The Black Stallion
4.75 stars I am often reluctant to reread childhood faves, because as I've aged, my reading tastes have changed. Since The Black Stallion was written almost 80 years ago, the age of the novel also gave me pause. I impulsively checked it out of the library anyway (I do have an ancient hardcover copy somewhere in my own book collection, but it's so much easier to read a digital copy). I remember the first book in the series being one of my least favorites, but after finishing it again, a gazillion years after my first outing with the Black and Alec, I must have remembered incorrectly. I can't see how later books can top the excitement and adrenaline rush of this one.
The book starts with young Alec on a freighter, headed home from a summer in India visiting his uncle. During the journey, two remarkable things happen; a wild black stallion is loaded during a stop in Arabia, and the violent storm breaks the ship apart. Saved inadvertently by the Black, Alec and the stallion are marooned on a small, desolate island. Alec struggles with all of the life skills he possesses to keep himself and the horse alive while awaiting rescue. They form a close bond, and Alec even braves several unplanned dismounts (he is quickly and powerfully tossed from the Black's back and thrown to the ground) to ride him.
They are rescued, and when Alec and the Black finally, finally arrive back home in New York, the boy convinces his parents to let him keep the horse. In an incredible convenience, the Dailey's, an older couple that live down the street, have a run-down barn and an acre pasture, and they agree to allow Alec to board the horse on their property. Henry Dailey, a former jockey and horse trainer, sees the potential in the wild stallion, and decides to help Alec train him.
I could not put the book down, and I’ve read it a number of times in the past. It’s been decades since my last reread, and I had forgotten many plot details. I completely forgot about the match race between Cyclone and Sun Raider, and was wondering how the Black would be able to race without papers. Now that I have horses of my own, I know how important registration papers are if you want to compete in breed events. That small detail wouldn’t have meant much to me during my first visits with the Black and Alec, when I was, what, eight?
Alec’s adventures are harrowing and leave you on the edge of your seat. Even his rides on the Black are exciting. Walter Farley makes the most of drama, giving the Black speed that blinds Alec, brings tears streaming down his face, and even weakens him to the point of losing consciousness. The Black is a wild, violent animal, always a hair-trigger away from coming completely unglued. Only the special bond he shares with his human keeps events from escalating into disasters. Is it very believable? No, but it makes for tense, hard to put down reading.
One thing I missed from this version of the story where the illustrations in my old hardcopy. They gave the story more depth and were just plain fun to look at. That’s the only knock I have for this edition. I’m glad I reread this, and I’ll probably read more of the series, because I have completely forgotten most of the other books.
