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    National Velvet
    National Velvet
    National Velvet
    Ebook283 pages2 hours

    National Velvet

    By Enid Bagnold

    4/5

    ()

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    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 fourteen-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 English life 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
    PublisherDover Publications
    Release dateJan 16, 2019
    ISBN9780486836942
    National Velvet

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    Reviews for National Velvet

    4/5

    215 ratings3 reviews

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    • 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.
    • 5/5
      Charming. Full of unique characterisation and setting.
    • 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.

    Book preview

    National Velvet - Enid Bagnold

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