Black Beauty Review

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Anna Sewell was born on 30th March 1820 and died on 25th April 1878 just a mere five months after Black Beauty was published. 

“Her life work for dumb creatures who cannot speak for themselves will remain and spread her influence far and wide throughout the world. She indeed opened her mouth for the dumb”

This is a book for children and young adults and I am sure I was made to read it as a child. However, I got much more enjoyment from it this time. 

Black Beauty narrates this story of his life and all the people he came into contact with including the other horses. He tells of how some owners treated him so well and knew exactly what he needed and when. But there were some masters that were terribly cruel. They punished and abused him even when he was doing his best. They didn’t know how to look after him properly and this treatment diminished his spirit and made him quite sad. 

“My life was now so utterly wretched that I wished I might, like Ginger, drop down dead at my work, and do be out of my misery; and one day my wish very nearly came to pass” 

Thankfully Sewell ended on a happy note but there were a few tears whilst reading this. Furthermore, I loved the beautiful friendships Black Beauty made throughout the book and nothing made him happier than when they were all freely galloping around the field with no work to be done. 

This was such a delightful story to read as my first classic. I just hope I enjoy the rest as much as I did this one.