Black Beauty – Sewell Anna (2018)

Black Beauty is a perennial children’s favourite and has never been out of print since its publication in 1877. This moralistic tale about a horse’s life takes the form of an autobiography, presenting the world through the animal’s eyes. By using this anthropomorphic approach, Anna Sewell broke new literary ground, while her effective storytelling makes it easy to accept that a horse is recounting the events in the narrative. The gentle thoroughbred Black Beauty is raised with care and treated well until a vicious groom injures him. The damaged horse is then sold to various masters, experiencing cruelty and neglect at their hands. After many unpleasant episodes, including a period as a painfully overworked cab horse in London, Black Beauty finally canters towards a happy ending. Although Anna Sewell’s classic is firmly set in the Victorian period, its message is universal and timeless: animals will serve humans well if they are treated with consideration and kindness. Many film and television adaptations have been made, but only the novel captures the authentic voice of its central character.