A review by lectrixnoctis
Black Beauty (Amazonclassics Edition) by Anna Sewell

adventurous emotional lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

"Black Beauty" is an 1877 children's book by English author Anna Sewell. Narrated in the first person singular is the fictional biography of a young horse; it is notable for its enduring popularity and the first famous work of children's literature about animals. The protagonist and narrator of the novel are Black Beauty, a horse whose inborn intelligence, virtue and Beauty recall a central human character. Black Beauty's kindness sets the stage for a horrific narrative of decline as he moves from one evil master to the next. Sewell wrote Black Beauty with the explicit intention of making people more sympathetic to the plight of horses. In this respect, some say she was successful, turning popular opinion against the abusiveness against horses. Sewell was immensely disabled, a state that may have informed her plea for a more caring society. She died in 1878, a year after the publication of Black Beauty. It was her only book but a landmark of children's fiction.

From the meadow of his youth to London's crowded, frosty streets, Black Beauty tells the story of his life under many masters in Victorian England, among them the kind Squire Gordon, the principled Jeremiah Barker, and the exploitive Nicholas Skinner. Beauty bears joy and hardship with grace no matter the circumstance, heeding his mother's advice to be good, gentle, and hardworking—always.

I think this was quite a cute children's story to open our eyes that horses are also creatures with feelings, and we should recognise them and be not be cruel to them. I have to say I am not a horse person. That is why this maybe wasn't for me, but I think it is a cute read.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings