Book Review : Black Beauty

Black Beauty

“... there is no religion without love, and people may talk as much as they like about their religion, but if it does not teach them to be good and kind to man and beast, it is all a sham...”

-          Black Beauty, Chapter 13, last paragraph.

Black Beauty is an 1877 classical book that successfully  mesmerized me with a simple but heartbreaking story. Anna Sewell as the author of this book who got injured at the age of 14th which caused her disabled and unable to walk. She had learnt about horses, spending many hours driving her father to the station from which he commuted to work.  Her dependence on horse-drawn transportation during Victorian era fostered her respect for horses.

Black Beauty is one and only novel written by her and was published ,exactly five months before her death of hepatitis. Her purpose of this writing was actually not for children, but the purpose was to induce kindness, sympathy, and an understanding treatment of horses. But, this novel turns out to be a childhood story. The novel became an immediate best-seller with fifty million copies sold. The novel is one of the best-selling books of all time and was listed at number 58 on the BBC’s survey “The Big Read” in 2003.

The story tells about a black beautiful horse named Beauty who had been kept from one employer to another employer with different treatments. Black Beauty was born from a good horse lineage. During four years in his first stable, Black Beauty grew as a strong, good, and well-mannered horse. He raised from a new employer Judge Gordon in Birtwick Park.

Beauty had a wonderful life and bestfriends, Ginger (a strong horse) and Merrylegs (a beautiful pony). He is also managed by  a great horse man named John Manly and a very young steward named Joe Green. They had been experiencing many tragedies like fire, survived from a broken bridge, until the heroic story saved Mrs. Gordon’s life.

Unfortunately, Beauty and his bestfriend were sold to Earshall, due to Mrs. Gordon illness which cause Gordons moved to town. At that time, their life became worse. They were forced to use short bridle and spend their energy to pull heavy loads without being fed.

Beauty becomes disabled and almost die, he was separated with his bestfriend  Ginger that was died tragically. At the end of the story, Beauty meets his old steward Joe Green who become an adult. Joe Green still remember Beauty by a white marks on Beauty’s head.

Thus, for you who love reading story, i really suggest you to read this novel if you haven’t yet. Because this novel have a very good value, and Anna Sewell teaches us how to understand the horses, how to treat them in a right way, and to see life from their point of view.