Black Beauty (Signet Classics)

Well illustrated with nice large print. A great assortment of short fairy tales. Recommend for all ages.

The binding on these books by Everyman's Library is excellent!

"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.

Now I know why this is a classic. The story is wonderful and all about love and horses. Well worth the read/listen.

It’s hard to read through the hardships poor animals go through, such as these horses. Loved this book and highly recommend.

xcept from "Black Beauty" A Manly Talk You Will NOT See in a Modern Book:"You are a very good man," said James. "I wish I may ever be like you.""I don't often speak of myself," said John, "but as you are going away from us out into the world to shift for yourself I'll just tell you how I look on these things. I was just as old as Joseph when my father and mother died of the fever within ten days of each other, and left me and my cripple sister Nelly alone in the world, without a relation that we could look to for help. I was a farmer's boy, not earning enough to keep myself, much less both of us, and she must have gone to the workhouse but for our mistress (Nelly calls her her angel, and she has good right to do so). She went and hired a room for her with old Widow Mallet, and she gave her knitting and needlework when she was able to do it; and when she was ill she sent her dinners and many nice, comfortable things, and was like a mother to her. Then the master he took me into the stable under old Norman, the coachman that was then. I had my food at the house and my bed in the loft, and a suit of clothes, and three shillings a week, so that I could help Nelly. Then there was Norman; he might have turned round and said at his age he could not be troubled with a raw boy from the plow-tail, but he was like a father to me, and took no end of pains with me. When the old man died some years after I stepped into his place, and now of course I have top wages, and can lay by for a rainy day or a sunny day, as it may happen, and Nelly is as happy as a bird. So you see, James, I am not the man that should turn up his nose at a little boy and vex a good, kind master. No, no! I shall miss you very much, James, but we shall pull through, and there's nothing like doing a kindness when 'tis put in your way, and I am glad I can do it.""Then," said James, "you don't hold with that saying, `Everybody look after himself, and take care of number one'?""No, indeed," said John, "where should I and Nelly have been if master and mistress and old Norman had only taken care of number one? Why, she in the workhouse and I hoeing turnips! Where would Black Beauty and Ginger have been if you had only thought of number one? why, roasted to death! No, Jim, no! that is a selfish, heathenish saying, whoever uses it; and any man who thinks he has nothing to do but take care of number one, why, it's a pity but what he had been drowned like a puppy or a kitten, before he got his eyes open; that's what I think," said John, with a very decided jerk of his head.

I remember this classic from when I was my niece's age so I was so happy to see it is still available. She loved the cover design and was excited to get started on reading it. The cover/ binding felt a little on the cheap side to me, but my niece didn't seem to notice. The book arrived on time and packaged well to keep it from the elements. A perfect gift for a tween horse lover!

A great book for young and old alike. I first read this book when I was 9 years old. I've read it several times over the years.

i read this as a child, but didn't really appreciate it much. And usually i'm not one for the classics, since i tend to find them rather overrated. However, when i reread Black Beauty, 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.

I bought this particular publication for my 8 year old daughter as we are reading through some classics together. Whilst the story is as heart rending and wonderful as it always has been I was disappointed in the way the book is formatted and presented.Inside the book looks like someone has cut and pasted from another document and not bothered to reformat to fit the page size. There are chapter headings at the bottom of a page with no text underneath and other sloppy presentation points that I wouldn't allow to remain in my children's homework let alone a book I was selling to the public. I can understand why some people would think this was quibbling but it just comes across as if the publisher took no care over their work, not something I want my children to associate with such classic literature as this.

I won’t go into the story, I will just review the book. I bought a used copy which was in near perfect condition, no spine damage and all the pages appear clean. I would recommend. now I just need the courage to read it because it always makes me cry. A wonderful and emotive story.

I re-read this after what must be almost 70 years. Rather than just a children's story, I felt it gave me insight into what life for many horses in the nineteenth century must have been like. It was largely the luck of the draw as to how well you were cared for.

This wonderfully illustrated version of the classic horse story is well worth buying for its art work alone. The illustrator has clearly done his research well as the painting of Pulteney Street, in Bath was instantly recognisable by a native of the town. The line drawings as well as the full colour illustrations capture wel;l the emotions of the text. If buying this as a "special" present, I can highly recommend it.