Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Black Beauty cover art

Black Beauty

By: Anna Sewell, R. D. Carstairs - adaptation
Narrated by: Samuel West, Samantha Bond, Tamzin Outhwaite, Paul Thornley, Matt Stokoe
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Buy Now for £15.99

Buy Now for £15.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

Black Beauty cover art
Dollbaby cover art
The Language of Hoofbeats cover art
Fahrenheit 451 cover art
The Kite Runner cover art
Jane Eyre cover art
Great Expectations cover art
Frankenstein cover art
David Copperfield cover art
A Christmas Carol cover art
Echo cover art
Beauty cover art
The Power of One cover art
Yellow Crocus cover art
Don't Let Me Go cover art
Anne of Green Gables cover art

Summary

Framed as a first-person narrative from the eponymous horse, this much-loved family classic follows Black Beauty's journey from a well-born colt to a painfully overworked cab horse. Brimming with vivid detail and relatable characters, each chapter of Black Beauty's long and varied life communicates an important message about kindness, sympathy and understanding.

Following the success of the double Audie award-winning Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book: The Mowgli Stories, Audible Originals UK are excited to announce this reimagination of Sewell's unique concept as an animal-based audio drama for all the family.

Black Beauty features lead performances from Samuel West (BAFTA nominated; Mr Selfridge, Howards End), Samantha Bond (SAG nominated; Downton Abbey, James Bond), Paul Thornley (Harry Potter & the Cursed Child, Les Misérables) and Tamzin Outhwaite (EastEnders, Great Expectations, Foyle's War) as well as the original theme music 'Galloping Home' by Denis King.

Public Domain (P)2017 Audible, Ltd

Critic reviews

"Get ready to laugh, cry and sigh with nostalgia as everyone's favourite fictional horse makes a comeback." (Horse & Countryside)
"Perfect for the whole family to listen to together." (The Week)

What listeners say about Black Beauty

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    292
  • 4 Stars
    84
  • 3 Stars
    25
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    5
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    289
  • 4 Stars
    60
  • 3 Stars
    14
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    3
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    275
  • 4 Stars
    56
  • 3 Stars
    22
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    4

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Samuel West portrays Black Beauty wonderfully

Any additional comments?

As I hadn’t read Black Beauty I was under the impression it was a whimsical horse story for girls - a equine equivalent of Lassie the Wonder Dog. It isn’t.

Written in 1877 it chronicles the life of Black Beauty and is told by the horse itself.

A theme of animal welfare and human kindness runs throughout the life of Black Beauty, though on a few occasions it did sound a little preachy. The only other minor criticism is that as I know what Tamzin Outhwaite looks like, when Ginger spoke an image of Ms Outhwaite was speaking in my head rather than a horse. Samuel West portrays Black Beauty wonderfully.

An enjoyable listen and am glad to have used a credit for it.

A big thanks to Audible, please keep producing audio dramas as they are really appreciated!



[ If you would like to hear more audio stories from the viewpoint of a horse have a look at ‘Warhorses of Letters’ starring Stephen Fry. ]

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wow! This is just awesome!

What made the experience of listening to Black Beauty the most enjoyable?

Sensitive adaptation; excellent cast; beautiful narration!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Black Beauty?

the happy ending

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Sensitivity; kindness; beauty and power.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me laugh and cry. I loved it.

Any additional comments?

A beautiful, sensitive and awesome performance of this timeless classic. Well done.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Clearly enjoyable story

It was so great to listen to Black Beauty.
I couldn't make up my mind if I should buy the audiobook or not. I like audiobooks very much but I was never much into horse stories and I was not familiar with the story of Black Beauty.
I am glad I bought It. The speakers and the production is excellent. It is about animal cruelty and the importance of kindness. I also learned a lot about the care of horses, which I found to my surprise interesting. I think Black Beauty can be listened to by children and adults.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

listened to it none stop

It's fantastic story basic yet short but beautiful excellent performance Well told very well told only wished it was longer n how wished other book be like this one with music and sound effect more please from the author most welcome

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A great listen

A very enjoyable book I, was surprised how good it was, a lot of action in this story. So glad I downloaded it, would highly recommend it., it's not just for the young one's , older one's too.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • AJ
  • 16-06-17

Love it

I have read Black Beauty before but I enjoyed this Adaptation of this book. It was nice to hear from the horses point of view. I hadn't realised that Bath was one of the distinations In the book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Enjoyed it!!

Superb book, beautifully narrated ! Love it, enjoyed it thoroughly ... love the book from start to finish.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Black Beauty

Brilliant, Ginger is a very brave horse! You should do a folowing book!!!!!!!! Super BLAK-BEATY!!!!!🐴🐰🐏🐄🐰🐇

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Not keen

Not keen on the human ‘horse’ at all. No real need for a person to stand neighing...!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

#bestbook!

Such an inspiring story! Lifts my heart to hear black beauty, the film I watched when I was 6 or something!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful