The Black Stallion

By: Walter Farley

Narrated by: Frank Muller

Length: 5 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's Summary

When the steamer Drake is shipwrecked off the Spanish coast, only two passengers survive. One is Alec Ramsay, a young American boy. The other is the Black Stallion, the wildest of all wild creatures. Stranded together on a desert island, boy and stallion develop a deep and wonderful understanding. The Black Stallion is the horse Alec has always dreamed of - beautiful, free-spirited, and astonishingly strong. Alec is determined to tame him and bring him home to New York. But the job turns out to be more difficult and dangerous that he ever thought possible, for a wild Arabian stallion will not settle down easily into the quiet American countryside. Generations have been captivated by Walter Farley’s heartwarming story of the extraordinary horse and the boy who loves him. To this day, The Black Stallion remains one of the best-loved books of children around the world and a classic of children’s literature.

©1941 Walter Farley (P)1999 Recorded Books, LLC

A wonderful ride.

The Black Stallion is a classic. The story is likely well known to many. The book was made into a movie long ago. The chance to hear the great Frank Muller narrate the book is priceless. Alec Ramsey is a young man who had spent a year in India as an adolescent. Alec was on a ship on its way back from India towards England when the ship moored at a port in Saudi Arabia. On board came the black stallion, a truly magnificent wild animal that had never been trained or broken. The ship, called the Drake, broke up in a storm. Into the water they went. Alec grabbed onto the tail of the Black, as he is called, and they swim a very long time before finding a tiny island off the coast of Portugal. There they spend about a month, getting to know each other. Alec proves himself to be an indomitable young man, as he manages to find food for both of them, and he gets so close to the horse that the stallion allows Alec to ride him. Alec will be the only person that the Black will ever allow to ride him. After about a month on the island, a nearby boat sees a fire on the island, which is Alec's hand-made hutch. Sailors rescue both of them. They end up in New York Harbor, and Alec convinces his parents to let him bring the Black home. Alec and an ex-jockey named Henry train the Black for months, and even though the horse has no registration papers, a local journalist persuades the owners of the two fastest horses in the US to let the Black run in a race to discover which horse is the fastest. You can probably imagine the finale.
The book is extremely entertaining. I was almost able to read it in one sitting, which is very unusual for me. Frank Muller had such an amazing voice. I have written about him many times before. He read over 200 audiobooks in his career, and he would have done many more if not for the fact that he died in a motorcycle accident about ten years ago. We do have his catalog of work, and it is truly a remarkable collection. So many of my favorite audiobooks: Martin Cruz Smith's Gorky Park and Polar Star; John Grisham's The Testament and several other books, this book, most of Stephen King's books, and on and on. Mr. King once said that he wrote for Frank Muller's voice, which is some compliment when you think about it. You get so completely caught up in Frank's narration that you lose track of time and forget the minor troubles that may beset you. This is pure pleasure, Frank's gift to us. I will remember him for the rest of my life. I hope that you get the opportunity to listen to him as well.

6 people found this helpful

The Black was awesome

We all loved it my boys 9 and 8 and their sister 6. Great narrator, perfect story for the entire family. Everyone looked forward to book time!

5 people found this helpful

Precious story! Hugely satisfying!

A beautiful, timeless classic! Will read again. Frank Muller's voice is a great match for this book. He is easy to listen to, and enjoyed his style very much. Classic stories, such as The Black Stallion, and headsets, go well together!

5 people found this helpful

Excellent for children!

If you could sum up The Black Stallion in three words, what would they be?

A classic for all children. We listened this summer and all my children (12, 10, and 7) were attentive and involved in the story. Great narrator. Will look for Frank Muller again. His voice was pleasing and never distracting.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

We listened to a couple chapters each morning on the commute in to summer school.

4 people found this helpful

This story has it all-excitement and adventure!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Black Stallion to be better than the print version?

It really makes the story more enjoyable for young listeners.

What does Frank Muller bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His use of his wonderful voice brought each character to life.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

A wild horse, a young hero, an amazing adventure!

Any additional comments?

Loved it!!!

3 people found this helpful

Thrilling!

I loved it so much! And the narrator did such a good job and was able to tons of voices and accents. But the story was so wonderful! My husband turned me on to it due to memories of having a school teacher read it to him and his 6th grade class 35 years ago. He never forgot it, and the entire class was spellbound by it. I heard there are sequels and I am definitely going to get them . I did NOT want this story to end.

2 people found this helpful

A great book about a horse and a boy.

A great book About a horse and a boy. I first read about the Black when I was in grade school. I Will soon be 70 years old and still find this book fun to read.

1 person found this helpful

Youth classics are classics for a good reason.

If you could sum up The Black Stallion in three words, what would they be?

Still a classic

Any additional comments?

There are still thrills in this great old book. It has been a movie for a reason. The theme is classic and it is a tightly written book that defies time.

1 person found this helpful

The Black Stallion

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this audiobook without a doubt. The product was high quality and follows the book.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I enjoyed Henry, he was truly brought to life by the voices the narrator uses.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, I used it with my classroom and we listened to it daily for approximately 2 weeks.

1 person found this helpful

The Black Stallion

The Black Stallion is a great book. Looking forward to Audible releasing the rest of the series in audio format.