Cover of Black Beauty

Black Beauty

  • 1877 first published
  • 229 pages
  • ★ 4.3 (23 ratings)
  • 107 editions

Black Beauty is an 1877 fairy-tale retelling and fae fiction play by Anna Sewell. It takes readers to Great Britain and Horses in 1877. Readers will find themes of Black Beauty, Anna Sewell, original publication 1877 and Children.

Open Library readers give it an average of 4.3 out of 5 from 23 ratings, and 383 more have it on their want-to-read list. It has been published in 107 editions across 4 languages. On Project Gutenberg it was downloaded 13,472 times in the last 30 days.

At about 229 pages, most readers finish it in 4–5 hours. It is in the public domain in the United States and free to read on Project Gutenberg.

About Black Beauty

(Ages 9-12, Gr. 4-7) An **animal rights classic** that's also an engaging read, **BLACK BEAUTY follows the life of an ebony horse from birth to old age**, and from pasture to the cobblestone streets of **19th century England** This morality tale and **animal "autobiography"** gives a sweet and kind horse **a voice that's relatable yet unsentimental.**. Black Beauty's life begins on the grounds of an aristocratic English family. The **young horse learns early lessons from his mother like how not to bite or kick even in play** before circumstances force his sale to a new master; it's the first of several such sales/moves for the horse. As **his life intersects with different human owners, caretakers, and neighbors**, Black Beauty **experiences different kinds of care and abuse**, and he observes the **differing attitudes of humans toward horses.** Peppered throughout the novel are the **moral lessons** that the author, **Anna Sewell **who is the author**, wants to impart to her readers:** that **truly good humans are kind to all of God's creatures,** that **parents should teach their children to be kind to animals,** and perhaps most important, that **even though they can't speak, horses can feel so that makes this fiction/fake.** Anna Sewell was a devout Quaker, and that is apparent in her pacifist point of view, and in the book's **emphasis on the value of hard work without complaint.** **strong text** author: a person who wrote the book
Description from Open Library

Themes, setting & tropes

Genres

Tropes

Setting

Era

  • 1877

Subjects

  • Black Beauty
  • Anna Sewell
  • Original publication 1877
  • Children
  • Children's
  • Kids
  • Juvenile
  • Classic
  • Books
  • Stories
  • Drama
  • Biography
  • Legends
  • Animals
  • Classic Literature
  • Animals - Horses

Publisher

Quick answers

Who wrote Black Beauty?

Black Beauty was written by Anna Sewell and first published in 1877.

What genre is Black Beauty?

It is usually shelved as Fairy Tale Retellings, Fae & Fairy Fiction, Historical Fiction and Fairy Tales & Folklore.

How long is Black Beauty?

The median edition has 229 pages, about 4–5 hours of reading at 250 words per minute.

Is Black Beauty free to read?

Yes. It is in the public domain in the United States and can be read free on Project Gutenberg in EPUB, Kindle and HTML formats.

What books are similar to Black Beauty?

Readers who like it often enjoy When Beauty Tamed the Beast, The Cricket on the Hearth and Le chat botté.

More by Anna Sewell

All books →

Books like Black Beauty