Black Beauty

Absolutely love it. Bought it as a gift for My baby sister as this was one of my favorite books to read at her age. Love the art on the cover.

My kids love this book.

Personally I think this is such an exquisite story on many levels. I try to read it once a year and I even collect different publications it. This book is a soft cover, it is a comfortable size and I enjoy all the illustrations. Even tho this book is brand new, it has an old look and feel which enhances the story for me. It is such a classic and deserves to be in every home and library. . . . Can you tell I am a horse lover?

"Black Beauty" is often dismissed as a children's book, or only for girls who love horses. In actuality, it's not only a novel that adults can enjoy as well as kids, but it's a powerful statement on animal welfare, and on treating animals with respect and not just living machines. And while it does feature an animal main character, it handles this realistically and not like a children's "talking animal" book, so it's more in the vein of "Watership Down" than "Zootopia." And even over 100 years after its publication, it's still worthwhile reading. The title character, a black horse aptly named Black Beauty, lives a good life in the care of a wealthy nobleman, and believes all men to be as gentle and caring as his master. He gets a rude awakening when the family's circumstances change and he is sold... and over the years he changes hands and knows a variety of masters, some caring, others ignorant, and still others outright cruel. And as he and his foal-hood friend Ginger struggle to survive in a world where humans view horses as little more than fur-covered engines, he realizes that man has a great capacity for cruelty... and for redemption and kindness as well. Anna Sewell wrote this book in reaction to the often-harsh treatment of horses in Victorian England, and even then it was a serious wake-up call to how horribly horses were treated. And while horses WERE bred to be domestic creatures and beasts of burden, she makes it clear that just because they're working animals doesn't mean that they should be treated like objects rather than living creatures. The book went a long way towards reforming how horses were treated, including the almost-complete elimination of the check-rein (a device meant to hold a horse's head erect). And while the treatment of Beauty, Ginger, and other horses in this book may be distressing, it's a clear warning that animal abuse still exists, and needs to be treated seriously. As this book was written primarily for its message, this can mean that plot falls by the wayside. There's really not much of a plot to this book aside from "a horse grows up and changes hands multiple times before being retired," and Beauty himself is a rather passive character (perhaps intentional on the part of the author, as animals have almost no control over who owns them). But the writing is still solid, and the horses are given a surprising amount of character without being overly humanized. "Black Beauty" is still a well-deserved classic after all this time, and is not only a call to treat animals kindly but a vivid but still realistic account of a horse's life. Not just for kids -- adults can enjoy this novel as well.

This is a well-made paperback book of the classic story, Black Beauty. The story is suitable for people from elementary school through adulthood. I've read it a few times over the years. It is sad for a little while but ends happily. I think everyone should read this classic.

This was one of my favorite books as a child and I was happy to read it again! I do recommend this book to anyone who loves animals, for Black Beauty is one of my favorites.

This paperback edition from Sky Publishing is decent for the price($6.99) with original illustrations and text. The illustrations are small, and few and far between, but I bought this as a gift for a 5th grader at which age occasional illustrations would suffice. Considering this has the original text from a 100+ years ago in old school English, and the tiny font size, I would recommend for the age range of 10-12. If you are looking for an edition for slightly more younger readers such as an 8 year old, I would recommend the hardcover abridged&illustrated edition from Wonder House Books with more frequent illustrations. It is as good as the original in capturing the essence of the story with plenty of pleasant illustrations, often full page ones, that would really suit readers around the age of 8/2nd-3rd grade to enjoy the story by themselves with independent reading.

A cherished classic from the Victorian Era. As an English Major I have a whole new perspective on this novel than I once did, for Black Beauty is an authentic depiction of the treatment of animals during that era. Animals before were mainly seen as beast of burden, or submissive creatures beneath both God and man. However, the animal was coming into a new light, a light of intelligence and emotion, where-else before seen as simply dumb. I won't bore you with all the historic significance of this novel, except that it turned many mind towards the well being of their animals and laws to be introduced for their health. Anna Sewell only book changed the world, alike to Charles Dickens 'Oliver Twist' to child labor, or Charlotte Brontë's 'Shirley' to feminism and the "women-question." And any adult can enjoy Black Beauty, it is not a children's book but a masterpiece published to sway those who handled horses: "a special aim [was] to induce kindness, sympathy, and an understanding treatment of horses" - Anna Sewell. Also, a good companion to the unabridged classic is Warner Bros 1994 film starring Sean Bean (James Bond: Golden Eye, Game of Thrones), Andrew Knot (The Secret Garden), and David Thewlis (Harry Potter as Professor Lupin, Fargo), Jim Carter (Downton Abbey, Knightfall). It follows the book pretty well, with a few deviations (that I will not spoil for you). Concerning the Scholastic Classics 2001 Edition, each chapter contain a lovely, detailed image with a few, smaller images here and there throughout the novel. Growing-up with this edition I felt the need to re-purchase it after losing my original copy. This edition is unabridged and has a green cover with an introduction by Gail Carson Levine, author of Ella Enchanted.

This is a well-written classic that I highly recommend, especially to animal lovers. I was disappointed, however, that the design on the cover is not sculpt-embossed as advertised, but just printed flat, as in a regular book. Nevertheless, this edition is still a welcome addition to my collection.

"Black Beauty", ou Beleza Negra, foi o primeiro livro de literatura que colocou em perspectiva os direitos dos animais. Neste livro, é narrada a trajetória de Beleza Negra, desde a separação de sua mãe, quando era apenas um potro, até o encontro de seu lar e família definitivos. São narrados os abusos que os cavalos sofriam na época. E, por conta da narrativa em primeira pessoa, sob o ponto de vista de Beleza Negra, os abusos são ainda mais perceptíveis e intensos. Apesar do sofrimento, há um final feliz e muito bonito. É uma ótima história para as crianças e, também, para os adultos que gostam dos animais. Ademais, a edição contém várias ilustrações em preto e branco e algumas coloridas. É costurado e encapado com tecido. Qualidade ótima da Everyman's Library, como sempre.

The book was perfect and my niece loves it. The delivery was efficient and on time. Thank you!

Just as expected a beautiful story book.

Tres beau livre - classique et parfait comme cadeau. Merci.