Ladybird Classics: Black Beauty Kindle Edition

I bought this for my 87 year old mum who has recently had a stroke and didn't even want to read the newspaper any more. I asked her what her favourite story was when she was a girl and she said 'Black Beauty'. Not very hopeful, I ordered her this copy and am absolutely delighted that she has nearly finished it. It has bought lovely memories back to her. It is an excellent size for her to hold and the print is just perfect. I will be ordering her more books, especially childrens classics as these are easy for her to read. Thank you publishers, a really great book.

I do have a confession to make, which I have mentioned before on this site, and that is that I had never read this as a child. For myself then, one of the world’s most loved children’s books has only now been read by me. An instant success on first publication this was Anna Sewell’s only book, and she died a few months after publication, although I am sure she was gratified by its success, which did help to raise awareness by many to animal cruelty and make changes in laws and people’s perceptions and attitudes to the use of animals.When this was first written, as with so many of our books that we give to children to read, this was actually meant for adults Brought up a Quaker and a definite horse lover so this book is really an autobiography attributed to the horse of the title, as he narrates his life and stories of other horses that he meets and works with, or shares stables with. Today of course the novel has perhaps lost some of its righteousness due to its audience and the way things have changed and are still changing with regards to animal welfare. At the time this first came on the market though, things were different and some groups even gave copies of this to people who worked with horses to wake them up to what was happening, making it probably one of the most important, and possibly the most important publication on animal welfare. Attributed to the stoppage of check reins and people discussing and advocating the abolition of other practises and looking for improvements, so this novel of course makes us think not only of animals but of ourselves as well, as we all know the quotation from the bible which tells us to ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you’, which of course you do not have to be of a religious frame of mind to understand. Full of incident and a sheer joy to read, as well as thoughtful it is no wonder that so many people enjoy this, and I am glad that I have actually had the time to read it myself.

i read this as a child, but didn't really appreciate it much. And usually i'm not one for the classics, since i tend to find them rather overrated. However, when i reread Black Beauty, i was so impressed. Sewell brilliantly tells the story from the point of view of Black Beauty himself, and his life in various stages, and all the things he learns about humans and other horses. He goes from loving, gentle owners, to some who mistreat him near to the point of death. The author does an amazing job of conveying their distaste with those who mistreat animals, without being too preachy.What i find so sad is that so many of the issues raised in this book are things that are still issues today, animal cruelty, bad use of animals for fashion, overworking etc. It's sad that in the many years since this was written, things may have changed, but not improved.definitely worth a read for adults, as it really hammers home some heartbreaking points, but is still a beautiful story.

This wonderfully illustrated version of the classic horse story is well worth buying for its art work alone. The illustrator has clearly done his research well as the painting of Pulteney Street, in Bath was instantly recognisable by a native of the town. The line drawings as well as the full colour illustrations capture wel;l the emotions of the text. If buying this as a "special" present, I can highly recommend it.

My 9 year old daughter was keen to read black beauty and this book was easily read by her and wrote in a way that meant we struggled to put it down each night as was so keen to know what happened next. A beautiful classical story.

A brilliant book. I read it a couple of times as a child and had remembered the opening chapter well. It is a book drawing attention to animal welfare at the time, and is as relevant today many ways. Written from the view of Black Beauty it is in parts heartbreaking and joyous in others. It must be at least 55 years since I last read it and wanted to share it with my 9 year old granddaughter. I found myself skipping over a few of the most harrowing scenes and really wondered how I'd coped when reading it at a very young age! It is very well written and a joy to read at any age.

Illustrations are not as good as other books in this series (Alice In Wonderland), but not a bad take for a children's version of this classic.For people like me who're wondering, the adult version has a description of Ginger's death which children may find upsetting. This version skips that.Not a bad book to read. A bit heavy on the class divide, but kids who love horses will probably enjoy it.

I was in tears at the end! A sentimental old story for a sentimental old fool! Black Beauty was written as a manual of horse husbandry, and polemic against cruelty to animals in general. Anna Sewell intended it for adults, although it's now regarded as a children's classic. I had an illustrated edition with heavily edited text as a child, so this was yet another regression to childhood for me, and it won't be the last!

This rating is solely for the condition of the book. The book arrived packed compactly. I absolutely loved the book cover, but I am a little disappointed at the condition of the corners. They are faded and blunt. One end I slightly torn. However, the print is good and isn’t a strain on eye.

"Black Beauty", ou Beleza Negra, foi o primeiro livro de literatura que colocou em perspectiva os direitos dos animais.Neste livro, é narrada a trajetória de Beleza Negra, desde a separação de sua mãe, quando era apenas um potro, até o encontro de seu lar e família definitivos. São narrados os abusos que os cavalos sofriam na época. E, por conta da narrativa em primeira pessoa, sob o ponto de vista de Beleza Negra, os abusos são ainda mais perceptíveis e intensos. Apesar do sofrimento, há um final feliz e muito bonito.É uma ótima história para as crianças e, também, para os adultos que gostam dos animais.Ademais, a edição contém várias ilustrações em preto e branco e algumas coloridas. É costurado e encapado com tecido.Qualidade ótima da Everyman's Library, como sempre.

I am so unhappy with this purchase. It clearly states on amazon that this is an unabridged copy--Animal lovers of all ages will cherish this memorable story, now available in this unabridged, modestly priced edition.But when it came in the mail, it was a skinny little paperback and on the back cover it states it's an abridged version. This is false advertising! So unhappy and will be a lot more careful from now on when buying books like this online!

It is just about the horse, i dont know anything about horses, which equipment has been used for the horse, which care should be taken for the horse etc..So after reading it I got to know all about horsesThe author wrote perfectly in the perspective of horseActually I am not that much fond of animalsBut later on after reading this bookI used to show some love towards them tooI want to adopt a pet too.It is good for beginners to readIt is easy

Liebe Leute, es gibt dieses Buch in zig englischsprachigen Varianten. Bitte kauft nicht diese.Kleines Beispiel einer Kapitelüberschrift: A TALK. IN THE OBCHABD oder auch MERBYLEGS. Wobei sämtliche Kapitelüberschriften immer mitten im Text stehen, egal wie man den Text formatiert. Oder auch in zwei aufeinanderfolgenden Zeilen: "with bearing beln" "without beaeino eein"Und überall im Text taucht die Zahl 1 auf, ohne Grund oder Zusammenhang.Ich ärgere mich schwarz für so einen Dreck Geld bezahlt zu haben!

Ich bewerte nur das Buchobjekt und nicht den Inhalt (die Geschichte)!Das Cover hat mich sofort angesprochen: Leinen, ein gesticktes Pferd in schwarz/weiß und minimale, rote Akzente. Nur dass das Taschenbuch nicht mehr viel Leinen aufweist. Überraschung: Fotodruck! Das Gestickte ist nur durch eine Prägung haptisch. Wo ist die haarige Mähne, warum wirkt das Pferd auf der Abbildung so stofflich? Wenigstens die Mähne hätte 'echt' sein können … Und Leinen ist auch bei Taschenbüchern möglich.Erste Enttäuschung überwunden, kam die nächste: Haben die vergessen den Buchblock zu beschneiden? Nach langer Recherche fand ich in einem Blogbeitrag, dass der so zerfressen aussehende Rand gewollt ist! Nicht mal bei Penguin wird dieses – für die Gestaltung doch wichtiges – Detail erwähnt. Ich kann mir die Büttenkanten nur so erklären, dass sie das Handwerkliche(Stickerei) unterstützen sollen. Aber Leserfreundlich? Optisch ansprechend? Nein.Ich gebe 2 Sterne für das immer noch schöne Cover. Die anderen muss ich für eine irreführende Produkt-Abbildung und die zerknitterten Büttenkanten abziehen.

Ich wollte das Buch an ein Mädchen verschenken, die sich mit der englischen Sprache beschäftigt. Was mir geliefert wurde, eignet sich beim besten Willen nicht als Geschenk:Als "Taschenbuch" geht das nicht durch, denn es handelt sich eher um ein Heftchen (etwa 5 mm dünn auf etwa A5) in Billigdruck mit einem Billigumschlag von der Qualität eines Fotodrucks. Kaum einmal hineingeschaut, ist der Einband verbogen. Sehr empöhrend!!

This book is a great experience and there is a lot to learn from it. Since it was written in the form of an autobiography of a horse, we get to see the world from a horse's viewpoint which is amazing. I felt delighted whenever Black Beauty was with a kind master and suffered along with it when treated cruelly by some masters. The ending brought a smile on to my lips and I could never be happier for Black Beauty.

Es más oscuro que en la imagen y queda muy bien. Es cómodo de leer, no se quedan marcados los dedos y es una edición preciosa.Es un clásico de lectura obligatoria para niños y adultos. El respeto hacia aquellos seres que dependen de nosotros tendría que ser innato en nuestra naturaleza, pero esta historia denuncia que, lamentablemente, no siempre es así.

Its an Abridged Edition...paper quality is good...I ordered thinking it to unabridged but it turned out to be abridged...this should have been mentioned in the product description....despite that the book has served its purpose...

An awesome work of xenofiction, mainly for adults, for horse-riders and owners, for historians, for lovers of literature, for everyone in some way or the other, including children!!Extremely well-written, and an important read, written by the author who due to injury to her legs often rode in horse-drawn carriages. This contributed to her love of horses and concern for the humane treatment of animals.

Dans sa jeunesse, Black Beauty a connu la douceur des prés de la campagne anglaise, la liberté et l'affection de ces maîtres. Devenu un beau cheval doux et d'une belle prestance, il fait la fierté de ses propriétaires et des palefreniers qui prennent grand soin de lui et de ses compagnons Ginger et Merrylegs. Mais la vie d'un cheval, au XIXème siècle, est rarement un long fleuve tranquille, et Black Beauty va l'apprendre au gré de ses rencontres avec d'autres chevaux, qui n'ont pas toujours eu sa chance, puis de lui-même, en changeant plusieurs fois de maîtres.Unique roman de son auteur, Anna Sewell, ce livre a été écrit pour dénoncer les conditions de vie des chevaux à l'époque, les mauvais traitements, les modes stupides qui infligeaient parfois de véritables tortures aux chevaux, l'indifférence ... on peut dire que ce fut un succès car le livre a connu une immense popularité au point de le hisser au rang de classique.Pour ma part, il m'a irrésistiblement fait penser aux Mémoires d'un âne de la Comtesse de Ségur, que j'ai lu plusieurs fois dans mon enfance (oui, nous avions la collection complète des oeuvres de Sophie Rostopchine à la maison, et je les ai tous lus au moins une fois, à l'exception des Deux Nigauds, il me semble), avec toutefois une différence notable : la morale. Parce que dans Les Mémoires d'un âne, il me semble bien qu'on met en avant qu'une bonne partie des malheurs connus par Cadichon sont une juste punition de son mauvais caractère ou de ses mauvaises actions ... alors qu'ici, point de tout cela. Black Beauty est un animal gentil et courageux, et on explique à de nombreuses reprises que le fouet et les coups sont inutiles pour inciter un cheval à faire correctement son travail, s'il a été bien élevé et qu'il est bien traité par ses maîtres, il met déjà tout son coeur à l'ouvrage. Bon, par contre, la morale chrétienne est bien présente dans le récit, mais plutôt pour souligner que les hommes bons traitent leurs animaux convenablement et avec affection, et qu'en retour ils en obtiennent le meilleur. Par d'autres côtés, j'ai même trouvé ce livre étonnant de modernité, dans la troisième partie, quand Black Beauty appartient à un conducteur de fiacre, et où nous avons toute une réflexion sur le salariat et le patronat, et sur le travail du dimanche, notamment. Toujours d'actualité, non ?Bref, pour moi qui ai dévoré la série Poly et celle de l'Etalon noir dans ma jeunesse, c'est un très bon livre de littérature jeunesse, qui porte l'empreinte de son époque, bien sûr, mais qui sera toujours apprécié par les jeunes amateurs de chevaux.

Simon Vance has the perfect voice for this story. His tone is smooth and quiet yet manages to capture each character's emotions and bring them alive. I won't review the book itself since it has long been a classic, and most people are already familiar with it. But I can't emphasize enough how delightful this reading is.I purchased this book as a reward for my daughter (10) and she listens to it several times a week. Sometimes we even sit and listen together. What better way to re-experience such a wonderful classic then cuddled up with your child. I am very glad that I choose this particular version and can recommend it strongly.

"This book follows the life of a black horse, from his early childhood in a pleasant meadow, through a myriad of owners- some kind and some cruel - until fate takes him back to the meadow in which he was born"⁣⁣This book talks about Love,separation friendship,kindness,cruelty and is a must read for every child cuz one can learn so much from this book !! ⁣

This is a tale with a deep message and a normal and average story line. The author has passed on a clear message through the story where the reader will find many new things to learn from. Overall a good one time read.