Good, not great | The Black Stallion

And I don't even like horses... | The Black Stallion | Walter Farley

books:


	• The Black Stallion Walter Farley Random House Books for Young Readers, 1991 - 232 pages average customer review:based on 102 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

The Black Stallion

A definite favorite! I really like the Black Stallion and most of the series. The story-line is nice, and the characters aren't annoying. This is one of my favorite horse series.

Good, not great

My grandchildren didn't have anything to say about it one way or another. I liked it, tho.

And I don't even like horses...

This, and all of Farley's other horse books, still remain vivid in my mind, 35 years after avidly reading them as a pre-teen---and I hate horses (I think they're stupid, dangerous, overrated beasts)! I remember excitedly going to the local library as a kid, anxious to read the next novel in the series. I'm going to buy all of them for my kids, and hope they discover these timeless books.

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Adventure

I bought this book for my grandson. He has been enjoying adventure books but never one about a boy and a horse before. I loved this book as a child too. It is timeless!

stands the test of time!!

For a book written almost 70 years ago, this stands the test of time. I first read this book when I was seven years old, and loved it then. I just re-read it, thirty years later, and loved it again. The tension is powerful, the goodness of the boy and the power of the horse are palpable---and the writing is straightforward but not simplistic, perfect for all ages. This is a classic underdog-rises-above tale, and who can't love that?

This book also gives a lovely window into a different, more gentle era (the 1930s?), where children can be children and they can have healthy, non-paranoid friendships with adults who are not their parents. Many times as I read the book I thought how the whole set-up of the book could not exist in today's world...

One minor weakness: Alec's parents came across as rather wooden, and clueless. A bit one-dimensional. But a minor point in an overall excellent tale.

If all goes well I'll read it again in thirty years---and enjoy it just as much.

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Young Alec Ramsay is shipwrecked on a desert island with a horse destined to play an important part in his life. Following their rescue their adventure continues in America.