Black Beauty - Sewell, Anna

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Résumé :
Black Beauty is an autobiographical book written by Anna Sewell. This autobiography of a horse is an 1877 novel that the author wrote during the last days of her life. The book became an immediate bestseller and Sewell was fortunate enough to see her only novel become a success. The first major animal story in children's literature begins with the birth of a handsome and well-bred horse. The story revolves around a time when horses were a crucial part of society as they were the only mode of human transportation.

Biographie:
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.

Sommaire:
Anna Sewell was born on March 30, 1820, in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, to a devout Quaker family. Her early education was at home, and after an injury at age 14, she became reliant on horse-drawn carriages, sparking her lifelong love for horses. This passion would shape her literary career.Her only novel, Black Beauty, was written between 1871 and 1877, during a period of declining health. Though originally intended to promote better treatment of horses, the novel became a children's classic, influencing animal welfare practices worldwide.Sewell passed away in 1878, just five months after Black Beauty was published. Despite her short life, her book made a lasting impact, leading to reforms in how horses were treated and becoming a staple of English literature....