Title: War Horse
Author: Michael Morpurgo
Year Published: 2014 (originally 1982)
Publisher: Egmont
What's it about?: A horse's journey in World War I.
Reread?: No.
Rating: 5/5
Likes: I like that it is written from the horse's point of view.
Dislikes: Nothing.
Thoughts: This has such a Black Beauty feel to it and I LOVE it! It is such an emotional story following Joey through World War I. So much happens. It's a great story.
OK. Honestly, I read this book in the summer and don't really remember everything about it now that I'm finally writing this. I remember that I love it. Right away when I started reading it I got a Black Beauty vibe from it and I love it! It's a new favorite book.
To make up for not really having much to say, here are all the quotes I liked while reading:
It was a slow baptism of fire for me (p. 47)That's what this war is all about, my friend. It's about which of us is the madder. (p. 74)
If it is possible to be happy in the middle of a nightmare, then Topthorn and I were happy that summer. (p. 77)
But any fear I might have had was overwhelmed by a powerful sense of sadness and love that compelled me to stay with Topthorn for as long as I could. I knew that once I left him I would be alone in the world again, that I would no longer have his strength and support beside me. So I stayed with him and waited. (p. 116)
We have shown them that any problem can be solved between people if only they can trust each other (p. 131)
'Begging your pardon, sir,' he said. 'But I remembers you telling us when we first come here that a horse's life is p'raps even more important than a man's, 'cos an horse hasn't got no evil in him 'cepting any that's put there by men. I remembers you saying that our job in the veterinary corps was to work night and day, twenty-six hours a day if need be to save and help every horse that we could, that every horse was valuable in hisself and valuable to the war effort. No horse, no guns. No horse, no ammunition. No horse, no cavalry. No horse, no ambulances. No horse, no water for troops at the front. Lifeline of the whole army, you said, sir. We must never give up, you said, 'cos where there's life there's still hope. That's all what you said, sir, begging your pardon, sir.' (p. 149-150)
'Come on, you silly, you, say something. That's the only thing I've got against you, Joey, you're the best listener I've ever known, but I never know what the divil you're thinking. You just blink your eyes and waggle those ears of yours from east to west and south to north. I wish you could talk, Joey, I really do.' (p. 158-159)
When the end of the war did come, it came swiftly, almost unexpectedly it seemed to the men around me. There was little joy, little celebration of victory, only a sense of profound relief that at last it was finished and done with. (p. 160)