Black Beauty
by Anna Sewell
'Black Beauty' Summary
The story is narrated in the first person as an autobiographical memoir told by the titular horse named Black Beauty—beginning with his carefree days as a foal on an English farm with his mother, to his difficult life pulling cabs in London, to his happy retirement in the country. Along the way, he meets with many hardships and recounts many tales of cruelty and kindness. Each short chapter recounts an incident in Black Beauty's life containing a lesson or moral typically related to the kindness, sympathy, and understanding treatment of horses, with Sewell's detailed observations and extensive descriptions of horse behavior lending the novel a good deal of verisimilitude.
The book describes conditions among London horse-drawn taxicab drivers, including the financial hardship caused to them by high license fees and low, legally fixed fares. A page footnote in some editions says that soon after the book was published, the difference between 6-day taxicab licenses (not allowed to trade on Sundays) and 7-day taxicab licenses (allowed to trade on Sundays) was abolished and the taxicab license fee was much reduced.
Book Details
Author
Anna Sewell
England
Anna Sewell was an English novelist. She is well known as the author of the 1877 novel Black Beauty, her only published work, which is now considered one of the top ten bestselling novels for children...
More on Anna SewellDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books
From a Swedish Homestead by Selma Lagerlof
It is the story of how a young orphan girl, Ingrid, is the instrument of saving the student Gunnar Hede, who has lost his wits and memory by a terrib...
The Sins of Silvertip the Fox by John Breck
Silvertip the Fox isn't the only one up to mischief! There are the plots of the bad little owls and even Tommy who almost loses his temper. But learn...
Travels of Puss in Boots, Jr. by David Cory
Embark on an enchanting journey beyond imagination in "Travels of Puss in Boots, Jr." by David Cory. Join a young and adventurous feline named Puss in...
Mrs. Peter Rabbit by Thornton Burgess
A wonderful book in which we meet the lucky little bunny who becomes Mrs. Peter Rabbit! This is one of many delightful animal books written by Thornto...
The Beasts of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs
The Beasts of Tarzan is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the third in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan...
'Tilda Jane's Orphans by Marshall Saunders
In the heartwarming novel, a mysterious letter sets in motion an extraordinary journey of love, compassion, and second chances. When a tattered envel...
Slicko, the Jumping Squirrel by Richard Barnum
In the enchanting world of Whispering Woods, there exists a secret that will leave you breathless—a secret guarded by none other than Slicko, the Jump...
Woodcraft Boys at Sunset Island by May Folwell Hoisington
What if a group of boys were stranded on a deserted island with no adults around? May Folwell Hoisington's classic children's novel Woodcraft Boys at...
Ruth by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
Ruth is a young orphan girl working in a respectable sweatshop for the overworked Mrs Mason. She is selected to go to a ball to repair torn dresses. A...
The Tale of Bunny Cotton-Tail by Laura Rountree Smith
Little Bunny Cotton-tail is a very naughty bunny. He runs away, he won't go to school, and he keeps nibbling on Farmer Jones' cabbage! Mother Bunny wi...
Reviews for Black Beauty
No reviews posted or approved, yet...