Anna Sewell's evocative, poignant and yes, often devastatingly brutal autobiography of a horse, her 1877 Black Beauty, is a novel which even though I very much and dearly cherish and appreciate (and consider it even a personal favourite), I am also glad to have first read as an adult, and NOT as a child. For with horses being amongst my favourite animals, particularly Black Beauty's many many trials and tribulations, his often neglectful and at times even deliberately cruelly abusive grooms and owners, the fact that there are also horses depicted who succumb, who perish due to abuse and neglect (with poor Ginger's suffering and death being especially sad, heartbreaking and infuriating), all this would have likely been much much too saddening for my sensitive childhood self (and indeed, I would thus not automatically recommend Black Beauty for younger children, and would also strongly encourage parents and caregivers to pre-read Black Beauty to check if the subject matter could perhaps not be too much for very sensitive children, and especially for children who are ethical vegetarians or vegans).

But as an adult (and I first read Black Beauty at around age twenty or so), I can not only appreciate both Beauty's life story, but also (and perhaps even more so) the historical fact that Anna Sewell's masterpiece (written with pathos, understanding, humanity, but also with gentleness and tenderness) actually did have a profound and socially relevant effect in so far that particularly in Great Britain, there was a deliberate move started to make life easier and less strenuous, less harsh for especially work and carriage horses (the eventual banning of the bearing reign which caused horses' heads to basically be yanked into a permanently unnaturally high position, and the even more horrid docking, cutting of horses' tails were two of the most well-known and necessary changes brought about partially due to the popularity of Black Beauty and the public outcry its publication engendered).

Now Black Beauty is a first person narrator who seems to think and feel as a human being would, albeit he is also not ever to be considered as an anthropomorphic and human-like equine, as Black Beauty cannot and does not actually speak to and with humans and still always looks, moves and acts like a typical horse. And this is actually also the case with all of the other horse characters being described in Black Beauty, as Ginger, Merrylegs and even Beauty's own mother all think and emote rather like humans would and with their thoughts and musings being textually presented by Anna Sewell, but that they also and always do act and react like typical horses in Black Beauty, not like horses in a humanoid costume, a for me profound and very much appreciated consideration. For I have never truly enjoyed very anthropomorphic animals all that much and especially so if they behave and are featured not according to their biological nature, but according to how people would act and react, and thus, if Black Beauty were to have actually spoken aloud, if he and the other equines of Black Beauty had been depicted as quasi talking horses, I would definitely not have enjoyed Anna Sewell's text all that much.

And considering that Anna Sewell was an invalid since an accident at age fourteen, and often confined to her bed (in almost constant, often excruciating pain for most of her adult life, she died very soon after Black Beauty's publication), the themes and also the writing style are exquisite and nuanced, balanced, showing not only Black Beauty's trials and tribulations, but also equally demonstrating tenderness, joy and much happiness (Beauty's life with his mother and original aristocratic owners, even his first sojourn as a London cab horse are happy, the latter being a rather hard working existence perhaps, but with a kind and thoughtful owner/driver who as much as possible strives to ease the often difficult conditions Beauty faces, until he himself falls ill due to thoughtless aristocratic customers keeping the carriage waiting in the pelting rain and snow, as they arrogantly enjoy society's extravagances). And while Sewell's story does, indeed, hold very clear and powerful pleas for a change in attitudes towards horses, towards poverty, it is nevertheless Black Beauty's own biography that shines through (Black Beauty is thus not simply preachiness, and while the messages are obvious and thankfully strongly and emassdioantely presented, the plot, the themes, the tale itself for Black Beauty always comes first and is as readable and as approachable today as it was in the late 19th century and that is certainly saying an awful lot and all of it good and nicely affirmative and positive).

Poučna knjiga za mlađe, podsetnik za starije da je empatija preduslov dobrog, srećnog društva.

Black Beauty was the last readaloud my mom and I did together when I was a child so I have very warm memories of it. It has always been one of my favorites.

Rereading did nothing to diminish that. I adore this book and Black Beauty. This is such a wonderful way for children to learn the value of kindness towards all living creatures

4.5★

A Goodreads member requested some of the Black Beauty quotes be cleaned up. I owned this copy and it became easier to reread and try to fix as many quotes as I could while reading. (I should note that doing this is quite definitely a one-off & that I was intending to read this book next year anyway!)

This is the story of Black Beauty's rise and then fall through the ranks through no fault of his own. BB's voice is quite definitely Ms Sewell's, a kindly woman who wanted to see horses (still the main form of transportation in the 1870s) treated (quite a bit) better. You really feel that BB has a few things he wants to get off his chest!

n  They always seemed to think that a horse was something like a steam-engine, only smaller. At any rate, they seemed to think that if they only pay for it, a horse is bound to go just as far, and just as fast, and with just as heavy a load as they please. n

Sewell/BB do feel compassion for the poor working class cabbies who have no choice but to work horses they have rented seven days a week. Ginger's  tragic end still moved me to tears!

Anyone who is thinking of buying a horse (or any other domestic animal) should read this.

Sewell died a few months after this book was first published. I hope she did get at least to taste a small measure of the book's success.

n  n    n  n

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“Tetapi,”— “manusia banyak macamnya. Ada yang baik dan penuh pengertian seperti majikan kita yang membuat kuda mana pun bangga melayaninya, tetapi ada pula manusia-manusia yang jahat, kejam, yang tak layak memiliki kuda atau anjing sekalipun. Kemudian banyak manusia tolol, sombong, dungu, dan serampangan, mereka tidak tahu mereka berlaku buruk tetapi mereka melakukannya. Kuharap kau akan jatuh ke tangan-tangan yang baik, tapi seekor kuda tak pernah tahu siapa yang akan membelinya atau mengendarainya. Bagi kita, semuanya sangat tergantung pada kebetulan. Betapapun, nasehatku, lakukan yang terbaik di mana pun kau berada, dan jagalah nama baikmu.” (Duchess).
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Selesaiiiii! Dan sukaaaa

This is a classic! I loooooooove horses!

I think this may be the oldest book I've ever read geeeeez 1877 lol over 100 years before I was born. And oh my how life was different back then haha see how it's influenced me to talk?

This story is all about the life of Black Beauty; the beautiful shiny black horse with a white star on his forehead and one white hoof. Black Beauty was passed around like a hot potato for most of his life to a multitude of owners; some kind and fairing, some rough and cruel. I felt like it was how Conan the Barbarian was passed around as a slave :P

The theme is mostly about morality and justice. Beauty went from happiness to near death. And the majority of the book you're feeling sorry for the way Black Beauty is being treated by his owners.

What a bleak story. It’s interesting how I keep looking back on books that I loved as a child with a happy heart, only to discover how my memory of them is completely different from what they really are. Or maybe it’s just that my outlook on life has changed since then, that I now see and know about certain realities that I wasn’t aware of back then. It’s like a bucket of ice water called knowledge is being thrown in my face with each book I take off of my memory shelf.

This story is overflowing with messages of morality. Like an in your face, no apologies even remotely considered, after school special on animal cruelty mixed with a hint of other miscellaneous flawed human behaviors. I cringed flipping through the various chapters acknowledging such topics as animal mutilation and/or forcing them to wear or do things a certain way for the sake of fashion and animal neglect and abuse due to ignorance and/or straight up cruelty. Then you have the human side of things with stealing, laziness, alcohol abuse and general inhumanity. You also have some religious undertones complimented by a generous helping of basic right and wrong.

I also noticed the parallels between my thoughts on my current life situation and Black Beauty’s wish to return to the carefree pasture of his youth once he had stepped into the world of employment. I don’t know how many times I have pondered what it would be like now if I had the time I had then as well as the general lack of responsibility and worry. I can assure you that the promise of any time of day or night ice cream is not enough to balance that scale.

So, a children’s story I read when I was probably nine that housed this much adult themed material without overwhelming the child reading it?

I am in awe.

I was so impressed. Sewell brilliantly tells the story from the point of view of Black Beauty himself, and his life in various stages, and all the things he learns about humans and other horses. He goes from loving, gentle owners, to some who mistreat him near to the point of death. The author does an amazing job of conveying their distaste with those who mistreat animals, without being too preachy.
What i find so sad is that so many of the issues raised in this book are things that are still issues today, animal cruelty, bad use of animals for fashion, overworking etc. It's sad that in the many years since this was written, things may have changed, but not improved.
definitely worth a read for adults, as it really hammers home some heartbreaking points, but is still a beautiful story.

Humans don't deserve animals' kindness and devotion. We are good friends, but sometimes we are animals, monsters.

There was this Disney animated movie about a horse, who strives for freedom and gains it at last. I didn't really like it, as they didn't draw the horse as beautiful and sublime as horses in real life are, but I always thought that was the story of the Black Beauty. It turns out that was not, and I read it spoiler free.

I am a little late with reading this book. However, that didn't affect in any way my impression. I loved it.

p.s. I loved the narrator. He was like Stephen Fry with American accent.

Ah, the Victorians! I had no idea that this book wasn't in fact a cute story about a horse, but actually a treatise on animal cruelty. So there I was, reading this book aloud to my three-year-old, and skimming over things like horses being beaten to death or just whipped until blood is dripping in the streets of London! WOW! It's a great book, but I think it's definitely for older children, who can handle this sort of realism and will be able to discuss their feelings with you.

This was my favorite book growing up as a child. I was obsessed with horses and living in a barn. Black Beauty was the ultimate fan-girl horse book and I ate it up as a little girl. Revisiting this as an adult was equally impactful.

I teared up multiple times as I re-lived Beauty and the slew of his bad owners, his poor knees and despite it all his good, tender heart. This is my favorite animal character in any book and Beauty still has a beloved space that I'll cherish in my soul. This book still holds up over time and one I may revisit again.

Such a poignant, beautiful book that I was so happy to reread after enjoying it as a child. The author’s life is sad and this is the only book she got to write, but it’s wonderful. I also found a new literary device where you type a character or place’s name with a dash, such as “Mr. W——“ (which I thought was censored) and it means you’re supposed to use your imagination for the name. Very interesting. Love this one so much and look forward to hopefully owning my own horse someday