Black Beauty

Written by Anna Sewell

Narrated by Kate Redding

The adventures of Black Beauty is a story that few of us will forget and one that deserves the popularity it has known through many generations.

Black Beauty is the autobiography of a courageous horse who was often badly mistreated. When first published, it was an immediate success. Anna Sewell died knowing that her book had indeed encouraged people to treat animals less cruelly.

Anna Sewell was born in Yarmouth, England in 1820. When she was fourteen she sprained her ankle running down a steep road. She was never able to walk upright again, but she could still ride the horses she loved so much. A friend said that Anna didn't use the reins, but would guide the horses by talking to them. When she was fifty, Anna was confined to bed and it was while she was bed-ridden that she wrote Black Beauty "to induce kindness, sympathy, and an understanding treatment of horses." She died in 1878 at the age of fifty- eight, one year after Black Beauty, her only book, was published.

Kate Redding is an accomplished actress and narrator, having narrated hundreds of books. In this wonderful narration she lets us know that Black Beauty is one of her favorite children's stories.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Spotify Audiobooks
• Release date: Jan 1, 2002
• ISBN: 9781467610674

Anna Sewell

Anna Sewell (1820-1878) is a British novelist. Although she wrote a single book in her lifetime, Black Beauty (1877) has become one of the most beloved novels of all time. Due to an injury from a fall at 14 years old, Sewell became an invalid, and her resulting reliance on carriages led to her calling for the humane treatment of horses. Aside from her sole literary work, she assisted her mother in the editing of a series of popular children’s books.

Reviews for Black Beauty

[bookwyrmm_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

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.

[heatherlinc · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

"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.

[danielstj · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was surprisingly good. A very nice story!

[weeturtle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've read this book three times over the years. It's always been one of my favourites, first as I like horses, and second as it's even better when the horses are doing the talking.The book tells the story of the life of a horse from youth to old age, and the good and bad events that follow him. Through his eyes and occasional commentary you see people and animals of different attitudes and opinions. While Sewell was adressing the poor treatment of animals by people, she also acknowledges that there are good people and sometimes bad people have reasons for being the way they are though the eyes of the horse.The story is, at some points, quite miserable, but the end is heartening and it forces us to look at things from the perspective of the animals we work and live with.

[aliceanna-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I can't even finish this thing. It is dull as dirt. I cannot imagine a child being captivated by this story. If this was my first novel as a child, I probably would never have picked up another. Sorry, I like literature for children, but this one didn't do it for me.

[encephalical · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Read first time as an adult, a bit surprised at how morbid it is. Dawned on me that carousel horses look like they do because they most have been modeled on horses rigged with a bearing rein.

[charlie68_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A fun trip through Victorian London through the eyes of a horse.

[laviniarossetti · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This little shining black colt was born with the most lovely mother, a grassy field to live and play in, and most of all, a kind master. He did not shame upon the little horse, nor did he kick, or whip to hard, and he had a light grip upon the reign when it came to his breaking in. He gave him bran mash and oats all the time, and the colt was delighted - yet he had no idea that soon enough, he would be sold away from his master, and away from his mother, and away from his field, and possibly, away from kindness.
The time did come, of course, and the horse was sold to the squire in the neighbouring village. He bought him and treated him well, luckily for him; and then he named him Black Beauty. The men who looked after him so nicely, John and James and Miss Bessie and Flora. He also had those warming friends close by him, Ginger and Sir Oliver and Merrylegs. Nothing could have been better - apart from how much he missed his family, and how much more liberty Beauty so wanted in his life.
Whenever the author comes across a time in the book when the colt (or, it could be, no longer a colt anymore) is out in the Victorian streets, I believe, he always finds some time when the reader can get to know horses. For instance, it shows boys behaving badly and terribly to ponies, or men whipping their colt when it turns the wrong direction, poor thing.
Two of the most charmingly horrible chapters were 'The Hunt' and a different one, named 'The Fire'. They were both incredibly well-written, and made you feel about the horses brilliantly. In the first chapter, The Hunt, a man and a horse died painfully. The horse broke his leg and was shot, and later on in the book it is discovered that that horse was Rob Roy, brother of Black Beauty.
Back inside the great fire that happened in the stables over business, two horses were left in the stables. 'There was a dreadful sound before we all got into the stables - the shrieks of those poor horses that were left burning to death in the stable.' is one quote. 'The two poor horses that could not be got out were buried under the burnt rafters and tiles.' was another. It was terribly sad.
Black Beauty was moved from owner to owner, groom to groom; but still he could find no person on earth who seemed to feel good and encouraging about his horses. Soon, however, he found his own life good and pure with Master Jerry, a lovely, good chap with a daughter, son and wife, and a horrendous good mind for horses. He pulled up and complained whenever he saw horses ill-used, and he would be lovely to Black Beauty - or Jack, as he then called him. But from time to time, bad things happen, and young Jackie was given away to lots of other people.
He was given away to many angry and barking old blokes, who lashed him with the bearing rein and pulled tight up with the bit digging horrifically to the sides of his delicate mouth. Poor old Beauty - but then, a good horse accompanies good souls, and he was given to good old Farmer Thoroughgood and his grandson Willie.
They picked Black Beauty from the Horse Fair, and they were marvellously kind to him. He was given to Willie, a kind, generous young boy, as his own responsibility, but soon he gave it to Lady Ellen, and Miss Lavinia (the first time I've seen my own name in a book!) and their family, in kindly treated hands; and so he lived until he died with a glorious life.

[thereadingmermaid · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A fascinating look into human behavior both good and bad."Through the eyes of Black Beauty, we observe the actions of human beings. The gallant horse is sold to many types of people. Some are good masters who treat Beauty with compassion and tenderness. Others are bad masters, who do not care if Beauty has enough food to eat or if he is too tired to be ridden."You know, this is one of my all-time favorite stories. When I was very young I had a cartoon version of this story that I watched constantly. I now own the live-action film. I know the story like the back of my had. But I'd never read the book... til now!Both utterly sad and depressing as well as joyous and triumphant, this book has an amazing story to tell. This is definitely one that pulls on your heart strings. Perfect for teens and young adult readers as well as adults. I highly recommend this classic tale to everyone who loves animals of any kind.

[teresac1.g3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It starts when beauty was a colt with his mother at his first home. His mother told him never to bite or kick anyone.

[deelightful-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have never been able to read this book without tears.

[mackintoshl-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is a good book, but not great. It involves stories about horses that you might like.

[shakirh.b3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Black Beauty is an autobiography written by a horse about his life and his journey of being mistreated. Black Beauty is a gentle horse who was raised on a ranch in England on a beautiful meadow. He was well taken care of by his owners who was kind to his horses. His mother give him good advice, she wanted him to grow up strong and good, avoid bad habits and to work and behave well. Over time he was trained to pull cabs. He was sold to Squire Gordon who also treated him well and he met friends there. Soon his life turn to difficulty and abuse when he was constantly sold from one owner to the next. He spent his life working hard, he was forced to pull heavy carts, he wore bearing reins, at times he was injured and overworked. He was taken to auction and sold. The home was a happy place for him. This book shows how unkind and cruel some people can be. Black Beauty when through a lot of suffering and abuse yet he was obedient, cheerful, kept a good temper and try to please his masters. I think this book is wonderful and very touching at the same time. It shows us that we should treat animals with love, kindness, patience and take good care of them.

[tesia.rose3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I think black beauty is the best story I ever read I never wanted it to end. From the begining that black beauty met his friends to the adventures he had with them I was trapped in the book and couldn't stop. I think that probably not many 9 year-olds have read Black Beauty. So Black Beauty is a young horse who is very polite because his mother had taught him well while the other fillies where horsing around. Black Beauty has grown up with great owners and not so great owners. He totally knows who is good and who is bad. When he get sold to other people he usually sees his friends around town. I personally thought the ending was sweet and I will never forget his story.

[lyndatrue · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.

[music09-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.

[justmum · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

a very old version of this popular classic

[Nelette Belarmino · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Black beauty was the best book I ever read! I would give it 5 stars (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) for the great morals they give. And how to treat a horse better. I felt like I was with Black beauty, going on with her adventures :)

[Alexandria Jamula · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love horses and I really appreciated this book and it’s memory of learning about how to treat a horse … I love riding horses I don’t own any but I love them so much!!!

[Tory · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I think this book is an awesome book about Black Beauty!

[Andrea Barcelona · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I like the way we can make friends with horses.

[Anna Siciliano · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a classic story of a beautiful horse that is sometimes mistreated but always loyal. It reminds us that kindness to animal is so important and I really enjoyed reading this book

[chi8kara · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read this book when I was young. I am still a horse lover. It was a favorite of mine due to the similarities between Black Beautys' life and my own. I now have 2 copies and am pleased with each. It shows how I have always viewed animals and the way they view us. Excellently written and the ebb and flow allows one to see the rhythm of life is similar for one and all.

[sumisbooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A fascinating look into human behavior both good and bad."Through the eyes of Black Beauty, we observe the actions of human beings. The gallant horse is sold to many types of people. Some are good masters who treat Beauty with compassion and tenderness. Others are bad masters, who do not care if Beauty has enough food to eat or if he is too tired to be ridden."You know, this is one of my all-time favorite stories. When I was very young I had a cartoon version of this story that I watched constantly. I now own the live-action film. I know the story like the back of my had. But I'd never read the book... til now!Both utterly sad and depressing as well as joyous and triumphant, this book has an amazing story to tell. This is definitely one that pulls on your heart strings. Perfect for teens and young adult readers as well as adults. I highly recommend this classic tale to everyone who loves animals of any kind.

[nsenger-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Now I say that with cruelty and oppression it is everybody’s business to interfere when they see it.- Black Beauty, page 74I knew next to nothing about Black Beauty before I started reading it, and it was very different than I expected. My previous experience with equine stories has been through movies like Secretariat, The Black Stallion, and Hidalgo,  so I was expecting a story about a colt who beats all odds to become a great racehorse. If my Kindle edition would have included the original title, I would have had a much better idea of what to expect. The full title from the first edition is Black Beauty: His Grooms and Companions - The Autobiography of a Horse. And that's exactly what it is. Written in 1877, Black Beauty is a first-person account of life as a horse in Victorian England.Black Beauty tells his own story about growing up on a farm in rural England and eventually working as a cab horse in London. The chapters are short, and in each one the horse tells about a significant event from his life that illustrates some moral principle about kindness or treating horses fairly. As Black Beauty is sold from one owner to the next, the reader experiences a cross section of life in England in the late 19th century, and author Anna Sewell uses this to criticize social evils such as heavy drinking, animal cruelty, and unfair labor practices.Black Beauty himself is a humble, hard-working, honest creature, that I came to like more and more as I read his story. The novel is also filled with a memorable cast of supporting characters, both human and equine: the ill-treated mare Ginger, Squire Gordon, Joe Greene, Farmer Thoroughgood, and many more.Black Beauty is a perfect novel to read to children. Its chapters are short enough to be read in ten minutes or so, and it's filled with wonderful details about life in Victorian England. And not only does it naturally spark discussions about moral principles like kindness and honesty, but it could also lead to conversations about deeper social justice issues like fair pay and business ethics.It's a charming novel, and it's no wonder it's been so popular since it was first published. I was surprised to learn that Black Beauty is one of the top thirty best-selling books of all time in the English language, selling over 50 million copies--more than The Odyssey, To Kill a Mockingbird, Pride and Prejudice, and Gone with the Wind. If you missed reading this as a child, as I did, pick up a copy and let Black Beauty tell you his story.

[britney christie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Maybe a bit more fun and excitement to it and then it will be a 5 star book

[Emily Blosser · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The action and the ? ? ? ? ? !

[Tassia Oliphant · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful story, great narrator. Every child should read it, it's great to have the help of audiobooks

[sandra.pinkerton83 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent teen book

[carlathelibrarian · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.