Robert GeninCríticas

First published in 1941, Walter Farley's best-selling novel for young readers is the triumphant tale of a boy and a wild horse. From Alec Ramsay and the Black's first meeting on an ill-fated ship to their adventures on a desert island and their eventual rescue, this beloved story will hold the rapt attention of readers new and old.

It is a classic and deservedly so in so many ways. Once, when life was a bit slower, people traveled the world on ships. And the ships stopped at many ports, and at one of those ports young Alec Ramsey sees a magnificent black stallion that can barely be contained by his handlers. Somehow, he manages to come onboard the ship where a specially-built stall is constructed for him, and Alec manages to befriend him with a cube of sugar, a bit of apple, and the adventure begins.

What captured me as a young, horse-mad girl, at a time when horse pastures were being "zoned" out of existence in and around Atlanta, was the solitude that Alec had with his horse on the desert island. I was so very glad that the movie captured the look and the feel of living there, only the two of them, learning to trust one another, and eventually Alec climbs on The Black's back for that marvelous ride around the island, feeling joy in existence and possibilities.

What I noticed now was the publication date: 1941. This book was written before the US entered World War II, horses were still kept near people's homes, and the return Alec makes to his home is not quite as jarring as it once was. The training that Alec goes through with Henry is intense (how on earth did Alec stay awake in class??) but again, there is that sense that *this* is the most wonderful of horses ever and adds a bit of apprenticeship to the magic of The Black Stallion.½

Independent Reading Level: Grades 4-6
Awards: Young Reader's Choice Award (1944)

Just the best horse book ever. The boys loved it.

A simply told story of a boy's courage as he survives a shipwreck and ends up riding the fastest horse in the country.

One of the few times when the movie is better than the book. This is still a fun kid's adventure but the movie brought a depth and perception to the story that's lacking in the original.

yes, i am a wretch who loves horses. i don't care; i ADORED these books as a kid, and i still love them now.

A favorite author when I was a young girl

A boy and a horse survive shipwreck and become friends. Later, they return together to the boy's home in New York, meet a retired racehorse trainer, and race the nation's two fastest Thoroughbreds.

When I was about 10 years old, I lived in a brown stone row house in Philadelphia. It was a few years before they planted trees on our block. We had about a 10 by 10-foot slab of concrete for a back yard. When I read The Black Stallion by Walter Farley, I fell in love with horses and horse stories. I doubt I had ever seen a live horse by then. But I loved that book so much, it became a frequent companion. We had an alley between our house and a neighbor’s, and I begged my parents to let me have a horse, which I could stable in the alley. As time passed, I forgot about Farley and horse stories.

Recently, I began searching for nice, clean copies of Farley’s 41 stories. I have found about 6, but “The Black” as Farley named him, eluded me. Suddenly, I found a pristine copy of a new edition of Farley’s work. In every detail, it perfectly matched my memory. I sat down and red it again—complete with the original illustrations and dust jacket. I am going to intensify my search for others in the series.

The story line is a typical YA novel. A young boy, Alec Ramsey, is on a ship bound for home from an Arabian port on the red sea. Alec watches as the huge, magnificent stallion tries to break out of the hold, with no success. Then a storm comes, and the small ship is tossed up and down and all around. The ship began to sink. Alec and the other passengers abandoned the ship. Farley wrote, “When he came up, his first thought was of the ship; then he heard an explosion, and he saw the Drake settling deep into the water. Frantically, he looked around for a lifeboat, but there was none in sight. Then he saw the Black swimming not more than ten yards away. Something swished by him—a rope. And it was attached to the Black’s halter! The same rope they had used to bring the stallion aboard the boat, and which they had never been able to get close enough to the horse to untie. Without stopping to think, Alec grabbed hold of it. Then he was pulled through the water, out onto the open sea” (22). Ah, how those thrilling words came back to me.

Alec was ship wrecked on an uninhabited island. First, he tried to get close to the horse with no luck. He began to explore and found some fruit trees. Slowly the Black began to trust Alec, and they formed a heart-warming bond. He was able to build a fire, which spread to some trees. He ran to the shore. A ship saw the smoke. As they approached, the Black ran off. The sailors tried to convince Alec to leave the island without the Black. Farley writes, “Alec’s eyes blurred; he couldn’t see. He stumbled and fell and then clambered to his feet. Again, he rushed forward. Then they had their arms around him. // ‘For the love of St. Patrick,’ the man called Pat groaned, ‘he’s just a boy!’” Alec stubbornly refused to leave the island without the horse. Then the stallion appeared, and Alec mounted him. Farley wrote, “Approximately thirty yards away, Alec cane to a halt. ‘You just have to take us both, Captain! I can’t leave without him!’” he yelled” (59). Lots of exclamation points and lots of suspense.

Walter Farley’s, The Black Stallion, is a magnificent story for readers of all ages. It is a story sure to delight Texans who love horses. 5 stars

--Chiron, 9/11/18

Fun story to read about relationship between animal and man, or boy in this case. The story is about a boy who notices a horse being mistreated in a ship. They find each other and create a bond when they are stranded on an island after the ship wrecks. He takes the horse with him to New York and finds that the stallion might actually be able to become a racing horse. He finds help to train the horse and races him.
I read this book when I was in elementary school with my class.

With its unassuming opening,
"THE TRAMP steamer Drake plowed away from the coast of India and pushed its blunt prow into the Arabian Sea,
homeward bound" ... so begins an indelible adventure of friendship and love.

The Black Stallion reigns as a beloved classic to return to, again and again, for inspiration.

Alec Ramsey is the only human survivor of the shipwrecked Drake, thanks to his courage and strength
in holding the Black Stallion's rope. Together, they find fresh water and food on a tiny island until
their fortunate rescue.

Home in New York brings many challenges, a lot of love, happiness, and an unforgettable horse race.

Re-read 2016, dated but fun.

I would use this book as a read aloud for a third grade class. I will be reading a chapter everyday and having the students write down the important character actions that are driving the story forward. After reading the story, the students will combine all the character actions they believe are important and explain how these actions changed the story. I would also use this book as an independent read for fourth graders and have them write brief summaries after they have finished reading each chapter. This activity will lead to the students creating and understand the plot of the novel.

a teen boy returning from India is shipwrecked along with a wild stallion. Is eventually rescued along with the horse. Turns out the horse could be a racer, so a friend helps him train it. Ends up racing the 2 fastest horses and winning.[Just in case you're the one person who doesn't know the ending]

Simple and yet very well written and engaging.

First published in 1941, Walter Farley's best-selling novel for young readers is the triumphant tale of a boy and a wild horse. From Alec Ramsay and the Black's first meeting on an ill-fated ship to their adventures on a desert island and their eventual rescue, this beloved story will hold the rapt attention of readers new and old.

A classic children’s book about a boy and a horse. Alec Ramsey have a first brief scary meet with the wild black stallion on a ship - then tragedy strikes and he is shipwrecked on a desert island - and the only survivor apart from him is the horse.

I liked the first part of this book a lot - when Alec and the stallion learn to take care of each other and they become inseparable. Back on safe ground in USA the second part deals with entering a horse race.

It has been years since I read this book. But I remember it well. As fun as the movie was it really couldn't compare to how much I liked the book.

5204. The Black Stallion, by Walter Farley (read 1 Oct 2014) This book reads as if it was written by a high school kid, and it was, in part. But it won the the Young Reader's Choice Award in 1944, and I was amazed to see that The Incredible Journey, by Sheila Burford, won that same award in 1964, and I consider The Incredible Journey one of the best books I have ever read and I read it when I was an adult. But The Black Stallion is poorly plotted, filled with unlikely events, and the dialogue is painful to read. Furthermore there is no suspense in the book because Alec and the horse who saved him when the ship they were on sank always triumph. I guess it just goes to show that some juvenile fiction should not be read by an adult, whereas some is worth reading.½

This is the story of a ship wrecked boy, his survival and return home. The story is about a friendship with the horse he is shipwrecked with.

The Black stallion follows the story of “the Black,” a wild Arabian horse and a young boy, Alec Ramsey. When their ship they’re traveling on goes down at sea, they cling to one another and find themselves stranded on a small desolate island together. While they are stranded on this island, the bond they build through the experience is truly miraculous. When help finally reaches them Alec is adamant that he is not going to leave the island without the Black. After some coaxing he convinces his rescuers to allow the wild stallion aboard their ship. Arrangements are made to get Alec back home to his parents. Upon his arrival his parents are surprised by the large companion their son has brought home with him. After some persuasion his parents agree to let him keep the horse but it is his responsibility to find somewhere to keep him and to look after him. Once again he finds himself using her persuasive skills on his neighbors who agree to let him keep the Black in their barn. The old jockey who lives their immediately recognizes the magnificence that the stallion bestows. The retired jockey and the determined and loyal young boy team up to train this horse to race. It takes a lot of work from everyone involved but in the end they reign in victory.

'The Black's' first book is a must read for any horse lover, young and adult alike. The story, which Farley began writing during his High School years, follows the fortunes of Alec, a boy from New York who, while returning from visiting relatives in India is shipwrecked, along with a wild black stallion. The two survive together, befriending each other and when rescued, Alec brings the stallion home, cares for him, and ultimately ends up running in the race of a lifetime against the two greatest horses of the time.

The writing, though uncomplicated, draws the reader into the adventures shared by Alec and The Black. The emotions of the characters as they thread their way through the story, all are conveyed with a simple economy of words that leaves the imagination of the reader to build the full picture in a way that is refreshing in a world where so much is often over described, and overplayed.

The overall tone of the book, and the voices of the characters are believable and fit within the era in which the book was written and is set. There are times, for example, during last chapter of the book, the reader can almost 'hear' what is being said by the characters, and this only lends and excitement and believability, (and increased enjoyment), to the whole experience of reading the book.

The first half of the story, as well as introducing the reader to the characters, covers the shipwreck and fight for survival of both Alec and the stallion that becomes his companion. Farley balances the necessity to show the hardships and the trials the pair faced, with the simple tone of the writing to create an imagery, and tell this part of the tale vividly and with a fluid narrative that leads the reader from one day to the next; one even to the next as the two learn how to survive together.

The latter half of the story is well grounded in horse and the racing culture of the day, (which has sadly not remained true through the march of years since the publishing of The Black Stallion), making that aspect of the story more understandable for young readers, and for those not fully versed in such matters, and as such proves one of the highlights – as well as providing for an exciting climax of the book.

Admit it, someone says "horse adventure" and this is one of the very first images that comes to mind: a beautiful Arabian standing on a beach, the wind blowing his mane, and a shipwrecked boy beside him. Anyone who has ever read this book or seen the movie has been so caught up in that "horse adventure" that it has become a part of their lives in some way or another, even deep in the subconscious mind.

This book isn't considered a classic for nothing. Though the writing is simple, the plot is mildly outrageous, and things fall into place a little too easily, the whole of the package is somehow pure perfection. The story perfectly feeds off of the deep desires of so many who want to wake up one day and have a horse of their own just fall into their lap. Any young reader who picks up this book is certain to try and read it all in one sitting and will most probably deepen their love of horses.

As an adult, rereading this book transports me to a time when the racetracks of America were open and alive. I can exist in a time when people talked as much about what horse was the best as they now wonder who will be the National Champion at basketball. Reading the lives of Alec and Henry, taking in the words that so perfectly describe the action and sound of a racetrack, and experiencing the call of the race as if it were live on the radio, are all elements of this book that jump quickly to life inside the hearts of so many, capturing a time gone by and making this story one that will keep readers forever young.

I never went through a "horse" stage, which I understand many girls go through---I preferred stories about ghosts, vampires, black cats holed up behind brick walls, and teenagers with telekinesis---so this was one of the many books I missed when I was the target audience. My daughter reads animal stories like I used to read horror stories, so The Black Stallion eventually made it onto her reading list.

While this book gives the reader the sense that there were no women in the early 20th century except a couple of wives who mostly kept fearfully tucked inside their homes trying to keep their menfolk from getting into mischief, it was better than I expected it to be. I vaguely remember seeing the movie when I was a kid, but I mostly just remember it being dark and kind of boring. As a result, I was surprised at just how engaging the book is.

We read it as a read-aloud, and every time I finished a chapter, both of the kids would give me the, "Awww! Just one more chapter? Pleeease?" even if it wasn't bedtime. We all especially enjoyed the last chapter. It was quite intense, although that might be due in part to the fact that I read it while impersonating a horse race announcer.

A couple of minor points that left me pondering:

1) Alec's parents pay a surprisingly small amount of attention to his whereabouts. That kid leaves the house at all hours and they not only don't notice, when they learn about it, they don't even seem bothered by it. Of course, he is a teenager and he did survive a shipwreck and several weeks on a desert island where he managed to befriend a wild horse in his free time, but I still have trouble imagining giving my kids such free rein (so to speak).

2) His school day ended at 12:30 p.m. Was this common in the 1930's and 40's? Because it seems like it would be a lot easier for kids to fit in homework and extracurriculars and still get adequate sleep if their school day ended at lunchtime. How did they get all of their learning done in just a few hours? Were the classes smaller? Were the students more disciplined? Did they just learn less stuff?

At any rate, the book was fun to read, and both of my kids enjoyed it. I wonder if we'll be picking up Farley's other Black Stallion books? And I wonder if those will shed any light on the four-hour school-day mystery?