(Page numbers in this review refer to the ebook version of the book.)
New Yorker, Alec, is returning on the steamer, The Drake, from a two-month stay in India with his missionary uncle. During that visit, his uncle taught him how to ride horses.The steamer stops at an Arabian port where a savage black stallion is loaded onto the ship. The vicious horse seems to be ready to tear the ship apart. Alec is fascinated with the horse and during the days aboard the ship, he tries to make friends with him.
When a violent storm hits, Alec opens the Black's stall door to free him. In the horse's panic, he bumps Alec and knocks him into the water. The rope attached to the stallion's halter floats by Alec and he grabs it.
He only knew that he had had his choice of remaining in the water alone or being pulled by the Black. If he was to die, he would rather die with the mighty stallion than alone. He took one last look behind and saw the Drake sink into the depths. Chapter 2 p. 21
After hours in the water, the two reach the beach of a deserted island.
Here was the wildest of all wild animals-he had fought for everything he had ever needed, for food, for leadership, for life itself; it was his nature to kill or be killed. The horse reared again; then he snorted and plunged straight for the boy. Chapter 3 p. 24
Alec focuses on survival on the island with a knife his only tool. He looks at the Black, realizing he could provide food.
"There's food, Alec, food - if you could only find some way of killing him!" Then he shook his head, hating himself. Kill the animal that had saved his life? Never - even if he could, he would die of starvation first! Chapter 3 p. 30
At one point, the Black saves Alec's life again by killing a venemous snake.
Had the Black killed the snake to save him? Was the stallion beginning to understand that they needed each other to survive? Chapter 4 p. 33
Alec is gradually able to get closer to the Black and eventually pet him. He jumps onto the horse's back and is flung off and knocked unconscious. When he awakens, he gets on the horse again. He's thrown off a second time. The third time, the Black gallops down the beach, and Alec stays on.
During his third week on the island, his shelter catches fire one night. The fire is seen by someone in a passing ship who comes to rescue him. Alec refuses to leave the island without the Black. The horse swims behind the rowboat out to the ship, then Alec swims under the horse to get a belly band around him so he can be hoisted onto the ship. They return home to Flushing, New York.
I read online that Alec Ramsay, the main character, is supposed to be seventeen. I couldn't find that age in the book, but it does mention high school banners hanging on his bedroom walls. (The movie version makes him much younger.)
Alec had been away from his parents for five months, and they had feared he was dead. Their conversation when they met Alec at the pier, seems a bit subdued for so recently believing they had lost their only son. :)
"Hello, Mother and Dad!" was all he said, though his heart was full. He could see his mother had been crying. Grasping the end of the rope so as to keep hold of the Black, Alec ran up to her, threw his arms around both of them.
"It's good to see you, Alec," his father said after a few minutes.
"It's good to be home," answered Alec.
His mother smiled.
Chapter 7 p. 68
"We'll take him home and see how it works out. Only remember, Alec, he's your responsibility - yours to take care of and yours to feed. You've got a big job on your hands. I'll see to it hat he gets to Flushing, but from then on it's up to you!" Chapter 7 p. 69
Alec keeps the horse at the farm of Henry Dailey, in a stall next to an old horse, Napoleon. The Black becomes attached to the old gelding. Dailey is a former jockey who had once won the Kentucky Derby (His winning horse dropped dead right after the race). When he could no longer ride, Daily became a horse trainer. He and his wife had two daughters, but he'd always wanted a boy, so Alec becomes like the son he never had.
When Alec tells his parents the story of the shipwreck and survival.
His father's pipe had gone out. "I don't know what to say, son" - he broke the silence - "except that God must have been with you - and with us." Chapter 8 p. 78
Napoleon's hispanic owner, Tony, uses the expression "Dio Mio" frequently, which apparently means "My God." Not sure if the "Lord!" below is taking God's name in vain?
"Lord!" said Henry. "The plane scared him! He'll kill himself on those rocks!" Chapter 9 p. 91
"Gosh! That would be terrible!" Chapter 10 p. 92
Some might consider the following words/phrases inappropriate?
"Jumpin' Jehoshaphat!" and "Bejabbers" Chapter 13 p. 121
Alec lies to his mother after the Black jumps a fence and runs away.
He didn't know whether he should tell his mother about the Black running away. He decided against it - it would only worry her more, and now that the stallion was back, everything was all right. Chapter 10 p. 99
Henry repeatedly calls Alec "son." It seems as if he has replaced Alec's real father. Both parents play minimal roles in the book.
Playing "tag" with a horse is not something I recommend!
The stallion thundered down upon the boy. Five yards away he swerved, barely missing him. ... "Better get out of there, Alec," Henry warned.
"He just wants to play, Henry," Alec yelled over his shoulder. "We did this all the time on the island! It's like a game of tag."
Chapter 11 p. 104
Dailey is worried that the Black can't be raced since he isn't registered.
This seems strange to me. A jockey who has won the Kentucky Derby would surely know that most American horse races are restricted to registered Thoroughbreds - not Arabians.
Henry writes to a horse registry in the Middle East wanting to find the pedigree of the Black. They wait until April to train him to saddle and bridle. The Black rears and falls over backward breaking the saddle. Two weeks later, Henry and Alec sneak the Black out to the Belmont racetrack at 1am, without his parents' knowledge to get the horse used to running on a track. They plan to go there three nights a week and continue to keep it secret from Alec's parents.
"We're hoping he's listed in the Arabian Stud Book. I've been writing to them but they haven't answered - guess they can't find anything!" (Henry) Chapter 13 p. 128
"Remember he's an Arabian." [Henry]
"Not all Arabian, though, Henry - too big, too much speed. The blood of a good many horses runs in his veins. [Jake, Henry's friend] Chapter 14 p. 133
Alec's hands are bloody from trying to hold the Black back, yet he rides him again two nights later. They finally receive a letter in response to the inquiry about the Black's ancestry that indicates they can't find any registered horse fitting the description of the Black.
A match race is set up in Chicago between two of the fastest Thoroughbreds at the time, Cyclone and Sun Raider, who had not previously met. Of course, Alec and Henry believe the Black is faster than either of them.
A reporter friend suggests they try to get the Black in the race. A famous sportswriter's newspaper article - Who is the Mystery Horse That can Beath Both Cyclone and Sun Raider?" causes a stir and the "mystery" horse is invited to the race. Since it's not an official race, it doesn't matter the breed or registry of the horse.
Alec's father reads the newspaper.
"All anybody can read in the sports section these days is news about that horse race out in Chicago next Saturday. Wonder who the devil this mystery horse is..." Chapter 16 p. 154
As they are lining up for the start of the race, Sun Raider kicks the Black, and his leg is bleeding badly. Alec starts to get off to examine it, when the starter begins the race. (the race scene would have been better told from Alec's viewpoint, but it is narrated by the announcer.) The Black comes from behind to win the race, breaking the world's record.
Alec forgot the cheering thousands as he slid, exhausted, from the stallion's back. He bent down to look at the wound. There was so much blood! Alec took his handkerchief and wrapped it around the Black's leg to try to stop the bleeding. "You shouldn't have done it, Boy," he said. Chapter 18 p. 178
The veterinary straighted up. "He's lost a lot of blood, but it's only a superficial wound. Nothing to worry about. Give him a rest and he'll be as good as new!" Chapter 18 p. 178
This seems totally contradictory to me - he's lost SO much blood, but it's only a superficial wound??
This is the first of twenty-one books in the Black Stallion series by Walter Farley. His son, Steven Farley, went on to write additional Black Stallion books. You can find them all listed here:
https://theblackstallion.com/web/books/the-series/
Nearly everything horse-related in the book is stretched to the point of unbelievability.
Alec doesn't merely fall off the stallion, he's knocked unconscious - but soon gets back on! He doesn't just have a hard time holding the horse back; his hands are raw and bloody from pulling on the reins. The Black repeatedly rears, falls over backward, strikes, kicks, and/or bites people or other horses, yet everyone is fine.
He not only wins the race (having never raced before) against the two fastest horses in the country, he comes from behind with his rider nearly falling off, and the horse's leg bleeding profusely from his "superficial" wound, and sets a world record.
I suppose if you're ten years old, you won't notice such things or maybe they add to the excitement. To me, they just make the story not even remotedly believable. And, the whole idea that a horse who most insist is an Arabian could compete against Thoroughbreds is a bit puzzling.
The language issues are minimal, as noted in the review. I don't like how Henry Dailey seems to become a father figure to Alec. Although, since Alec is in his late teens, this is less worrisome than if he were younger. Sneaking out and lying to his parents is problematic, but it doesn't seem to bother Mr. or Mrs. Ramsay.
On a scale of 1 to 5, I'll give it a 3. But, there's no way I could make it through twenty more books of this! :)
Review of The Black Stallion, by Walter Farley
Title: The Black Stallion
Author: Walter Farley
Originally Published: 1941
Publisher: Random House
Language: English
Paperback: 187 pages
ISBN: 9780679813439
Genre: fiction
Intended Reader: 8-14 years, grades: 3-7
Reviewer: Vicki Watson, Sonrise Stable Books
Review Date: 2024-06-16
