"The most influential anticruelty novel of all time."-Bernard Unti Black Beauty (1877), the only novel from Anna Sewell, was the first book ever written from the singular viewpoint of an animal. The fictional narrative, told by Black Beauty, a genial thoroughbred, was initially written by the author "to induce kindness, sympathy, and an understanding treatment of horses." Over time the book has become a classic book for children, despite its initial adult readership. The book is considered the advent of the ...
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"The most influential anticruelty novel of all time."-Bernard Unti Black Beauty (1877), the only novel from Anna Sewell, was the first book ever written from the singular viewpoint of an animal. The fictional narrative, told by Black Beauty, a genial thoroughbred, was initially written by the author "to induce kindness, sympathy, and an understanding treatment of horses." Over time the book has become a classic book for children, despite its initial adult readership. The book is considered the advent of the Anthropomorphic literary genre. Black Beauty, the gentle horse and narrator of the story, begins with recollection of an idyllic youth with his mother and other kind horses. When Black Beauty is four years old, his owner sells him to Squire Gordon, who provides a caring home among other horses. One of the squire's other horses, a headstrong chestnut named Ginger, becomes Black Beauty's best friend. When the squire's wife becomes seriously ill, the couple are forced to sell their horses; in a heartbreaking turn of events, Black Beauty is sold in a succession of transactions where he is mistreated, overworked, and separated from Ginger. Although scarred, Black Beauty is resilient and eventually is returned to a life of kindness and care. This deeply moving story aimed towards the awareness of animal welfare was influential reforms in the laws regarding the treatment of horses; yet, its enduring legacy is the massage of compassion that has touched readers for more than 200 years. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Black Beauty is both modern and readable. Since our inception in 2020, Mint Editions has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh, professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover, all while maintaining the integrity of the original book. With thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.
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Add this copy of Black Beauty to cart. $22.50, new condition, Sold by Kennys.ie rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Galway, IRELAND, published 2021 by Mint Editions.
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This is one of the best horse stories of all time, it still rings true over a hundred years after it was written: horses haven't changed, even if the work they do is different now, and nor have the humans who deal with them. Every horse-loving child should read it.
My favourite edition of this favourite story is not the one illustrated but the Dent 1972 reprint with the superb illustrations by Lucy Kemp-Welsh. they add an extra dimension of reality to the horse. The binding is dark red fake leather and the book looks old-fashioned, so some youngsters might prefer a more modern edition. But no other edition has illustrations that are a patch on these.
Azzie
Jul 17, 2009
I read this when I was in elementary school and the story has stayed with me ever since. So many scenes in the book have never left me and now in my early 20s I have not sat on a horse since I finished reading this book. It's hard to separate the horse characters in Ms. Sewell's book from actual horses and every time I see a horse, I have to wonder if the horse would appreciate me sitting on him or her.
A very powerful book and recommended for anyone, horse lovers or those indifferent to these elegant creatures.