Not quite sure what to make of Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell, which I read in print. It's written from the point of view of the horse - Black Beauty - starting when he is a foal and having an idyllic life with his mother. When he is sold to a gentleman, all goes well - he is superbly looked after and works hard for his master and mistress, and makes friends in the stable with a flighty horse called Ginger, and a solid pony called Merryweather. However, nothing lasts for ever and he is moved on, and on and on. He encounters cruelty at times and goodness at others amongst the humans he encounters and the book is certainly a rally cry to improve the lot of the working horse - particularly highlighting how the fashion for certain ways of treating horses could be cruel and could ruin them. Beauty eventually becomes a cab horse in London. He has a great master, but experiences horrific things around him - including a sad end for his old friend Ginger. When his gentle master becomes ill, things take a turn for the worse and he is very nearly sent to the knackers yard. However, a farmer takes a chance on him and nurses him back to health and finds a great final home for Beauty. This is a heart-warming story, but is a bit disjointed for my liking. I can see why youngsters would really enjoy this book, but it's a bit too simplistic for me. If it did anything to improve how horses were regarded and treated in the 1870s (when this book was written), then I applaud it mightily.
My STAR rating: THREE
Length: 263 print pages.
Price I paid: free (borrowed from local library)
Formats available: print; unabridged audio download; abridged audio CD; ebook.
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