Black Beauty was the debut, and only novel, from Anne Sewell. That's a pity, as it turns out to be extremely modern in its writing style and compassion for others, especially animals. Unlike most late Victorian novels, you could easily believe it had been written within the last decade as the prose is accessible, the dialogue realistic and never preachy.Black Beauty is fascinating for other reasons as it describes where the world revolves around the horse rather than the car and internet as the primary means of transportation and communication. Emancipation, whether male or female, is practically non-existent.
From the perspective of a 21st century reader, it feels like an utterly unrecognisable world as a result. It feels more like a well-described science fiction conceit, than an actual part of fairly recent history.
Verdict: Compelling horsey classic.
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