You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
Evidently I seem to have read this before, despite thinking that I hadn't but there we go. Having re-read it, I found that I did enjoy it more (or at least remember how much I enjoyed it) as it reminds me of all those animal stories I loved as a kid such as Animals of Farthing Wood, and as an adult having recently read Charlotte's Web. Told through the eyes of Black Beauty himself, the writing has a real air of innocence even in his later years where he still has faith in the kindness of man despite evidence and experience to the contrary. A delightful read.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Read as a child
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
First time reading it since I first read it as a kid. It holds up really well, although a lot of the themes and messages are on the nose, it is still important. I think everyone should read it at some point.
emotional
inspiring
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Black Beauty is a middle grade novel that chronicles the life of a black horse as he changes owners and experiences different treatment with each.
Things You'll Find:
*Life through a horses eyes*
*Tons of equestrian terminology (you may have to look quite a few things up)
*Animal abuse*
If nothing else, this book absolutely elicits sympathy for horses and farm animals, which I think was Sewell's goal. We see Beauty go from situation to situation and speak on how each owner shapes his perspective of humankind and at times, it can be really sad and eye opening. It definitely makes you want to be a better person to all animals.
That being said, because this is a narrative told through the horses point of view, there's chunks of this that can be pretty dry. We sometimes get full chapters (and granted these chapters aren't long but still) of just riding, or just hanging out in the barn listening to the humans talk. I was really invested in the book until about the halfway point, and then my interest started to teeter off as it became clear there isn't much plot to this book, it's a heavily character driven story.
Overall, this is still a great read for animal (specifically horse) lovers, but if you really aren't into animal narratives, this may not be the one for you.
Things You'll Find:
*Life through a horses eyes*
*Tons of equestrian terminology (you may have to look quite a few things up)
*Animal abuse*
If nothing else, this book absolutely elicits sympathy for horses and farm animals, which I think was Sewell's goal. We see Beauty go from situation to situation and speak on how each owner shapes his perspective of humankind and at times, it can be really sad and eye opening. It definitely makes you want to be a better person to all animals.
That being said, because this is a narrative told through the horses point of view, there's chunks of this that can be pretty dry. We sometimes get full chapters (and granted these chapters aren't long but still) of just riding, or just hanging out in the barn listening to the humans talk. I was really invested in the book until about the halfway point, and then my interest started to teeter off as it became clear there isn't much plot to this book, it's a heavily character driven story.
Overall, this is still a great read for animal (specifically horse) lovers, but if you really aren't into animal narratives, this may not be the one for you.
I truly didn't expect myself to really like this book. Now I badly want to have my own horse.
Avelynn thought it was sad, especially when Ginger died, and when some people weren't kind to the animals. But it had a happy ending and I liked Ginger and Black Beauty.
“Master said, God had given men reason, by which they could find out things for themselves, but He had given animals knowledge which did not depend on reason, and which was much more prompt and perfect in its way, and by which they had often saved the lives of men.”
I’m just not a horse person, but it was a very unique and illustrative book
I’m just not a horse person, but it was a very unique and illustrative book
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated