[writing the novel was] “to induce kindness, sympathy, and an understanding treatment of horses…”
—Anna Sewell
Black Beauty:the Autobiography of a Horse is a novel authored by English writer Anna Sewell. It was composed in the last years of her life, during which she remained in her house as an invalid. The novel became an immediate best-seller, with Sewell dying just five months after its publication, but having lived long enough to see her only novel become a success. While forthrightly teaching animal welfare, it also teaches how to treat people with kindness, sympathy, and respect.
Black Beauty is considered to be one of the first fictional animal autobiographies. Originally meant to be informative literature read by adults on the norms of horse cruelty and preventions of these unjust acts. It is now seen as a children’s book and read by thousands of children worldwide.
With fifty million copies sold, Black Beauty is one of the best-selling books of all time. The novel was recently adapted into a film (starring Kate Winslet) in 2020 by Constantin Film and distributed by Disney .
Part I
01 My Early Home 002
02 The Hunt 005
03 My Breaking In 009
04 Birtwick Park 014
05 A Fair Start 018
06 Liberty 023
07 Ginger 025
08 Ginger’s Story Continued 030
09 Merrylegs 035
10 A Talk in the Orchard 039
11 Plain Speaking 046
12 A Stormy Day 050
13 The Devil’s Trade Mark 054
14 James Howard 058
15 The Old Hostler 062
16 The Fire 066
17 John Manly’s Talk 071
18 Going for the Doctor 076
19 Only Ignorance 081
20 Joe Green 084
21 The Parting 088
Part II
22 Earlshall 094
23 A Strike for Liberty 099
24 The Lady Anne, or a Runaway Horse 103
25 Reuben Smith 110
26 How it Ended 114
27 Ruined and Going Downhill 118
28 A Job Horse and His Drivers 122
29 Cockneys 127
30 A Thief 134
31 A Humbug 137
Part III
32 A Horse Fair 142
33 A London Cab Horse 147
34 An Old War Horse 152
35 Jerry Barker 158
36 The Sunday Cab 165
37 The Golden Rule 171
38 Dolly and a Real Gentleman 175
39 Seedy Sam 180
40 Poor Ginger 185
41 The Butcher 188
42 The Election 192
43 A Friend in Need 195
44 Old Captain and His Successor 200
45 Jerry’s New Year 205
Part IV
46 Jakes and the Lady 214
47 Hard Times 219
48 Farmer Thoroughgood and His Grandson Willie 224
49 My Last Home 229