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Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty (1877) is one of the best-selling books of all time. This cherished classic, initially written for adults, has become a staple in children’s literature. The first book ever written entirely from the perspective of an animal, this is a classic horse adventure for both adult and young readers.
About the author
Anna Sewell was born in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England, in 1820 into a devoutly Quaker family. Her mother, Mary Wright Sewell was a successful author of children's books. She was largely educated at home. Sewell's only published work was Black Beauty, written in the period between 1871 and 1877, after she had moved to Old Catton, a village outside the city of Norwich in Norfolk. During this time her health was declining. She was often so weak that she was confined to her bed and writing was a challenge. She dictated the text to her mother and from 1876 began to write on slips of paper which her mother then transcribed. Sewell sold the novel to local publisher Jarrolds on 24 November 1877, when she was 57 years of age. Although it is now considered a children's classic, she originally wrote it for those who worked with horses. She said "a special aim [was] to induce kindness, sympathy, and an understanding treatment of horses." Sewell died on 25 April 1878 of hepatitis or tuberculosis, five months after her book was published, living long enough to see its initial success.
Summary
“The most influential anticruelty novel of all time.”-Bernard Unti
Black Beauty (1877), the only novel from Anna Sewell, was the first book ever written from the singular viewpoint of an animal. The fictional narrative, told by Black Beauty, a genial thoroughbred, was initially written by the author “to induce kindness, sympathy, and an understanding treatment of horses.” Over time the book has become a classic book for children, despite its initial adult readership. The book is considered the advent of the Anthropomorphic literary genre.
Black Beauty, the gentle horse and narrator of the story, begins with recollection of an idyllic youth with his mother and other kind horses. When Black Beauty is four years old, his owner sells him to Squire Gordon, who provides a caring home among other horses. One of the squire’s other horses, a headstrong chestnut named Ginger, becomes Black Beauty’s best friend. When the squire’s wife becomes seriously ill, the couple are forced to sell their horses; in a heartbreaking turn of events, Black Beauty is sold in a succession of transactions where he is mistreated, overworked, and separated from Ginger. Although scarred, Black Beauty is resilient and eventually is returned to a life of kindness and care. This deeply moving story aimed towards the awareness of animal welfare was influential reforms in the laws regarding the treatment of horses; yet, its enduring legacy is the massage of compassion that has touched readers for more than 200 years.
With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Black Beauty is both modern and readable.
