Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

National Velvet
National Velvet
National Velvet
Ebook295 pages4 hours

National Velvet

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

Read preview

About this ebook

"The book is one that horse lovers of every age cannot fail to enjoy." — The New York Times
"Humorous, charming, National Velvet is a little masterpiece." — Time
"Put on your not-to-be-missed list." — The New Yorker
A butcher's daughter in a small Sussex town ends her nightly prayers with "Oh, God, give me horses, give me horses! Let me be the best rider in England!" The answer to 14-year-old Velvet Brown's plea materializes in the form of an unwanted piebald, raffled off in a village lottery, who turns out to be adept at jumping fences — exactly the sort of horse that could win the world's most famous steeplechase, the Grand National.
Richly atmospheric of rural life in England between the World Wars, National Velvet has enchanted generations of readers since its 1935 debut. The heroine's grit and determination, backed by the support of her eccentric and loving family, offer an inspiring example of the struggles and rewards of following a dream.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateOct 31, 2013
ISBN9780486782126
National Velvet

Related to National Velvet

Related ebooks

Children's Classics For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for National Velvet

Rating: 3.7860464548837207 out of 5 stars
4/5

215 ratings3 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Though I remember when the movie starring Elizabeth Taylor and Mickey Rooney was being shown (I never did get to see it), and though I have long wanted to read this book, only now have I done so. The peculiarites of English village life in the 1920's or 1930's do appear odd and one has to get used to the dialog, but when we get to the time when the effort to enter the horse in the national race and subequent events, the story does become beguiling and enjoyable. But the reaction of the public to the win and to the action of the powers that be in the racing world is bound to be somewhat hard for one used to fairer views in today's world to take. And I would have liked a more direct account of the race itself and of Velvet's mental reactions to the race. But even after 80 years it is a story to enjoy.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Charming. Full of unique characterisation and setting.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I just could not get into this story of a young girl who wins a horse in a contest and rides him in the Grand National. It wasn't the story so much as the style of writing. Something about it always bothered me and kept me from being fully engaged in the book.

Book preview

National Velvet - Enid Bagnold

L1^book_preview_excerpt.html\rFrvDZɻ+[1 e5ܝ(4F[5P]"P{O¥I@*+/'Of7Wo={?͟^\*^\}{ݫ?o_6|o6[oݩÀ/Ѯ?S UXWy.T>W_mw!.nWo=T/|M }nģ"~[C,z/7qW _cWDL.Olkw/\{cuo}XՇO҉-\%^\|ſ_ӟ.kǝ+שr-?a'g~>%/c^mӗm)iA.,.}icW~Uﯯnp]_ʣ >|s}#z[( UXWQ2#K+8*zkWS9mkWeQ,AGCw^e{eB,>pOڷ=qw/O~C,K§C}>#ۄm/ VW2gNr 4!'p [kwkhXd kё`G1Wp@,|_{η ^P_ Zn1 "upY_eBXՅ/OcG8lvs=V"A$T0~cĢCmCݐe0Q{ 3_/āD&Cl9C*;=iЕ ܷ)6f@w).BXô]K{WC= 70; :SBՈ*gGc)b[Ȭ \A̴:X}oIQUt=J{Pݍ_|9@)T~Z 66;WG` ymJnЎ}a{| x|{GD_Fhih^4D *TE5 kconnSs0Jm Lfu)i2-`lΥƋ!--eܶ6c)}!{˫\e=d(jhٰ66n%(J(Ok˃hw!4g6,ᖼHtk21pdMax6_ˬ)ߐ0GIC* 6#14[4" WA> (B!7{1`y*(˚a7va9xpyK! )4鮏C?3{h%"(P<ݜeR 1R}&M*ޅ֝꨻$NUd1;5@؀ű9MS %7nP\0>6lgNB~}ƫn@pz~}CAT4-i t79 /}[.O W[Y@l.{OOgTxrN-D&7ո >-Ǹ1-BЮ17S98͹L*T*j{XS~IXPL8ƢB/:MA=b?noRna%UF`l۫s [ sԍf@; Q |˘~ni*Rqau};4k@N6.mkD ?Q'O . ?2 ǩ#bXi@};_oSi.j3"lJmr"fZxTyfY$Dvb^97S bt ,XB @8+z"hY`d,Q֛-N<9 VJzь`\v9Cy5љ3jΧ 7Hp.α,ַYܲtQ)}IVR^ܡfBȀc%UH8NC=i*1 ![w ӒT`uvKdvk*Rs$qE_ +ͱ6V ]: ME8΀C@l{;*yٽԮͺgsa%i vHɁGFJ [դ\NQu#)k(ՒHAU>Fit@G"GE|3rpQoSQܚA=,g%1>tk o /ޠQp$9"G=[:#Ps5ƾ]gGBT -y9q# M$G:1!r_r`W(*3e\TŶVOaC:L HЅJQ!+uҕFJB]>}B_4F``fBEV(& pJȶ%ģs9i \06Z<ӥ0i- Za2זBJ=Ћ !chJ`m'=)j/:"~I6q;=Gjx{JXa,Mfj /=+;jBӞzL } luN`@aZe,,bi9yL¢ [hw 1mlڊ#äbpbșһjs2- }JO@SI,UFJaBgRd0N'#|{0"/wL H,GKL&^| Dɋ #r,3+$ _.Y^V99RbNW%ŽR3/0k|ձ<-8"(:QpIi#J/'K;v $B*+WI^72H E4:%0Ъ'Aji)7%%>vlD/G\]BZBQ4nBq@A2kÎ~_ L(w zп:]^-`_Ĉa.D`㆙jVx[hTlⱷ *Ck;'4,ň1a;b{B,y/؏Z_J}^Ěu-ٚeֱ_K ՓI@rmOC`ʔ@ܰЋJp wXEwd}YݕĞU a\9L_kҾqɅ&Kw0|/8h]|`MQ a3Ta2><|[pM:L-\eqFyZd?6p0w J} Z{O_aGn`"LsXK$՚EְOZ$M`Q\KbTM׊jmC!|{E|X71^P2³9mڔ < մx?9B(]p3lX٩~Xح7.Z ;p+H@a]iu˩+1g:2oUާ1gQOR//ibCB)F6VIhܵf~9rnFm3%1Sr\bwk,D0Vk%xVrjmV˪@4f799 ,0;f'kJj>V$GQkd1BE_ %DzC֪ĝ:tPY}HT)t~[<02i'V}~p#1Fut{7cXH.kJ:gݍR‚΋~=8:2D!{[WdG8=X|y4dezk `( AJcy0-Qud"JîÔOhIiET\\ HYd$S/=t؀>tEu"S뙓b|4J2*;2%ǝlCZSNlF:9ii#.7[I LHI^yfFU/E .Y*:';uL >Ð!3U`4hYُdo%N' bѥo d.y CLؾ([,&Vmlx?܊$"ʺfˣ՟VzJ$<gnРH-ј5Gmր:n/xIDi`ԭN ! ;#<Q8LE&X$j52e[9ʟu )He3˥K~SJ eXΎ17MCWFR.zmjxj}CKw X#7'Y9ks4,]=1rW#:;Ve> u흥Dgyk"ԛ\섥lDklQ^(OK;}OGW8tބGeTT{me`L.H(']{U)2 h UfZ[LJ:tCeg#6/؏\ Tu2BRKe;…g;Q5DJlƾתXU\Z0յ$ھ4SsdJ;AálZ6HKAr.%a˺g\佣ؚԍHyϨki{dd.mC9DgM؞$^ ^Nÿnc4YIY{1 ԣOOe3a[݉KA<_B:特0sEf#m(^YוUf^6#OS3bAȐ_Bc9"My.l#*2 Tl-=<$I@GK H/z8Q<*~7ߓR!Ն [O(RϜ3)mAkA9z}w8) ~NXc#Fd{DuO>>JHኅx A3Eg)9E&`p_#xPnAǨVO'rzzBPP#ݿTyl5S#5d&Q ŵv$ 4ٲ㢬-{͗2W~}Я?BլC9l3dO аv掲}Yв5 k.+L,|\A 47IK"+Zܫx^ Xcu"%cmk !$n102ϣ OT;-3R.rTK 1 O%1Nָ@JQ!ɒȆ7f(Ly#RxgLϳKfbI47hݦ)2ڇ4pe>fs-ڵ Ӽs~owA.ӃQj9ăMЏZk}}>-$40ռppC=av3 4ǨvV#Rzv^~ăRdQڷ-rnCٕgD0gReg`֎AGm,hfOaq xUP{qoԜPEvc#)cS{l<~ΈpZjNB O%磯4ueGCpF(/qȲjO?"k2/W=[\,WʯldIz$dKRTcjdOhC8͐UЉ1&\Z,Q8 Br{n`A"HMA~z'Sm1q#;}GSCᡶ㠡WnIX dORjq ^,6Z186U958vcOe>+ΠqI#ꤼ`> "`$D士e oJ{ &^"tjY^: Qp"^IHYժ|Pt04dV+Q-ǹen3[f&Lq*{GA[506+ɄExݦ!t.(B[ ù[Іg!&JyH6٤IjAel"|pB\s8t~u?Wv>22:,K1A<+>- 1{;2:n]-?'W1mEB2'?y<߲I[*+f7R+mgLk=^?{Q['*aۿ|e]&+W HrY_h>,AP9faMm(޶G 7C||2s"s}У%{+tt1~CkI{_Jwɢ@"ia&]7RqU9eg sL=eGbp܊CG,9gt fmzʜzFFpx#o'&y tg²CW{ABt\"SNز.Zlgc_a8\*,Y}df0-8ψY-NnA_>^N_A9f8XI]+d]?ZoM T8Ty@ ɇ_, (.g7nb;Ԟ] Of?i&q=+-"TaߙĖm˙ P*ӝ0lX t-z6^XLJ{9|/uNQ
Enjoying the preview?
Page 1 of 1