Michael Morpurgo

War Horse

Sarah Sammis

War Horse by Michael Morpurgo is one of his earliest novels. It has since publication been adapted for stage and film. I have seen neither adaptations but I'm curious to see the film. Although the book suffers from being an early work I think the events could lend themselves to film.

The Library of Congress summery tells you all you need to know about the book: "Joey the horse recalls his experiences growing up on an English farm, his struggle for survival as a cavalry horse during World War I, and his reunion with his beloved master." Seriously, that's all there is to the book.

War Horse, while historically interesting, suffers mostly from being told from the horse's point of view. Joey's voice has a very limited range of emotions: either a dry, book report style recounting of events, and completely heartbroken longing for his master. He's just not an interesting enough or well rounded enough of a character to carry this novel.

Later Morpurgo books also blend together a very personal, character drive story against a historical setting. The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips, for instance, is about the forced evacuation of a British town during World War Two and the cat who was nearly lost in the process. Unless you're a fan of books told from the point of view of a horse (Black Beauty and its ilk), War Horse the book is worth skipping.

Deepika Ramesh

Michael Morpurgo’s 'War Horse' made me break my own rule. Once upon a time, I told myself that I should always acquire the hard-copy of a book, if there’s an animal on the jacket. But, I bought 'War Horse' on Amazon’s Kindle, despite knowing that there is a gorgeous horse on the cover. I relaxed my rule because I didn’t want to wait for a week to read the most celebrated book of Morpurgo. I loved his 'The Butterfly Lion', and I wanted to start 'War Horse' the very next day. I am so glad that I succumbed to the urge. Because 'War Horse' is the best book I have read this year. It’s official! :)

Joey -- a bay-red horse -- is skittish. He is named Joey by his Albert, only because the young boy has another horse called Zoey. Although Joey hates his owner, Albert’s father — whom he refuses to call his master — he begins enjoying Zoey’s company, and Albert’s unconditional love. He slowly forgets his mother, even learns to do a lot of farming work, and lives a calm, yet happy life with Albert. But it’s only short-lived, for Albert’s father sells Joey to the army, as war breaks out. Under the love and care of Captain Nicholls, Joey travels from England to France, and also befriends a stallion called Topthorn. The duo prove their prowess in the war, and become the favourite horses of the soldiers. Together, Joey says, they make a magnificent sight. :)

Everything goes downhill, as war worsens. Joey makes many friends, but suffers many a loss, even refuses to let go of his dead friends, and reaches a deplorable state before the war ends. To my relief, Morpurgo throws in a couple of plot-twists that make Joey happy. If you would let me spoil it for you… everything ends well. Sorry! :) (But I still cried, and shed buckets and buckets of tears. That’s the strange thing about life. Even happy things make you weep like a baby.)

Morpurgo is now one of my favourite writers. His commentary on war, which he articulates through Joey is beautiful. Although Joey narrates his story, he doesn’t include his take on war, but only recounts what he sees, hears, and experiences. All the enlightening opinions that are offered are by the very soldiers who fight.

Some of my favourite passages here:

‘I tell you, my friends,’ he said one day. ‘I tell you that I am the only sane man in the regiment. It’s the others that are mad, but they don’t know it. They fight a war and they don’t know what for. Isn’t that crazy? How can one man kill another and not really know the reason why he does it, except that the other man wears a different colour uniform and speaks a different language? And it’s me they call mad! You two are the only rational creatures I’ve met in this benighted war, and like me the only reason you’re here is because you were brought here. If I had the courage – and I haven’t – we’d take off down this road and never come back. But then they’d shoot me when they caught me and my wife and my children and my mother and my father would have the shame of it on them for ever. As it is, I’m going to live out this war as “mad old Friedrich”, so that I can return again to Schleiden and become Butcher Friedrich that everyone knew and respected before all this mess began.’

‘In an hour, maybe, or two,’ he said. ‘We will be trying our best again each other to kill. God only knows why we do it, and I think he has maybe forgotten why. Goodbye Welshman. We have shown them, haven’t we? We have shown them that any problem can be solved between people if only they can trust each other. That is all it needs, no?’

In 'The Butterfly Lion', Morpurgo pours his out for a white lion cub, whom I wanted to adopt. :) In 'War Horse', his love for horses shines through in every passage. He has now made me question my very existence. What have I been doing with life, if I haven’t befriended a horse ever? :)

Another favourite passage:

“Don’t you ever think about anything else except horses, Rudi?” said his companion, keeping his distance. “Three years I’ve known you and not a day goes by without you going on about the wretched creatures. I know you were brought up with them on your farm, but I still can’t understand what it is that you see in them. They are just four legs, a head, and a tail, all controlled by a very little brain that can’t think beyond food and drink.” “How can you say that?” said Rudi. “Just look at him, Karl. Can you not see that he’s something special? This one isn’t just any old horse. There’s a nobility in his eye, a regal serenity about him. Does he not personify all that men try to be and never can be? I tell you, my friend, there’s divinity in a horse, and especially in a horse like this. God got it right the day he created them. And to find a horse like this in the middle of this filthy abomination of a war is for me like finding a butterfly on a dung heap. We don’t belong in the same universe with a creature like this.”

I think, there is something beautiful and heartwarming about people, who talk to animals, who believe that they listen, and who think that their words would comfort them. 'War Horse' is replete with such lovely characters, and it’s such a pleasure to meet each one of them. And, besides all that makes the book special, I’m also in awe of Morpurgo’s extraordinary talent to paint the aftermath of war in a simple, yet moving manner.

'War Horse' is for you if you love animals. It is for you if you like reading books on war. It’s still for you if you are okay to try something touching and marvellous. :)

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Michal Stone

I loved this book. It was very cute and I loved the horse-he was so loyal. I liked the movie a lot, too.

Francois Place

The book that inspired Steven Spielberg’s Hollywood blockbuster movie and an internationally acclaimed stage show . . . it can only be Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse. In the deadly chaos of the First World War, one horse witnesses the reality of battle from both sides of the trenches. Bombarded by artillery, with bullets knocking riders from his back, Joey tells a powerful story of the truest friendships surviving in terrible times. The bedlam of battle had begun. All around me men cried and fell to the ground, and horses reared and screamed in an agony of fear and pain. The shells whined and roared overhead, and every explosion seemed like an earthquake to us. One horse has the seen the best and the worst of humanity. The power of war and the beauty of peace. This is his story. Former Children’s Laureate and award-winning author, Michael Morpurgo, has written nearly 100 books for children, many of them war stories. But none have become as famous as War Horse. Inspiring a long-running stage show and a box office film directed by Steven Spielberg, War Horse has become an international sensation. Read the book that started it all; the stunning wartime classic.

Morgana

Ti venderò questo cavallo per un penny

Avrei dovuto leggere prima il libro e poi vedere il film, però va bene lo stesso. Il libro mi è piaciuto, anche se sono rimasta sorpresa nello scoprire che seguiva il cavallo e non il ragazzo ( colpa mia, come ho detto prima ho visto prima il film ). Comunque è scritto bene e la storia è carina, quindi è una lettura piacevole.

This special editon of War Horse commemorates the 100th Anniversary of the beginning of the First World War, and features a brand new introduction by Michael Morpurgo and cover artwork by Rae Smith, designer of the National Theatre's production of War Horse. In the deadly chaos of the First World War, one horse witnesses the reality of battle from both sides of the trenches. Bombarded by artillery, with bullets knocking riders from his back, Joey tells a powerful story of the truest friendships surviving in terrible times. One horse has the seen the best and the worst of humanity. The power of war and the beauty of peace. This is his story. From Michael Morpurgo, former children's laureate, comes this thrilling and epic tale of one horse's journey through the trenches of the First World War. War Horse was adapted by Steven Spielberg as a major motion picture, and shown on stage in London's West End and on Broadway.

Sheila Goicea

See my FULL review of this book on my blog along with others at: shesgoingbookcrazy.com
”That’s what war is all about, my friend. It’s about which of us is the madder.”


I remember when I saw this movie when it first came out in theatre. At the time, I didn’t realize it was an adaptation from a book. Naturally, when I learned of its origins, I had to read the book as well!  War Horse is told in a similar fashion to  Black Beauty, as it is told from the horse’s (Joey’s) perspective. While this point-of-view may be slightly limiting as it leaves out a lot of human emotion, I appreciated how it simplified the narration and actually made everything come across more bluntly. Just like humans, Joey and the other horses felt and experienced raw emotions throughout the war. Fear, anxiety, comradery, sacrifice--however, they came across without jadedness. Unlike humans, animals feel emotions without complications. This narration bled into the human characters throughout that were pivotal in Joey’s story, as their complicated situations were unraveled to reveal the jewels underneath. 

The main point about this book that I love is the theme of human value. Despite the fact of there being a war going on, there weren’t any ruthless characters that only wanted to kill, kill, kill. Everyone had a sense of general right and wrong and understood the fact that war is ugly, traumatic, complicated, and tiresome.
”The horse is yours. Take good care of him, my friend,” and he picked up the rope again and handed it to the Welshman. As he did so he held out his other hand in a gesture of friendship and reconciliation, a smile lighting his worn face. “In an hour, maybe, or two,” he said, “We will be trying to our best again each other to kill. God only knows why we do it, and I think he has maybe forgotten why. Goodby Welshman. We have shown them, haven’t we? We have shown them that any problem can be solved between people if only they can trust each other. That is all it needs, no?”
This element of humanity is undeniably prevalent in a pure form to show how humans can only take so much. For a majority of this war, the people didn’t even know what they were fighting for. They didn’t hate each other--they knew they were all equals, and they respected each other in that.

Comparably, the theme of friendship is very strong. Deep friendships between men, horses, and men to horses, exist in several examples. Albert and Joey--Joey and Captain Nicholls--Joey and Topthorn--Joey, Topthorn, and Emilie, and several other connections overflow this book with friendship. I believe this is the aspect which makes this book so emotional because the deepness of affection between characters in untainted ways is tangible. It’s so tangible, in fact, that several characters willingly faced their fears in order to sacrifice for one another. 



This book is devastatingly heart-wrenching at times but makes you feel so good at others. It’s a short read, but is packed full of virtue, respectful characters, and honorable missions--both by horse and man. It was a refreshing read and completely cleansed my palate. This book is aimed at children to young adults, but can easily be read and appreciated by someone of any age. I would highly recommend this read to anyone.  

Vulgarity: The “H” word is only used once.
Sexual content: None at all.
Violence: Seeing how this book is about WWI, the evidence of violence is there. However, the author does a wonderful job in its portrayal and steers clear of gore, unnecessarily graphic scenes, and the like.

My Rating: ★★★★★

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An e-book edition of War Horse with movie stills, behind-the-scenes photos, storyboards, and more! In 1914, Joey, a beautiful bay-red foal with a distinctive cross on his nose, is sold to the army and thrust into the midst of the war on the Western Front. With his officer, he charges toward the enemy, witnessing the horror of the battles in France. But even in the desolation of the trenches, Joey's courage touches the soldiers around him and he is able to find warmth and hope. But his heart aches for Albert, the farmer's son he left behind. Will he ever see his true master again?

Mylk_siie

There are not many books with happy endings that I love, but I needed this one. Joey's POV was very interesting and, of course, different than the rest. The brutality of war is greatly portrayed and the loss hit me greatly, especially after bonding so quickly with the characters. The reunion was so great and though I was almost crying for the loss of others and other horses, I had tears of joy by the end. This book was truly amazing and I am so glad it ended well. 

Angie

Touching story about friendship, people's fate in a horrible war and how perspective can change a lot of things (I guess)

Andrew Sztehlo

Absolutely magnificent and one of the best children’s novels I’ve read - it’s right up there with Coraline, The Hobbit, and The Call of the Wild for me. Supremely captivating and emotional and it doesn’t shy away from the horror and chaos of World War 1, expertly and imaginatively introducing that horrifying landscape to children through the eyes of Joey, the eponymous War Horse. Add to that Michael Morpurgo’s surprisingly sophisticated and beautiful prose and this book is just a treasure to hold. I will be pushing this book a lot harder in my school library now!

MJ Laird

I must say I enjoyed the film so much more than the book! I didn't like Zoey at all and I missed having the brothers, Gunther and Michael. Most of all though, I thought that the reunion between Albert and Joey lacked the drama that the movie had. Usually I don't say this but, I was very glad with the changes in the movie! However, that might be different if I'd read the book first.

Hope Brockway

This book, y'all. This book is simply amazing. 

It's beautiful and heartbreaking and action-packed and all in all fantastic. 

While the writing style is simplistic and almost middle-grade in nature, the plot is most definitely not. It forces the reader to face complex issues like the passing away of tradition and how war used to be fought. How we now see war--as a bloody, heartless machine--is just beginning to emerge. While war was still brutal (can we talk about all the gassing that went on in this war?? and all those bayonet charges in previous wars??), the battle of creature versus machine began to emerge. We have the beginnings of tanks and machine guns, both of which are super destructive during this war. 

Sorry to give you guys a history lesson, but I think this book so eloquently talks about these issues. 

This book isn't a light, fluffy read by any means. It's hard. We see the hardships and fears of war up close. Most of the violence is off-screen and there are definitely some scenes that should be skipped or glazed over for younger kids. 

But there is also some good. This book does a good job of looking at the humanity of both sides. Both sides see the tragedy and ugly parts of the war. Both sides wish to protect their homes yet quickly return to the way things were. Both sides wish that innocents weren't involved in such a disgusting display. 

This book is one of my favorites because of its complexity and heaviness. It's heartbreaking and ends on a bittersweet note (spoilers??). I would totally recommend this to a history buff or someone looking for an eye-opening read.

Kornelija Sukovaitė

One horse has seen the best and the worst of humanity. The power of war and the beauty of peace. This is his story. In the deadly chaos of the First World War, one horse witnesses the reality of battle from both sides of the trenches. Bombarded by artillery, with bullets knocking riders from his back, Joey tells a powerful story of the truest friendships surviving in terrible times.

War Horse

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