Reading an interesting book can be a highly enjoyable experience. Although many prefer a movie over a book, there are still a huge number of people who love nothing more than reading. For these book lovers, the movie versions can be less thrilling and exciting.
Below we have compiled a list of the best books for those who love horses and also like to talk about the runners at the Grand National.
1- Black Beauty (Anna Sewell)
<p;> Black Beauty is one of the best books that you can lay your hands on. It is an 1877 novel which was authored by Anna Sewell. The book became hugely popular and is considered as one of the top ten best-selling novels for children. The English author died only five months after the publication of the book.
Black Beauty recounts the story of a horse that goes through difficult phases of life and encounters many hardships along the way. It is narrated in the first person as an autobiographical memoir. Each chapter of the novel gives a lesson to the readers by recounting an incident in Black Beauty’s life.
2- National Velvet (Enid Bagnold)
For horse lovers, National Velvet is a must read. It was first published in 1935 and it was written by Enid Bagnold, who penned many books but National Velvet is her most famous work. The fascinating novel is about a 14-year-old girl named Velvet Brown who wants to win the Grand National steeplechase by riding and training her horse The Piebald.
The novel was later adapted into a film in 1944 which garnered huge successes. It is directed by Clarence Brown and it features Elizabeth Taylor in the leading role. The film holds a 100 percent rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. It made $3,678,000 at the box office in the United States and Canada.
National Velvet also won two Oscars, including the Best Actress in a Supporting Role and Best Film Editing.
3- The Black Stallion (Walter Farley)
If we are talking about the best books about horses, then it is not possible to omit The Black Stallion, a novel written by Walter Farley. It was first published in 1941 and revolves around a teenager named Alec Ramsay and an untamed, apparently wild black stallion. Things take a dramatic turn in the book when the two characters are stranded together on a desert after the sinking of their ship.
The novel was also adapted into a film The Black Stallion in 1979. The movie is adapted by Melissa Mathaison, William D. Wittliff and Jeanne Rosenberg, starring Kelly Reno, Teri Garr and Hoyt Aston in the main roles. It first hit the screens in 1979 and garnered $37.8 million at the box office against a budget of $2.7 million.
4- Misty of Chincoteague (Marguerite Henry)
Misty of Chincoteague is another fascinating read for horse lovers. It was first published in 1947 and it was written by Marguerite Henry. This children’s novel was inspired by the real-life story of the Beebe family who tried to raise a filly born to a wild horse. This book was also adapted into a film named Misty in 1961.
Watching a movie can be an enjoyable experience, but betting on the game takes everything to the next level. That’s why bet Grand National horses are so popular among many people.
You can find more good reading and interesting stories in our sections on Books and Recreation & Lifestyle.
