Ah, the Victorians! I had no idea that this book wasn't in fact a cute story about a horse, but actually a treatise on animal cruelty. So there I was, reading this book aloud to my three-year-old, and skimming over things like horses being beaten to death or just whipped until blood is dripping in the streets of London! WOW! It's a great book, but I think it's definitely for older children, who can handle this sort of realism and will be able to discuss their feelings with you.
A timeless classic, indeed.
I've read this years ago as a child but forgot most of what the book is actually about. I think I didn't even catch on the moral Black Beauty tries to convey here! I was also disinterested when it comes to animals back then and I was absolutely increduled at the idea of reading in a horse's point of view. Also, the part where Ginger died and got carted away left me utterly depressed. I dropped the book and did not look back... until now, that is.
Today, I realize how ...more
I've read this years ago as a child but forgot most of what the book is actually about. I think I didn't even catch on the moral Black Beauty tries to convey here! I was also disinterested when it comes to animals back then and I was absolutely increduled at the idea of reading in a horse's point of view. Also, the part where Ginger died and got carted away left me utterly depressed. I dropped the book and did not look back... until now, that is.
Today, I realize how ...more
Apr 06, 2008
Johnny Waco
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
childrens-literature
The Victorian period saw a dramatic rise in the middle class and in the leisure time that this new class had to spend on themselves and their causes. Childhood became more important to the middle class and so the first flowering of children's books, a genre that has prospered up until our own time. One of the great Victorian children's novels is
Black Beauty
, which illustrated the virtues of obedience and cheerfulness, while also bringing the issue of animal abuse into the public eye.
Black Beaut ...more
Black Beaut ...more
Jan 10, 2008
Pam
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Everyone
Shelves:
favourite
My first written introduction into the wrd of animal cruelty. As an animal loving youngster of about 7 years, this book made me angry, made me cry. It had stayed with me always, though I could never read it again - too upsetting. An important book with as much relevance today as when it was written, sadly.
Oct 10, 2009
Werner
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fans of 19th century fiction; kids with good reading skills
Since this is basically a children's book, my rating is based on my reaction to it as a child reader. If I re-read it now and rated it as adult fiction, probably the rating wouldn't be as high; and it's also the case that the book wouldn't be as easily read or understood by modern kids as it was by their Victorian counterparts. Only the more motivated and better readers in that age group would be apt to give it 4 stars today.
This "Autobiography of a Horse" narrates an equine life running pretty ...more
This "Autobiography of a Horse" narrates an equine life running pretty ...more
I read this at the same time as my 9 year old, and we both truly enjoyed it. Besides a great, touching story that is well-written and from an unusual point of view, this novel addresses important issues that I was able to discuss with my son: treatment of animals, keeping the Sabbath, kindness versus selfishness, doing your best work, and others. Very readable to young children...we read the original text without too much trouble and that's not always possible with those "old" books. Add this to
...more
I read this book years ago and when I purchased a DVD yesterday on Black Beauty and watched it, I experienced my initial emotion of seeing the sadness of cruelty to animals. I always loved horses as a child and still do.
The style of the book is simple but Black Beauty is so exquisitely written that it caused me to cry.
Looking at the internet today, I see that as it is in the public domain it costs nothing to purchase on Kindle. Incredible to see that.
I recommend this book to all ages.
The style of the book is simple but Black Beauty is so exquisitely written that it caused me to cry.
Looking at the internet today, I see that as it is in the public domain it costs nothing to purchase on Kindle. Incredible to see that.
I recommend this book to all ages.
No book review by a horse loving reader would be complete without this childrens classice. I still have my copy after what must be 50 years.
Sep 12, 2015
Haley(fabulous/crazy/Daughter of the King of Kings)
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
classics
Very good. I have everybody call it sad but I don't know why. I mean, it was sad because of how some grooms and masters treated their horses. But it ended happy. I heard, that after Black Beauty got published lots of the harsh treating of the horses stopped. I think that is very cool. But either way, this is a classic for everyone!!!
Jul 04, 2013
Laura
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
animals
,
audio-books
,
book-and-movie
,
british-literature
,
children-ya
,
fiction
,
read-2009
This a very touching novel by Anna Sewell who described the abuse of bearing rein in the horses. Nowadays this question of mistreatment of animals is becoming a harsh reality even in the XXI century.
A movie was made based on this book Black Beauty (1994).
A movie was made based on this book Black Beauty (1994).
This was my first favorite... I loved it as a child. This & The Secret Garden.
At the age of 65 I'm editing my bookshelves and sighing. It seems that the time has come at last for me to set Anna Sewell's BLACK BEAUTY free. I've had a strong attachment to this book for a long, long time, and highly recommend it for children and adults. The story began life as a sort of political tract to encourage adults to treat animals with kindness and patience. It depicts a time when this lesson was more significant because service animals were everywhere in society-- but the lesson is
...more
Sep 30, 2011
Wendy
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
horses-fiction
,
classics
As probably everyone is aware, this book was the reason people started noticing how horribly horses were often treated back in the day, and is either
the
or
one of the
first examples of a book written from an animal's perspective. This gives the novel historical value.
I also believe that it has value for other reasons, and I don't believe this is a novel that should ever have been relegated to 'children's literature', for two reasons. The 'animal's perspective' angle is one that I believe many p ...more
I also believe that it has value for other reasons, and I don't believe this is a novel that should ever have been relegated to 'children's literature', for two reasons. The 'animal's perspective' angle is one that I believe many p ...more
Before I start complaining, can I just say that Anna Sewell was one cool, cool person? She was super cool. As a child, she suffered some kind of leg injury that was poorly treated, and as a result, she was unable to stand or walk without a crutch for the rest of her life. In order to get around, Sewell often used horse-drawn carriages and fell in love with horses. She wrote Black Beauty in order to combat mistreatment of horses. After it was published in 1877, it became a huge influence in raisi
...more
Apr 27, 2015
Rebecca McNutt
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
horse
,
animal-rights
,
animal-stories
,
classic-children-s
,
classic
,
death
,
friendship
,
history
,
young-adult
I've been meaning to read this book for some time now and I can definitely say that it's not only an interesting story, it also raises awareness of how horses were mistreated so much back in the setting. It was well-written, vibrant yet incredibly depressing.
Aug 08, 2008
Tempest
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
animal lovers of all ages
This book has crowned my living room bookshelf for several years and it can never be replaced. The story, told from the point of view of a sweet and carefree horse, wraps you up in an adventure that will leave you tingling. The detail, the story line, the exquisite charm that this book radiates, all endear it to anyone who loves animals.
With no beating around the bush this book tells the cruel truth of the lives of some horses, and explains it all from their view point.
Full of lively and reali ...more
With no beating around the bush this book tells the cruel truth of the lives of some horses, and explains it all from their view point.
Full of lively and reali ...more
What can I say about this? I read it because it is on the BBC Big Read Top 100 books and I'm trying to read them all.
It's an old fashioned book for girls who like horses. I'm a grown man who has no interest in horses.
It's essentially a guide about how to look after a horse written in the style of an autobiography of a horse written in the first person. Basically as horse has a good owner, then a bad owner, then a good owner, then a bad owner and so on.
If this is the 53rd best book ever then I'm ...more
It's an old fashioned book for girls who like horses. I'm a grown man who has no interest in horses.
It's essentially a guide about how to look after a horse written in the style of an autobiography of a horse written in the first person. Basically as horse has a good owner, then a bad owner, then a good owner, then a bad owner and so on.
If this is the 53rd best book ever then I'm ...more
One of my all time favourite classic. It comes out from the horse's mouth literally. Transports one to get a glimpse of the lives of horses,their agonies and feelings that creates a feeling of pity towards them. While humans undergo suffering,the animals are a step further in this aspect and certainly proves the fact that the grass is not greener on the other side.
May 21, 2014
Carol E.
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2014-challenge
,
audio-books
I listened to this audio book and enjoyed myself. I read this probably 50 years ago and had forgotten it all, I thought. As I listened, it seemed vaguely familiar, and I enjoyed remembering my child self reading this book. I loved it back then, not noticing that it was written for a purpose: to teach and encourage humane treatment of animals and people. That part was a little bit heavy handed, but as a kid, I didn't notice it. It's still an enjoyable read. The reader gets a taste of life before
...more
This classic presents a look at possibly what goes on in a horses’ psyche as narrated by a horse named Black Beauty. With this presentation, it urges the reader to be sympathetic and respectful to the animal and to be careful in tending to them. It was quite sad to read about how cruel the horses were treated at times even in ignorance on how to properly care for a horse.
Three quarters of the way through the book the story takes a sharp turn to focus on one particular owner of Black Beauty. Here ...more
Three quarters of the way through the book the story takes a sharp turn to focus on one particular owner of Black Beauty. Here ...more
Oct 03, 2009
Dee
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone who loves animals.
Words can not describe the beauty and atmosphere of Anna Sewell's "Black Beauty". This classic follows the story of the remarkable Black Beauty, who spent his whole life working almost non-stop for the sake of his one-too-many masters. Injured by one, cared for by another, Black Beauty has been through it all. The majority of the story goes into depth about how horses were treated back in the 1800s--how the bearing rein slowly and painfully injured them, how most cab drivers forced the horses to
...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Better Book C...: Black Beauty | 2 | 2 | Aug 06, 2015 07:43AM | |
| book review | 2 | 7 | Jun 16, 2015 03:50PM | |
| 2015 Reading Chal...: Black Beauty by Anna Sewell | 2 | 10 | Mar 22, 2015 02:20AM |
Anna Sewell (1820-78) was a kind and generous woman whose great love for horses and desire to see them better treated resulted in the most celebrated animal story of the nineteenth century.
Born into a strict Quaker family who lived at Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, she was brought up to believe in the importance of self-reliance, moral responsibility and 'tender consideration for the Creatures of God ...more
More about Anna Sewell...
Born into a strict Quaker family who lived at Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, she was brought up to believe in the importance of self-reliance, moral responsibility and 'tender consideration for the Creatures of God ...more
“We call them dumb animals, and so they are, for they cannot tell us how they feel, but they do not suffer less because they have no words.”
—
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