Book Review: Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell
★★★★

Synopsis: Originally published in 1877, this classic story, told from the animal's perspective, captures the struggles and triumphs of this magnificent creature from his early days as a free colt to an owned creature poorly treated by evil men.
Every child loves a story about a horse, and Black Beauty remains one of the finest, most touching ever written. Set in Victorian London, the novel follows the shifting fortunes of a horse as he moves from owner to owner. Narrated by the noble Black Beauty himself, the tale offers an animal’s perspective of the world, and highlights the thoughtless, even cruel treatment animals endured during that period.
In A Sentence: A wonderful heartfelt story about a horse and his triumphs and tragedies

What I Enjoyed: I've been meaning to read this book for years. I remembered watching the movie way back when I was a kid and wanting to read the story. Now that I have read it, I am very glad I did. It's a children's book for sure, so the writing is very simple, but the story is so sweet and sad. You fall in love with Black Beauty and you love the owners who treat him well, and hate the ones who abuse him. From an adult's point of view, it was a very educational book with regards to horses and the treatment of horses in the late 19th century. It was definitely a very informative read.
What Was...Meh: I know that this is a fictional book, and that horses are probably not quite so talkative and proper-sounding, but I don't think that horses would have a notion of what God is and to believe in Him. I think there was only one line in the book where a horse said something about "the Good God who made and who watches over us", and it was the only line that bugged me, because I don't think I would make a horse religious, even a fictional horse.
In A Nutshell: I really did enjoy this story. It was sweet and heartfelt, and it was a quick read. I would recommend to children and adults alike, because everyone would get something out of this book.

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