A nice souvenir, 02 Oct 2007
I bought this book in Granada when I first visited that city four years ago, and re-read it while we were there last month. It's a nice collection of tales (mostly fairy stories) set in and around the Alhambra palace, which Irving apparently collected whilst he was living there during a respite from his diplomatic work. His evocative prose, though somewhat archaic (the book is more than a hundred and fifty years old) conjures up the magical atmosphere of that beautiful place very effectively, which makes this a perfect souvenir for anyone who's visited Granada, or an inspiration for anyone who's planning a trip there.

Brilliant, brings the palace to life., 06 Dec 1999
I read the book after visiting the Alhambra Palace in Grenada, and it really brought the gardens, courtyards and fountains to life. Both the book and the palace are worth a visit.

A nice souvenir, 02 Oct 2007
I bought this book in Granada when I first visited that city four years ago, and re-read it while we were there last month. It's a nice collection of tales (mostly fairy stories) set in and around the Alhambra palace, which Irving apparently collected whilst he was living there during a respite from his diplomatic work. His evocative prose, though somewhat archaic (the book is more than a hundred and fifty years old) conjures up the magical atmosphere of that beautiful place very effectively, which makes this a perfect souvenir for anyone who's visited Granada, or an inspiration for anyone who's planning a trip there.

Brilliant, brings the palace to life., 06 Dec 1999
I read the book after visiting the Alhambra Palace in Grenada, and it really brought the gardens, courtyards and fountains to life. Both the book and the palace are worth a visit.

Period Observations set off Fantastical Tales, 15 Jul 2008
First, a note on the edition. I have a copy of The Modern Library 2001 paperback; this is a handsome, compact volume, complete with concise notes and an introduction from a modern author. It is well bound with quality paper, and I rather like the classy illustration on the cover.

The work itself is, of course, a classic, albeit - in the UK at least - a lesser known one. The title is somewhat misleading; to my mind, '... and Other Stories' implies a collection of narrative-based short stories, but that is not really what you get. Irving's original title and the subtitle here, 'The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.', is a better description. 'Geoffry Crayon' is a fictional front for Irving; his sketchbook is a collection of miscellaneous prose pieces. There are several observations - chiefly of nineteenth century England from the perspective of a visiting American; a number of what appear to be fictionalised versions of true tales picked up on his travels; a retold legend or two, and a few original stories. Probably the best known of the original stories are 'Rip Van Winkle' and 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' itself. Interestingly, both of these purport to be the work of another fictional creation of Irving's, one 'Diedrich Knickerbocker'. Both are set in New York State.

Personally, I quite like to read the stories in their original context, even if they don't fit the general pattern, which is the observations of an American abroad in England. Most of these observations are rather quaint and rambling, and are very much of their time. Taken together, though, they do provide a picture of how Irving would have seen England. Given that this collection was first published, and was well recieved, in England, this is quite interesting for an English reader with historical perspective.

But you're really interested in the stories, aren't you? (I was!)

Rip Van Winkle was oddly unsatisfying. It felt like a sketch for a longer work; our titular sleeper met with a curious company in the wilderness, joined with their revelry and awoke 20 years later. Perhaps the bare-bones nature of this tale, with its echoes of Thomas the Rhymer and other European faerie sleepers, is the very reason that its name has entered the cultural consciousness when older, more fabulous, tales lie on the verge of being forgotten.

Sleep Hollow is longer and more satisfying. It is easier to see through the supernatural gloss and to 'solve' the mystery of Ichabod Crane's fate - in fact, the solution is signposted quite clearly in the text. Irving - via Knickerbocker - creates a powerful sense of atmosphere in the story itself and leaves just enough space for the reader to feel smug about reading between the lines.

Other reviewers have made a point of saying that the story and the recent film are not very similar. To an extent, this is true; the film essentially takes the short story as a springboard into the realms of fantasy. In a way, the story is a sketch for the film. Yet I recognised the same atmosphere, and I didn't feel that the story itself was lacking. It is complete within itself, and almost makes the film appear indulgently fabulous. But that is the nature of film, and it is almost certainly what most of its viewers wanted from the film.

I enjoyed reading the story, and I enjoyed the film. There is a gulf between them, but - to belabour Irving's own metaphor - it is that between an artist's simple sketch of a scene and a later working up into an elaborate, showy exhibition piece with added figures from the artist's elaborate imaginings. Of course, in this case, there are two artists... but I digress.

'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories' is definitely worth the read for the title story alone; the remainder adds context and colour.

Oh, and for the record: 'Rumplestilskin' is not here. As far as I am aware, that tale is a German fairy tale, collected by the Brothers Grimm, and has never had any connection to Washington Irving.

Not what I expected., 28 Sep 2001
In rural America of the early nineteenth Century, by the Hudson River, lies the small village of Sleepy Hollow. The only recently arrived scholl teacher, the tall and lean Ichabod Crane, likes to spend his evenings by the fire with the old Dutch wives, listening to local horror stories of ghouls and goblins and haunted houses, among which that of the headless horseman, until one night after leaving the ball, he is chased by the legendary Galloping Hessian.

I read this story because I love the film, and was surprised to see how few pages, less than ten out of fifty, were actually devoted to the mystery of the headless horseman itself. Although very well written, with descriptions that are stunningly real, the book left me hungry for more.

Set in the time of the Declaration of Independance of the United States, Rip van Winkle is the story of a man who, upon walking in the mountains with his dog, stumbles upon a strange man with a keg of liquor, and a small company of odd-looking folk playing a bowling game. When he wakes up the next morning, everything he used to know has changed...

It was ok, but..., 27 Jun 2001
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle are my favourite parts of this book. However, if you are buying this book on the strength of the movie Sleepy Hollow, the actual telling is very different. A good read.

See the Film, Read The Book, 16 Jan 2000
What can you say! The film is great the book is even better. GET IT

A nice souvenir, 02 Oct 2007
I bought this book in Granada when I first visited that city four years ago, and re-read it while we were there last month. It's a nice collection of tales (mostly fairy stories) set in and around the Alhambra palace, which Irving apparently collected whilst he was living there during a respite from his diplomatic work. His evocative prose, though somewhat archaic (the book is more than a hundred and fifty years old) conjures up the magical atmosphere of that beautiful place very effectively, which makes this a perfect souvenir for anyone who's visited Granada, or an inspiration for anyone who's planning a trip there.

Brilliant, brings the palace to life., 06 Dec 1999
I read the book after visiting the Alhambra Palace in Grenada, and it really brought the gardens, courtyards and fountains to life. Both the book and the palace are worth a visit.

Period Observations set off Fantastical Tales, 15 Jul 2008
First, a note on the edition. I have a copy of The Modern Library 2001 paperback; this is a handsome, compact volume, complete with concise notes and an introduction from a modern author. It is well bound with quality paper, and I rather like the classy illustration on the cover.

The work itself is, of course, a classic, albeit - in the UK at least - a lesser known one. The title is somewhat misleading; to my mind, '... and Other Stories' implies a collection of narrative-based short stories, but that is not really what you get. Irving's original title and the subtitle here, 'The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.', is a better description. 'Geoffry Crayon' is a fictional front for Irving; his sketchbook is a collection of miscellaneous prose pieces. There are several observations - chiefly of nineteenth century England from the perspective of a visiting American; a number of what appear to be fictionalised versions of true tales picked up on his travels; a retold legend or two, and a few original stories. Probably the best known of the original stories are 'Rip Van Winkle' and 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' itself. Interestingly, both of these purport to be the work of another fictional creation of Irving's, one 'Diedrich Knickerbocker'. Both are set in New York State.

Personally, I quite like to read the stories in their original context, even if they don't fit the general pattern, which is the observations of an American abroad in England. Most of these observations are rather quaint and rambling, and are very much of their time. Taken together, though, they do provide a picture of how Irving would have seen England. Given that this collection was first published, and was well recieved, in England, this is quite interesting for an English reader with historical perspective.

But you're really interested in the stories, aren't you? (I was!)

Rip Van Winkle was oddly unsatisfying. It felt like a sketch for a longer work; our titular sleeper met with a curious company in the wilderness, joined with their revelry and awoke 20 years later. Perhaps the bare-bones nature of this tale, with its echoes of Thomas the Rhymer and other European faerie sleepers, is the very reason that its name has entered the cultural consciousness when older, more fabulous, tales lie on the verge of being forgotten.

Sleep Hollow is longer and more satisfying. It is easier to see through the supernatural gloss and to 'solve' the mystery of Ichabod Crane's fate - in fact, the solution is signposted quite clearly in the text. Irving - via Knickerbocker - creates a powerful sense of atmosphere in the story itself and leaves just enough space for the reader to feel smug about reading between the lines.

Other reviewers have made a point of saying that the story and the recent film are not very similar. To an extent, this is true; the film essentially takes the short story as a springboard into the realms of fantasy. In a way, the story is a sketch for the film. Yet I recognised the same atmosphere, and I didn't feel that the story itself was lacking. It is complete within itself, and almost makes the film appear indulgently fabulous. But that is the nature of film, and it is almost certainly what most of its viewers wanted from the film.

I enjoyed reading the story, and I enjoyed the film. There is a gulf between them, but - to belabour Irving's own metaphor - it is that between an artist's simple sketch of a scene and a later working up into an elaborate, showy exhibition piece with added figures from the artist's elaborate imaginings. Of course, in this case, there are two artists... but I digress.

'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories' is definitely worth the read for the title story alone; the remainder adds context and colour.

Oh, and for the record: 'Rumplestilskin' is not here. As far as I am aware, that tale is a German fairy tale, collected by the Brothers Grimm, and has never had any connection to Washington Irving.

Not what I expected., 28 Sep 2001
In rural America of the early nineteenth Century, by the Hudson River, lies the small village of Sleepy Hollow. The only recently arrived scholl teacher, the tall and lean Ichabod Crane, likes to spend his evenings by the fire with the old Dutch wives, listening to local horror stories of ghouls and goblins and haunted houses, among which that of the headless horseman, until one night after leaving the ball, he is chased by the legendary Galloping Hessian.

I read this story because I love the film, and was surprised to see how few pages, less than ten out of fifty, were actually devoted to the mystery of the headless horseman itself. Although very well written, with descriptions that are stunningly real, the book left me hungry for more.

Set in the time of the Declaration of Independance of the United States, Rip van Winkle is the story of a man who, upon walking in the mountains with his dog, stumbles upon a strange man with a keg of liquor, and a small company of odd-looking folk playing a bowling game. When he wakes up the next morning, everything he used to know has changed...

It was ok, but..., 27 Jun 2001
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle are my favourite parts of this book. However, if you are buying this book on the strength of the movie Sleepy Hollow, the actual telling is very different. A good read.

See the Film, Read The Book, 16 Jan 2000
What can you say! The film is great the book is even better. GET IT

The beginnings of 'real' homegrown American literature, 11 Mar 2003
I don't think many people will want to read this book for fun, although, as something to dip into - perhaps in the spirit of its original publication, as a periodical in monthly chunks - it could be just about amusing. Some readers may be interested in Irving as a forerunner of other American writers, or perhaps in what this book has to say about the relationship between English and American literature in the early nineteenth century.

If so, you will find that this edition (Oxford World Classics) is admirably edited, with detailed and interesting notes and an illuminating introduction by Susan Manning. I would definitely recommend it to anyone studying the book as part of a literature course.

The Sketch Book is an account of an apparently light tourist exploration of some aspects of Europe and America as Irving saw them. Not a travelogue in any generally accepted sense, it is, as its name suggests, more like a series of sketches.

Like many Americans before and since, Irving had an ambivalent relationship with Europe and this is what makes his stories of it interesting. However, his descriptions of English customs, places and people will probably seem quaint (at best) to most readers today. In my opinion he is more interesting when he is creating some myths about his own country. This is probably why he is best known for two memorable, and very American, tales - Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, both of which appeared first in The Sketch Book so you can read them here. These are both truly valuable pieces of writing and well worth study.

If you want a rather more fun and up to date take on the subject of an American in England, why not compare this book with Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Island? A bit of a jump, I know, but give it a go, it made me think.

A nice souvenir, 02 Oct 2007
I bought this book in Granada when I first visited that city four years ago, and re-read it while we were there last month. It's a nice collection of tales (mostly fairy stories) set in and around the Alhambra palace, which Irving apparently collected whilst he was living there during a respite from his diplomatic work. His evocative prose, though somewhat archaic (the book is more than a hundred and fifty years old) conjures up the magical atmosphere of that beautiful place very effectively, which makes this a perfect souvenir for anyone who's visited Granada, or an inspiration for anyone who's planning a trip there.

Brilliant, brings the palace to life., 06 Dec 1999
I read the book after visiting the Alhambra Palace in Grenada, and it really brought the gardens, courtyards and fountains to life. Both the book and the palace are worth a visit.

Period Observations set off Fantastical Tales, 15 Jul 2008
First, a note on the edition. I have a copy of The Modern Library 2001 paperback; this is a handsome, compact volume, complete with concise notes and an introduction from a modern author. It is well bound with quality paper, and I rather like the classy illustration on the cover.

The work itself is, of course, a classic, albeit - in the UK at least - a lesser known one. The title is somewhat misleading; to my mind, '... and Other Stories' implies a collection of narrative-based short stories, but that is not really what you get. Irving's original title and the subtitle here, 'The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.', is a better description. 'Geoffry Crayon' is a fictional front for Irving; his sketchbook is a collection of miscellaneous prose pieces. There are several observations - chiefly of nineteenth century England from the perspective of a visiting American; a number of what appear to be fictionalised versions of true tales picked up on his travels; a retold legend or two, and a few original stories. Probably the best known of the original stories are 'Rip Van Winkle' and 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' itself. Interestingly, both of these purport to be the work of another fictional creation of Irving's, one 'Diedrich Knickerbocker'. Both are set in New York State.

Personally, I quite like to read the stories in their original context, even if they don't fit the general pattern, which is the observations of an American abroad in England. Most of these observations are rather quaint and rambling, and are very much of their time. Taken together, though, they do provide a picture of how Irving would have seen England. Given that this collection was first published, and was well recieved, in England, this is quite interesting for an English reader with historical perspective.

But you're really interested in the stories, aren't you? (I was!)

Rip Van Winkle was oddly unsatisfying. It felt like a sketch for a longer work; our titular sleeper met with a curious company in the wilderness, joined with their revelry and awoke 20 years later. Perhaps the bare-bones nature of this tale, with its echoes of Thomas the Rhymer and other European faerie sleepers, is the very reason that its name has entered the cultural consciousness when older, more fabulous, tales lie on the verge of being forgotten.

Sleep Hollow is longer and more satisfying. It is easier to see through the supernatural gloss and to 'solve' the mystery of Ichabod Crane's fate - in fact, the solution is signposted quite clearly in the text. Irving - via Knickerbocker - creates a powerful sense of atmosphere in the story itself and leaves just enough space for the reader to feel smug about reading between the lines.

Other reviewers have made a point of saying that the story and the recent film are not very similar. To an extent, this is true; the film essentially takes the short story as a springboard into the realms of fantasy. In a way, the story is a sketch for the film. Yet I recognised the same atmosphere, and I didn't feel that the story itself was lacking. It is complete within itself, and almost makes the film appear indulgently fabulous. But that is the nature of film, and it is almost certainly what most of its viewers wanted from the film.

I enjoyed reading the story, and I enjoyed the film. There is a gulf between them, but - to belabour Irving's own metaphor - it is that between an artist's simple sketch of a scene and a later working up into an elaborate, showy exhibition piece with added figures from the artist's elaborate imaginings. Of course, in this case, there are two artists... but I digress.

'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories' is definitely worth the read for the title story alone; the remainder adds context and colour.

Oh, and for the record: 'Rumplestilskin' is not here. As far as I am aware, that tale is a German fairy tale, collected by the Brothers Grimm, and has never had any connection to Washington Irving.

Not what I expected., 28 Sep 2001
In rural America of the early nineteenth Century, by the Hudson River, lies the small village of Sleepy Hollow. The only recently arrived scholl teacher, the tall and lean Ichabod Crane, likes to spend his evenings by the fire with the old Dutch wives, listening to local horror stories of ghouls and goblins and haunted houses, among which that of the headless horseman, until one night after leaving the ball, he is chased by the legendary Galloping Hessian.

I read this story because I love the film, and was surprised to see how few pages, less than ten out of fifty, were actually devoted to the mystery of the headless horseman itself. Although very well written, with descriptions that are stunningly real, the book left me hungry for more.

Set in the time of the Declaration of Independance of the United States, Rip van Winkle is the story of a man who, upon walking in the mountains with his dog, stumbles upon a strange man with a keg of liquor, and a small company of odd-looking folk playing a bowling game. When he wakes up the next morning, everything he used to know has changed...

It was ok, but..., 27 Jun 2001
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle are my favourite parts of this book. However, if you are buying this book on the strength of the movie Sleepy Hollow, the actual telling is very different. A good read.

See the Film, Read The Book, 16 Jan 2000
What can you say! The film is great the book is even better. GET IT

The beginnings of 'real' homegrown American literature, 11 Mar 2003
I don't think many people will want to read this book for fun, although, as something to dip into - perhaps in the spirit of its original publication, as a periodical in monthly chunks - it could be just about amusing. Some readers may be interested in Irving as a forerunner of other American writers, or perhaps in what this book has to say about the relationship between English and American literature in the early nineteenth century.

If so, you will find that this edition (Oxford World Classics) is admirably edited, with detailed and interesting notes and an illuminating introduction by Susan Manning. I would definitely recommend it to anyone studying the book as part of a literature course.

The Sketch Book is an account of an apparently light tourist exploration of some aspects of Europe and America as Irving saw them. Not a travelogue in any generally accepted sense, it is, as its name suggests, more like a series of sketches.

Like many Americans before and since, Irving had an ambivalent relationship with Europe and this is what makes his stories of it interesting. However, his descriptions of English customs, places and people will probably seem quaint (at best) to most readers today. In my opinion he is more interesting when he is creating some myths about his own country. This is probably why he is best known for two memorable, and very American, tales - Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, both of which appeared first in The Sketch Book so you can read them here. These are both truly valuable pieces of writing and well worth study.

If you want a rather more fun and up to date take on the subject of an American in England, why not compare this book with Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Island? A bit of a jump, I know, but give it a go, it made me think.

The beginnings of 'real' homegrown American literature, 11 Mar 2003
I don't think many people will want to read this book for fun, although, as something to dip into - perhaps in the spirit of its original publication, as a periodical in monthly chunks - it could be just about amusing. Some readers may be interested in Irving as a forerunner of other American writers, or perhaps in what this book has to say about the relationship between English and American literature in the early nineteenth century.

If so, you will find that this edition (Oxford World Classics) is admirably edited, with detailed and interesting notes and an illuminating introduction by Susan Manning. I would definitely recommend it to anyone studying the book as part of a literature course.

The Sketch Book is an account of an apparently light tourist exploration of some aspects of Europe and America as Irving saw them. Not a travelogue in any generally accepted sense, it is, as its name suggests, more like a series of sketches.

Like many Americans before and since, Irving had an ambivalent relationship with Europe and this is what makes his stories of it interesting. However, his descriptions of English customs, places and people will probably seem quaint (at best) to most readers today. In my opinion he is more interesting when he is creating some myths about his own country. This is probably why he is best known for two memorable, and very American, tales - Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, both of which appeared first in The Sketch Book so you can read them here. These are both truly valuable pieces of writing and well worth study.

If you want a rather more fun and up to date take on the subject of an American in England, why not compare this book with Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Island? A bit of a jump, I know, but give it a go, it made me think.

A nice souvenir, 02 Oct 2007
I bought this book in Granada when I first visited that city four years ago, and re-read it while we were there last month. It's a nice collection of tales (mostly fairy stories) set in and around the Alhambra palace, which Irving apparently collected whilst he was living there during a respite from his diplomatic work. His evocative prose, though somewhat archaic (the book is more than a hundred and fifty years old) conjures up the magical atmosphere of that beautiful place very effectively, which makes this a perfect souvenir for anyone who's visited Granada, or an inspiration for anyone who's planning a trip there.

Brilliant, brings the palace to life., 06 Dec 1999
I read the book after visiting the Alhambra Palace in Grenada, and it really brought the gardens, courtyards and fountains to life. Both the book and the palace are worth a visit.

Period Observations set off Fantastical Tales, 15 Jul 2008
First, a note on the edition. I have a copy of The Modern Library 2001 paperback; this is a handsome, compact volume, complete with concise notes and an introduction from a modern author. It is well bound with quality paper, and I rather like the classy illustration on the cover.

The work itself is, of course, a classic, albeit - in the UK at least - a lesser known one. The title is somewhat misleading; to my mind, '... and Other Stories' implies a collection of narrative-based short stories, but that is not really what you get. Irving's original title and the subtitle here, 'The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.', is a better description. 'Geoffry Crayon' is a fictional front for Irving; his sketchbook is a collection of miscellaneous prose pieces. There are several observations - chiefly of nineteenth century England from the perspective of a visiting American; a number of what appear to be fictionalised versions of true tales picked up on his travels; a retold legend or two, and a few original stories. Probably the best known of the original stories are 'Rip Van Winkle' and 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' itself. Interestingly, both of these purport to be the work of another fictional creation of Irving's, one 'Diedrich Knickerbocker'. Both are set in New York State.

Personally, I quite like to read the stories in their original context, even if they don't fit the general pattern, which is the observations of an American abroad in England. Most of these observations are rather quaint and rambling, and are very much of their time. Taken together, though, they do provide a picture of how Irving would have seen England. Given that this collection was first published, and was well recieved, in England, this is quite interesting for an English reader with historical perspective.

But you're really interested in the stories, aren't you? (I was!)

Rip Van Winkle was oddly unsatisfying. It felt like a sketch for a longer work; our titular sleeper met with a curious company in the wilderness, joined with their revelry and awoke 20 years later. Perhaps the bare-bones nature of this tale, with its echoes of Thomas the Rhymer and other European faerie sleepers, is the very reason that its name has entered the cultural consciousness when older, more fabulous, tales lie on the verge of being forgotten.

Sleep Hollow is longer and more satisfying. It is easier to see through the supernatural gloss and to 'solve' the mystery of Ichabod Crane's fate - in fact, the solution is signposted quite clearly in the text. Irving - via Knickerbocker - creates a powerful sense of atmosphere in the story itself and leaves just enough space for the reader to feel smug about reading between the lines.

Other reviewers have made a point of saying that the story and the recent film are not very similar. To an extent, this is true; the film essentially takes the short story as a springboard into the realms of fantasy. In a way, the story is a sketch for the film. Yet I recognised the same atmosphere, and I didn't feel that the story itself was lacking. It is complete within itself, and almost makes the film appear indulgently fabulous. But that is the nature of film, and it is almost certainly what most of its viewers wanted from the film.

I enjoyed reading the story, and I enjoyed the film. There is a gulf between them, but - to belabour Irving's own metaphor - it is that between an artist's simple sketch of a scene and a later working up into an elaborate, showy exhibition piece with added figures from the artist's elaborate imaginings. Of course, in this case, there are two artists... but I digress.

'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories' is definitely worth the read for the title story alone; the remainder adds context and colour.

Oh, and for the record: 'Rumplestilskin' is not here. As far as I am aware, that tale is a German fairy tale, collected by the Brothers Grimm, and has never had any connection to Washington Irving.

Not what I expected., 28 Sep 2001
In rural America of the early nineteenth Century, by the Hudson River, lies the small village of Sleepy Hollow. The only recently arrived scholl teacher, the tall and lean Ichabod Crane, likes to spend his evenings by the fire with the old Dutch wives, listening to local horror stories of ghouls and goblins and haunted houses, among which that of the headless horseman, until one night after leaving the ball, he is chased by the legendary Galloping Hessian.

I read this story because I love the film, and was surprised to see how few pages, less than ten out of fifty, were actually devoted to the mystery of the headless horseman itself. Although very well written, with descriptions that are stunningly real, the book left me hungry for more.

Set in the time of the Declaration of Independance of the United States, Rip van Winkle is the story of a man who, upon walking in the mountains with his dog, stumbles upon a strange man with a keg of liquor, and a small company of odd-looking folk playing a bowling game. When he wakes up the next morning, everything he used to know has changed...

It was ok, but..., 27 Jun 2001
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle are my favourite parts of this book. However, if you are buying this book on the strength of the movie Sleepy Hollow, the actual telling is very different. A good read.

See the Film, Read The Book, 16 Jan 2000
What can you say! The film is great the book is even better. GET IT

The beginnings of 'real' homegrown American literature, 11 Mar 2003
I don't think many people will want to read this book for fun, although, as something to dip into - perhaps in the spirit of its original publication, as a periodical in monthly chunks - it could be just about amusing. Some readers may be interested in Irving as a forerunner of other American writers, or perhaps in what this book has to say about the relationship between English and American literature in the early nineteenth century.

If so, you will find that this edition (Oxford World Classics) is admirably edited, with detailed and interesting notes and an illuminating introduction by Susan Manning. I would definitely recommend it to anyone studying the book as part of a literature course.

The Sketch Book is an account of an apparently light tourist exploration of some aspects of Europe and America as Irving saw them. Not a travelogue in any generally accepted sense, it is, as its name suggests, more like a series of sketches.

Like many Americans before and since, Irving had an ambivalent relationship with Europe and this is what makes his stories of it interesting. However, his descriptions of English customs, places and people will probably seem quaint (at best) to most readers today. In my opinion he is more interesting when he is creating some myths about his own country. This is probably why he is best known for two memorable, and very American, tales - Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, both of which appeared first in The Sketch Book so you can read them here. These are both truly valuable pieces of writing and well worth study.

If you want a rather more fun and up to date take on the subject of an American in England, why not compare this book with Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Island? A bit of a jump, I know, but give it a go, it made me think.

The beginnings of 'real' homegrown American literature, 11 Mar 2003
I don't think many people will want to read this book for fun, although, as something to dip into - perhaps in the spirit of its original publication, as a periodical in monthly chunks - it could be just about amusing. Some readers may be interested in Irving as a forerunner of other American writers, or perhaps in what this book has to say about the relationship between English and American literature in the early nineteenth century.

If so, you will find that this edition (Oxford World Classics) is admirably edited, with detailed and interesting notes and an illuminating introduction by Susan Manning. I would definitely recommend it to anyone studying the book as part of a literature course.

The Sketch Book is an account of an apparently light tourist exploration of some aspects of Europe and America as Irving saw them. Not a travelogue in any generally accepted sense, it is, as its name suggests, more like a series of sketches.

Like many Americans before and since, Irving had an ambivalent relationship with Europe and this is what makes his stories of it interesting. However, his descriptions of English customs, places and people will probably seem quaint (at best) to most readers today. In my opinion he is more interesting when he is creating some myths about his own country. This is probably why he is best known for two memorable, and very American, tales - Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, both of which appeared first in The Sketch Book so you can read them here. These are both truly valuable pieces of writing and well worth study.

If you want a rather more fun and up to date take on the subject of an American in England, why not compare this book with Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Island? A bit of a jump, I know, but give it a go, it made me think.

Period Observations set off Fantastical Tales, 15 Jul 2008
First, a note on the edition. I have a copy of The Modern Library 2001 paperback; this is a handsome, compact volume, complete with concise notes and an introduction from a modern author. It is well bound with quality paper, and I rather like the classy illustration on the cover.

The work itself is, of course, a classic, albeit - in the UK at least - a lesser known one. The title is somewhat misleading; to my mind, '... and Other Stories' implies a collection of narrative-based short stories, but that is not really what you get. Irving's original title and the subtitle here, 'The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.', is a better description. 'Geoffry Crayon' is a fictional front for Irving; his sketchbook is a collection of miscellaneous prose pieces. There are several observations - chiefly of nineteenth century England from the perspective of a visiting American; a number of what appear to be fictionalised versions of true tales picked up on his travels; a retold legend or two, and a few original stories. Probably the best known of the original stories are 'Rip Van Winkle' and 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' itself. Interestingly, both of these purport to be the work of another fictional creation of Irving's, one 'Diedrich Knickerbocker'. Both are set in New York State.

Personally, I quite like to read the stories in their original context, even if they don't fit the general pattern, which is the observations of an American abroad in England. Most of these observations are rather quaint and rambling, and are very much of their time. Taken together, though, they do provide a picture of how Irving would have seen England. Given that this collection was first published, and was well recieved, in England, this is quite interesting for an English reader with historical perspective.

But you're really interested in the stories, aren't you? (I was!)

Rip Van Winkle was oddly unsatisfying. It felt like a sketch for a longer work; our titular sleeper met with a curious company in the wilderness, joined with their revelry and awoke 20 years later. Perhaps the bare-bones nature of this tale, with its echoes of Thomas the Rhymer and other European faerie sleepers, is the very reason that its name has entered the cultural consciousness when older, more fabulous, tales lie on the verge of being forgotten.

Sleep Hollow is longer and more satisfying. It is easier to see through the supernatural gloss and to 'solve' the mystery of Ichabod Crane's fate - in fact, the solution is signposted quite clearly in the text. Irving - via Knickerbocker - creates a powerful sense of atmosphere in the story itself and leaves just enough space for the reader to feel smug about reading between the lines.

Other reviewers have made a point of saying that the story and the recent film are not very similar. To an extent, this is true; the film essentially takes the short story as a springboard into the realms of fantasy. In a way, the story is a sketch for the film. Yet I recognised the same atmosphere, and I didn't feel that the story itself was lacking. It is complete within itself, and almost makes the film appear indulgently fabulous. But that is the nature of film, and it is almost certainly what most of its viewers wanted from the film.

I enjoyed reading the story, and I enjoyed the film. There is a gulf between them, but - to belabour Irving's own metaphor - it is that between an artist's simple sketch of a scene and a later working up into an elaborate, showy exhibition piece with added figures from the artist's elaborate imaginings. Of course, in this case, there are two artists... but I digress.

'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories' is definitely worth the read for the title story alone; the remainder adds context and colour.

Oh, and for the record: 'Rumplestilskin' is not here. As far as I am aware, that tale is a German fairy tale, collected by the Brothers Grimm, and has never had any connection to Washington Irving.

Not what I expected., 28 Sep 2001
In rural America of the early nineteenth Century, by the Hudson River, lies the small village of Sleepy Hollow. The only recently arrived scholl teacher, the tall and lean Ichabod Crane, likes to spend his evenings by the fire with the old Dutch wives, listening to local horror stories of ghouls and goblins and haunted houses, among which that of the headless horseman, until one night after leaving the ball, he is chased by the legendary Galloping Hessian.

I read this story because I love the film, and was surprised to see how few pages, less than ten out of fifty, were actually devoted to the mystery of the headless horseman itself. Although very well written, with descriptions that are stunningly real, the book left me hungry for more.

Set in the time of the Declaration of Independance of the United States, Rip van Winkle is the story of a man who, upon walking in the mountains with his dog, stumbles upon a strange man with a keg of liquor, and a small company of odd-looking folk playing a bowling game. When he wakes up the next morning, everything he used to know has changed...

It was ok, but..., 27 Jun 2001
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle are my favourite parts of this book. However, if you are buying this book on the strength of the movie Sleepy Hollow, the actual telling is very different. A good read.

See the Film, Read The Book, 16 Jan 2000
What can you say! The film is great the book is even better. GET IT

A nice souvenir, 02 Oct 2007
I bought this book in Granada when I first visited that city four years ago, and re-read it while we were there last month. It's a nice collection of tales (mostly fairy stories) set in and around the Alhambra palace, which Irving apparently collected whilst he was living there during a respite from his diplomatic work. His evocative prose, though somewhat archaic (the book is more than a hundred and fifty years old) conjures up the magical atmosphere of that beautiful place very effectively, which makes this a perfect souvenir for anyone who's visited Granada, or an inspiration for anyone who's planning a trip there.

Brilliant, brings the palace to life., 06 Dec 1999
I read the book after visiting the Alhambra Palace in Grenada, and it really brought the gardens, courtyards and fountains to life. Both the book and the palace are worth a visit.

Period Observations set off Fantastical Tales, 15 Jul 2008
First, a note on the edition. I have a copy of The Modern Library 2001 paperback; this is a handsome, compact volume, complete with concise notes and an introduction from a modern author. It is well bound with quality paper, and I rather like the classy illustration on the cover.

The work itself is, of course, a classic, albeit - in the UK at least - a lesser known one. The title is somewhat misleading; to my mind, '... and Other Stories' implies a collection of narrative-based short stories, but that is not really what you get. Irving's original title and the subtitle here, 'The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.', is a better description. 'Geoffry Crayon' is a fictional front for Irving; his sketchbook is a collection of miscellaneous prose pieces. There are several observations - chiefly of nineteenth century England from the perspective of a visiting American; a number of what appear to be fictionalised versions of true tales picked up on his travels; a retold legend or two, and a few original stories. Probably the best known of the original stories are 'Rip Van Winkle' and 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' itself. Interestingly, both of these purport to be the work of another fictional creation of Irving's, one 'Diedrich Knickerbocker'. Both are set in New York State.

Personally, I quite like to read the stories in their original context, even if they don't fit the general pattern, which is the observations of an American abroad in England. Most of these observations are rather quaint and rambling, and are very much of their time. Taken together, though, they do provide a picture of how Irving would have seen England. Given that this collection was first published, and was well recieved, in England, this is quite interesting for an English reader with historical perspective.

But you're really interested in the stories, aren't you? (I was!)

Rip Van Winkle was oddly unsatisfying. It felt like a sketch for a longer work; our titular sleeper met with a curious company in the wilderness, joined with their revelry and awoke 20 years later. Perhaps the bare-bones nature of this tale, with its echoes of Thomas the Rhymer and other European faerie sleepers, is the very reason that its name has entered the cultural consciousness when older, more fabulous, tales lie on the verge of being forgotten.

Sleep Hollow is longer and more satisfying. It is easier to see through the supernatural gloss and to 'solve' the mystery of Ichabod Crane's fate - in fact, the solution is signposted quite clearly in the text. Irving - via Knickerbocker - creates a powerful sense of atmosphere in the story itself and leaves just enough space for the reader to feel smug about reading between the lines.

Other reviewers have made a point of saying that the story and the recent film are not very similar. To an extent, this is true; the film essentially takes the short story as a springboard into the realms of fantasy. In a way, the story is a sketch for the film. Yet I recognised the same atmosphere, and I didn't feel that the story itself was lacking. It is complete within itself, and almost makes the film appear indulgently fabulous. But that is the nature of film, and it is almost certainly what most of its viewers wanted from the film.

I enjoyed reading the story, and I enjoyed the film. There is a gulf between them, but - to belabour Irving's own metaphor - it is that between an artist's simple sketch of a scene and a later working up into an elaborate, showy exhibition piece with added figures from the artist's elaborate imaginings. Of course, in this case, there are two artists... but I digress.

'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories' is definitely worth the read for the title story alone; the remainder adds context and colour.

Oh, and for the record: 'Rumplestilskin' is not here. As far as I am aware, that tale is a German fairy tale, collected by the Brothers Grimm, and has never had any connection to Washington Irving.

Not what I expected., 28 Sep 2001
In rural America of the early nineteenth Century, by the Hudson River, lies the small village of Sleepy Hollow. The only recently arrived scholl teacher, the tall and lean Ichabod Crane, likes to spend his evenings by the fire with the old Dutch wives, listening to local horror stories of ghouls and goblins and haunted houses, among which that of the headless horseman, until one night after leaving the ball, he is chased by the legendary Galloping Hessian.

I read this story because I love the film, and was surprised to see how few pages, less than ten out of fifty, were actually devoted to the mystery of the headless horseman itself. Although very well written, with descriptions that are stunningly real, the book left me hungry for more.

Set in the time of the Declaration of Independance of the United States, Rip van Winkle is the story of a man who, upon walking in the mountains with his dog, stumbles upon a strange man with a keg of liquor, and a small company of odd-looking folk playing a bowling game. When he wakes up the next morning, everything he used to know has changed...

It was ok, but..., 27 Jun 2001
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle are my favourite parts of this book. However, if you are buying this book on the strength of the movie Sleepy Hollow, the actual telling is very different. A good read.

See the Film, Read The Book, 16 Jan 2000
What can you say! The film is great the book is even better. GET IT

The beginnings of 'real' homegrown American literature, 11 Mar 2003
I don't think many people will want to read this book for fun, although, as something to dip into - perhaps in the spirit of its original publication, as a periodical in monthly chunks - it could be just about amusing. Some readers may be interested in Irving as a forerunner of other American writers, or perhaps in what this book has to say about the relationship between English and American literature in the early nineteenth century.

If so, you will find that this edition (Oxford World Classics) is admirably edited, with detailed and interesting notes and an illuminating introduction by Susan Manning. I would definitely recommend it to anyone studying the book as part of a literature course.

The Sketch Book is an account of an apparently light tourist exploration of some aspects of Europe and America as Irving saw them. Not a travelogue in any generally accepted sense, it is, as its name suggests, more like a series of sketches.

Like many Americans before and since, Irving had an ambivalent relationship with Europe and this is what makes his stories of it interesting. However, his descriptions of English customs, places and people will probably seem quaint (at best) to most readers today. In my opinion he is more interesting when he is creating some myths about his own country. This is probably why he is best known for two memorable, and very American, tales - Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, both of which appeared first in The Sketch Book so you can read them here. These are both truly valuable pieces of writing and well worth study.

If you want a rather more fun and up to date take on the subject of an American in England, why not compare this book with Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Island? A bit of a jump, I know, but give it a go, it made me think.

The beginnings of 'real' homegrown American literature, 11 Mar 2003
I don't think many people will want to read this book for fun, although, as something to dip into - perhaps in the spirit of its original publication, as a periodical in monthly chunks - it could be just about amusing. Some readers may be interested in Irving as a forerunner of other American writers, or perhaps in what this book has to say about the relationship between English and American literature in the early nineteenth century.

If so, you will find that this edition (Oxford World Classics) is admirably edited, with detailed and interesting notes and an illuminating introduction by Susan Manning. I would definitely recommend it to anyone studying the book as part of a literature course.

The Sketch Book is an account of an apparently light tourist exploration of some aspects of Europe and America as Irving saw them. Not a travelogue in any generally accepted sense, it is, as its name suggests, more like a series of sketches.

Like many Americans before and since, Irving had an ambivalent relationship with Europe and this is what makes his stories of it interesting. However, his descriptions of English customs, places and people will probably seem quaint (at best) to most readers today. In my opinion he is more interesting when he is creating some myths about his own country. This is probably why he is best known for two memorable, and very American, tales - Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, both of which appeared first in The Sketch Book so you can read them here. These are both truly valuable pieces of writing and well worth study.

If you want a rather more fun and up to date take on the subject of an American in England, why not compare this book with Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Island? A bit of a jump, I know, but give it a go, it made me think.

Period Observations set off Fantastical Tales, 15 Jul 2008
First, a note on the edition. I have a copy of The Modern Library 2001 paperback; this is a handsome, compact volume, complete with concise notes and an introduction from a modern author. It is well bound with quality paper, and I rather like the classy illustration on the cover.

The work itself is, of course, a classic, albeit - in the UK at least - a lesser known one. The title is somewhat misleading; to my mind, '... and Other Stories' implies a collection of narrative-based short stories, but that is not really what you get. Irving's original title and the subtitle here, 'The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.', is a better description. 'Geoffry Crayon' is a fictional front for Irving; his sketchbook is a collection of miscellaneous prose pieces. There are several observations - chiefly of nineteenth century England from the perspective of a visiting American; a number of what appear to be fictionalised versions of true tales picked up on his travels; a retold legend or two, and a few original stories. Probably the best known of the original stories are 'Rip Van Winkle' and 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' itself. Interestingly, both of these purport to be the work of another fictional creation of Irving's, one 'Diedrich Knickerbocker'. Both are set in New York State.

Personally, I quite like to read the stories in their original context, even if they don't fit the general pattern, which is the observations of an American abroad in England. Most of these observations are rather quaint and rambling, and are very much of their time. Taken together, though, they do provide a picture of how Irving would have seen England. Given that this collection was first published, and was well recieved, in England, this is quite interesting for an English reader with historical perspective.

But you're really interested in the stories, aren't you? (I was!)

Rip Van Winkle was oddly unsatisfying. It felt like a sketch for a longer work; our titular sleeper met with a curious company in the wilderness, joined with their revelry and awoke 20 years later. Perhaps the bare-bones nature of this tale, with its echoes of Thomas the Rhymer and other European faerie sleepers, is the very reason that its name has entered the cultural consciousness when older, more fabulous, tales lie on the verge of being forgotten.

Sleep Hollow is longer and more satisfying. It is easier to see through the supernatural gloss and to 'solve' the mystery of Ichabod Crane's fate - in fact, the solution is signposted quite clearly in the text. Irving - via Knickerbocker - creates a powerful sense of atmosphere in the story itself and leaves just enough space for the reader to feel smug about reading between the lines.

Other reviewers have made a point of saying that the story and the recent film are not very similar. To an extent, this is true; the film essentially takes the short story as a springboard into the realms of fantasy. In a way, the story is a sketch for the film. Yet I recognised the same atmosphere, and I didn't feel that the story itself was lacking. It is complete within itself, and almost makes the film appear indulgently fabulous. But that is the nature of film, and it is almost certainly what most of its viewers wanted from the film.

I enjoyed reading the story, and I enjoyed the film. There is a gulf between them, but - to belabour Irving's own metaphor - it is that between an artist's simple sketch of a scene and a later working up into an elaborate, showy exhibition piece with added figures from the artist's elaborate imaginings. Of course, in this case, there are two artists... but I digress.

'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories' is definitely worth the read for the title story alone; the remainder adds context and colour.

Oh, and for the record: 'Rumplestilskin' is not here. As far as I am aware, that tale is a German fairy tale, collected by the Brothers Grimm, and has never had any connection to Washington Irving.

Not what I expected., 28 Sep 2001
In rural America of the early nineteenth Century, by the Hudson River, lies the small village of Sleepy Hollow. The only recently arrived scholl teacher, the tall and lean Ichabod Crane, likes to spend his evenings by the fire with the old Dutch wives, listening to local horror stories of ghouls and goblins and haunted houses, among which that of the headless horseman, until one night after leaving the ball, he is chased by the legendary Galloping Hessian.

I read this story because I love the film, and was surprised to see how few pages, less than ten out of fifty, were actually devoted to the mystery of the headless horseman itself. Although very well written, with descriptions that are stunningly real, the book left me hungry for more.

Set in the time of the Declaration of Independance of the United States, Rip van Winkle is the story of a man who, upon walking in the mountains with his dog, stumbles upon a strange man with a keg of liquor, and a small company of odd-looking folk playing a bowling game. When he wakes up the next morning, everything he used to know has changed...

It was ok, but..., 27 Jun 2001
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle are my favourite parts of this book. However, if you are buying this book on the strength of the movie Sleepy Hollow, the actual telling is very different. A good read.

See the Film, Read The Book, 16 Jan 2000
What can you say! The film is great the book is even better. GET IT

Classic folk tales from the father of American literature., 03 Jul 2001
Washington Irving's (1783-1859) claim to fame is as a pioneer of American fiction, and he is widely recognized as the "father of American literature." The book that especially propelled him to fame was "The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent." which contained his two most famous fantasy stories - "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" - both of which are contained in this collection.

But it is not merely his ground-breaking efforts that garnered him literary recognition, because Irving's stories are at the same time characterized by charming and colourful prose befitting a skilled writer. The stories in this collection (the "Puffin Classics" series) are an excellent sampling of his craft. It's not always easy reading - in fact many of these stories would be too dense even for older children. His vocabulary is extensive, and sentences structure verbose and lengthy - a style rather unlike that employed by contemporary writers. But despite this, Irving demonstrates a wonderful command of the English language, and has the ability to create a vivid picture of his setting, characters and events. Particularly delightful is the attention he devotes to describing his characters. And yet his stories are far from mere character portraits - they are exciting and enchanting tales that make the reader eager to find out the outcome.

"Rip Van Winkle" has gained the status of a classic, and is familiar to most children, but likely few have read Irving's original. It breathes an authenticity and air not found in the contemporary abridged versions of the story. Irving presents his tale as the alleged discovered manuscript (complete with postscript) of the late Diedrich Knickerbocker. The delightful story of Rip Van Winkle - who fell asleep in the Catskill mountains after drinking a mysterious brew acquired from some strange little men, and then awoke 20 years later - will continue to please readers old and new. In the course of the story, Irving makes a profound social comment about the changes happening in his America. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is renowned for its chilling tale of the Headless Horseman, and is a Halloween favorite. Actually, however, it is much more than that. It is not so much a spooky tale of a legendary village ghost as it is a colourful tale about two rival suitors. Ichabod Crane is a simple school teacher who is in love with Katrina Van Tassel, and equally in love with the estates of her father, a wealthy Dutch farmer. His counter-part is the powerful local hero Bram Bones, whose affections for Katrina mirror those of Ichabod Crane, and who is determined to put an end to the affections of underdog Crane by a mysterious and elaborate trickery. As is evident also in his other stories, it is particularly fascinating how Irving exploits the supernatural superstitions of the popular mind to create a sense of mystery and fear, but himself gives a naturalist explanation that rises above such popular notions by explaining the supernatural with natural events.

Though lesser known, the other three stories in the "Puffin Classics" collection are equally enjoyable. "The Spectre Bridegroom" is one of the most fascinating tales in the collection. A young man is mistaken for a bridegroom and received into the castle of a wealthy baron as the husband of the baron's daughter. But before the marriage can be consummated, the bridegroom dashes off, and the baron's family hears shortly afterwards that he's been killed. But then who appears again except the bridegroom - or is it his ghost? - to steal his bride and vanish once more! In the end, it is a satisfying tale more of brilliant scheming than of ghosts - although the fearful superstitions of the general public about the supernatural play an important role in the effective execution of these schemes. "The Pride of the Village" is the tragic tale of a young lady whose heart pines in love for an army officer who has deserted her, only to die at his feet when he returns. "Mountjoy" is a wonderful study of an apparently incurable romantic, described by Irving as a "Castle-Builder". When Mr. Mountjoy discovers a delicate footprint on a sandy shore, his passion for metaphysics, creativity and romance leads him to dream up an imaginary beautiful young maiden, and he promptly fall passionately in love with the nymph of his dreams. The air castle he builds and its accompanying romanticism is crushed numerous times, even drowned, but each time is renewed and revived, just when it seems that "the cobweb romance I had been spinning" would be demolished completely. In the end Mr. Mountjoy meets the girl of his dreams, only to discover that his air castles need to be reshaped once more, and in the end, destroyed completely.

Readers used to the easy diet of modern fiction will find the pioneering work of Washington Irving rather tough to chew on. But those who delight in tasting words, biting on imaginative characters and settings, with a few sips of suspense and supernatural in the process, will discover that Washington Irving's stories are just the literary serving they are renowned to be: a classic. Irving won't please all children of the modern era. But children of literature who have acquired a fine literary taste will find that despite the heightened language of his time, Irving is still digestible and enjoyable.

A nice souvenir, 02 Oct 2007
I bought this book in Granada when I first visited that city four years ago, and re-read it while we were there last month. It's a nice collection of tales (mostly fairy stories) set in and around the Alhambra palace, which Irving apparently collected whilst he was living there during a respite from his diplomatic work. His evocative prose, though somewhat archaic (the book is more than a hundred and fifty years old) conjures up the magical atmosphere of that beautiful place very effectively, which makes this a perfect souvenir for anyone who's visited Granada, or an inspiration for anyone who's planning a trip there.

Brilliant, brings the palace to life., 06 Dec 1999
I read the book after visiting the Alhambra Palace in Grenada, and it really brought the gardens, courtyards and fountains to life. Both the book and the palace are worth a visit.

Period Observations set off Fantastical Tales, 15 Jul 2008
First, a note on the edition. I have a copy of The Modern Library 2001 paperback; this is a handsome, compact volume, complete with concise notes and an introduction from a modern author. It is well bound with quality paper, and I rather like the classy illustration on the cover.

The work itself is, of course, a classic, albeit - in the UK at least - a lesser known one. The title is somewhat misleading; to my mind, '... and Other Stories' implies a collection of narrative-based short stories, but that is not really what you get. Irving's original title and the subtitle here, 'The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.', is a better description. 'Geoffry Crayon' is a fictional front for Irving; his sketchbook is a collection of miscellaneous prose pieces. There are several observations - chiefly of nineteenth century England from the perspective of a visiting American; a number of what appear to be fictionalised versions of true tales picked up on his travels; a retold legend or two, and a few original stories. Probably the best known of the original stories are 'Rip Van Winkle' and 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' itself. Interestingly, both of these purport to be the work of another fictional creation of Irving's, one 'Diedrich Knickerbocker'. Both are set in New York State.

Personally, I quite like to read the stories in their original context, even if they don't fit the general pattern, which is the observations of an American abroad in England. Most of these observations are rather quaint and rambling, and are very much of their time. Taken together, though, they do provide a picture of how Irving would have seen England. Given that this collection was first published, and was well recieved, in England, this is quite interesting for an English reader with historical perspective.

But you're really interested in the stories, aren't you? (I was!)

Rip Van Winkle was oddly unsatisfying. It felt like a sketch for a longer work; our titular sleeper met with a curious company in the wilderness, joined with their revelry and awoke 20 years later. Perhaps the bare-bones nature of this tale, with its echoes of Thomas the Rhymer and other European faerie sleepers, is the very reason that its name has entered the cultural consciousness when older, more fabulous, tales lie on the verge of being forgotten.

Sleep Hollow is longer and more satisfying. It is easier to see through the supernatural gloss and to 'solve' the mystery of Ichabod Crane's fate - in fact, the solution is signposted quite clearly in the text. Irving - via Knickerbocker - creates a powerful sense of atmosphere in the story itself and leaves just enough space for the reader to feel smug about reading between the lines.

Other reviewers have made a point of saying that the story and the recent film are not very similar. To an extent, this is true; the film essentially takes the short story as a springboard into the realms of fantasy. In a way, the story is a sketch for the film. Yet I recognised the same atmosphere, and I didn't feel that the story itself was lacking. It is complete within itself, and almost makes the film appear indulgently fabulous. But that is the nature of film, and it is almost certainly what most of its viewers wanted from the film.

I enjoyed reading the story, and I enjoyed the film. There is a gulf between them, but - to belabour Irving's own metaphor - it is that between an artist's simple sketch of a scene and a later working up into an elaborate, showy exhibition piece with added figures from the artist's elaborate imaginings. Of course, in this case, there are two artists... but I digress.

'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories' is definitely worth the read for the title story alone; the remainder adds context and colour.

Oh, and for the record: 'Rumplestilskin' is not here. As far as I am aware, that tale is a German fairy tale, collected by the Brothers Grimm, and has never had any connection to Washington Irving.

Not what I expected., 28 Sep 2001
In rural America of the early nineteenth Century, by the Hudson River, lies the small village of Sleepy Hollow. The only recently arrived scholl teacher, the tall and lean Ichabod Crane, likes to spend his evenings by the fire with the old Dutch wives, listening to local horror stories of ghouls and goblins and haunted houses, among which that of the headless horseman, until one night after leaving the ball, he is chased by the legendary Galloping Hessian.

I read this story because I love the film, and was surprised to see how few pages, less than ten out of fifty, were actually devoted to the mystery of the headless horseman itself. Although very well written, with descriptions that are stunningly real, the book left me hungry for more.

Set in the time of the Declaration of Independance of the United States, Rip van Winkle is the story of a man who, upon walking in the mountains with his dog, stumbles upon a strange man with a keg of liquor, and a small company of odd-looking folk playing a bowling game. When he wakes up the next morning, everything he used to know has changed...

It was ok, but..., 27 Jun 2001
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle are my favourite parts of this book. However, if you are buying this book on the strength of the movie Sleepy Hollow, the actual telling is very different. A good read.

See the Film, Read The Book, 16 Jan 2000
What can you say! The film is great the book is even better. GET IT

The beginnings of 'real' homegrown American literature, 11 Mar 2003
I don't think many people will want to read this book for fun, although, as something to dip into - perhaps in the spirit of its original publication, as a periodical in monthly chunks - it could be just about amusing. Some readers may be interested in Irving as a forerunner of other American writers, or perhaps in what this book has to say about the relationship between English and American literature in the early nineteenth century.

If so, you will find that this edition (Oxford World Classics) is admirably edited, with detailed and interesting notes and an illuminating introduction by Susan Manning. I would definitely recommend it to anyone studying the book as part of a literature course.

The Sketch Book is an account of an apparently light tourist exploration of some aspects of Europe and America as Irving saw them. Not a travelogue in any generally accepted sense, it is, as its name suggests, more like a series of sketches.

Like many Americans before and since, Irving had an ambivalent relationship with Europe and this is what makes his stories of it interesting. However, his descriptions of English customs, places and people will probably seem quaint (at best) to most readers today. In my opinion he is more interesting when he is creating some myths about his own country. This is probably why he is best known for two memorable, and very American, tales - Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, both of which appeared first in The Sketch Book so you can read them here. These are both truly valuable pieces of writing and well worth study.

If you want a rather more fun and up to date take on the subject of an American in England, why not compare this book with Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Island? A bit of a jump, I know, but give it a go, it made me think.

The beginnings of 'real' homegrown American literature, 11 Mar 2003
I don't think many people will want to read this book for fun, although, as something to dip into - perhaps in the spirit of its original publication, as a periodical in monthly chunks - it could be just about amusing. Some readers may be interested in Irving as a forerunner of other American writers, or perhaps in what this book has to say about the relationship between English and American literature in the early nineteenth century.

If so, you will find that this edition (Oxford World Classics) is admirably edited, with detailed and interesting notes and an illuminating introduction by Susan Manning. I would definitely recommend it to anyone studying the book as part of a literature course.

The Sketch Book is an account of an apparently light tourist exploration of some aspects of Europe and America as Irving saw them. Not a travelogue in any generally accepted sense, it is, as its name suggests, more like a series of sketches.

Like many Americans before and since, Irving had an ambivalent relationship with Europe and this is what makes his stories of it interesting. However, his descriptions of English customs, places and people will probably seem quaint (at best) to most readers today. In my opinion he is more interesting when he is creating some myths about his own country. This is probably why he is best known for two memorable, and very American, tales - Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, both of which appeared first in The Sketch Book so you can read them here. These are both truly valuable pieces of writing and well worth study.

If you want a rather more fun and up to date take on the subject of an American in England, why not compare this book with Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Island? A bit of a jump, I know, but give it a go, it made me think.

Period Observations set off Fantastical Tales, 15 Jul 2008
First, a note on the edition. I have a copy of The Modern Library 2001 paperback; this is a handsome, compact volume, complete with concise notes and an introduction from a modern author. It is well bound with quality paper, and I rather like the classy illustration on the cover.

The work itself is, of course, a classic, albeit - in the UK at least - a lesser known one. The title is somewhat misleading; to my mind, '... and Other Stories' implies a collection of narrative-based short stories, but that is not really what you get. Irving's original title and the subtitle here, 'The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.', is a better description. 'Geoffry Crayon' is a fictional front for Irving; his sketchbook is a collection of miscellaneous prose pieces. There are several observations - chiefly of nineteenth century England from the perspective of a visiting American; a number of what appear to be fictionalised versions of true tales picked up on his travels; a retold legend or two, and a few original stories. Probably the best known of the original stories are 'Rip Van Winkle' and 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' itself. Interestingly, both of these purport to be the work of another fictional creation of Irving's, one 'Diedrich Knickerbocker'. Both are set in New York State.

Personally, I quite like to read the stories in their original context, even if they don't fit the general pattern, which is the observations of an American abroad in England. Most of these observations are rather quaint and rambling, and are very much of their time. Taken together, though, they do provide a picture of how Irving would have seen England. Given that this collection was first published, and was well recieved, in England, this is quite interesting for an English reader with historical perspective.

But you're really interested in the stories, aren't you? (I was!)

Rip Van Winkle was oddly unsatisfying. It felt like a sketch for a longer work; our titular sleeper met with a curious company in the wilderness, joined with their revelry and awoke 20 years later. Perhaps the bare-bones nature of this tale, with its echoes of Thomas the Rhymer and other European faerie sleepers, is the very reason that its name has entered the cultural consciousness when older, more fabulous, tales lie on the verge of being forgotten.

Sleep Hollow is longer and more satisfying. It is easier to see through the supernatural gloss and to 'solve' the mystery of Ichabod Crane's fate - in fact, the solution is signposted quite clearly in the text. Irving - via Knickerbocker - creates a powerful sense of atmosphere in the story itself and leaves just enough space for the reader to feel smug about reading between the lines.

Other reviewers have made a point of saying that the story and the recent film are not very similar. To an extent, this is true; the film essentially takes the short story as a springboard into the realms of fantasy. In a way, the story is a sketch for the film. Yet I recognised the same atmosphere, and I didn't feel that the story itself was lacking. It is complete within itself, and almost makes the film appear indulgently fabulous. But that is the nature of film, and it is almost certainly what most of its viewers wanted from the film.

I enjoyed reading the story, and I enjoyed the film. There is a gulf between them, but - to belabour Irving's own metaphor - it is that between an artist's simple sketch of a scene and a later working up into an elaborate, showy exhibition piece with added figures from the artist's elaborate imaginings. Of course, in this case, there are two artists... but I digress.

'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories' is definitely worth the read for the title story alone; the remainder adds context and colour.

Oh, and for the record: 'Rumplestilskin' is not here. As far as I am aware, that tale is a German fairy tale, collected by the Brothers Grimm, and has never had any connection to Washington Irving.

Not what I expected., 28 Sep 2001
In rural America of the early nineteenth Century, by the Hudson River, lies the small village of Sleepy Hollow. The only recently arrived scholl teacher, the tall and lean Ichabod Crane, likes to spend his evenings by the fire with the old Dutch wives, listening to local horror stories of ghouls and goblins and haunted houses, among which that of the headless horseman, until one night after leaving the ball, he is chased by the legendary Galloping Hessian.

I read this story because I love the film, and was surprised to see how few pages, less than ten out of fifty, were actually devoted to the mystery of the headless horseman itself. Although very well written, with descriptions that are stunningly real, the book left me hungry for more.

Set in the time of the Declaration of Independance of the United States, Rip van Winkle is the story of a man who, upon walking in the mountains with his dog, stumbles upon a strange man with a keg of liquor, and a small company of odd-looking folk playing a bowling game. When he wakes up the next morning, everything he used to know has changed...

It was ok, but..., 27 Jun 2001
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle are my favourite parts of this book. However, if you are buying this book on the strength of the movie Sleepy Hollow, the actual telling is very different. A good read.

See the Film, Read The Book, 16 Jan 2000
What can you say! The film is great the book is even better. GET IT

Classic folk tales from the father of American literature., 03 Jul 2001
Washington Irving's (1783-1859) claim to fame is as a pioneer of American fiction, and he is widely recognized as the "father of American literature." The book that especially propelled him to fame was "The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent." which contained his two most famous fantasy stories - "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" - both of which are contained in this collection.

But it is not merely his ground-breaking efforts that garnered him literary recognition, because Irving's stories are at the same time characterized by charming and colourful prose befitting a skilled writer. The stories in this collection (the "Puffin Classics" series) are an excellent sampling of his craft. It's not always easy reading - in fact many of these stories would be too dense even for older children. His vocabulary is extensive, and sentences structure verbose and lengthy - a style rather unlike that employed by contemporary writers. But despite this, Irving demonstrates a wonderful command of the English language, and has the ability to create a vivid picture of his setting, characters and events. Particularly delightful is the attention he devotes to describing his characters. And yet his stories are far from mere character portraits - they are exciting and enchanting tales that make the reader eager to find out the outcome.

"Rip Van Winkle" has gained the status of a classic, and is familiar to most children, but likely few have read Irving's original. It breathes an authenticity and air not found in the contemporary abridged versions of the story. Irving presents his tale as the alleged discovered manuscript (complete with postscript) of the late Diedrich Knickerbocker. The delightful story of Rip Van Winkle - who fell asleep in the Catskill mountains after drinking a mysterious brew acquired from some strange little men, and then awoke 20 years later - will continue to please readers old and new. In the course of the story, Irving makes a profound social comment about the changes happening in his America. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is renowned for its chilling tale of the Headless Horseman, and is a Halloween favorite. Actually, however, it is much more than that. It is not so much a spooky tale of a legendary village ghost as it is a colourful tale about two rival suitors. Ichabod Crane is a simple school teacher who is in love with Katrina Van Tassel, and equally in love with the estates of her father, a wealthy Dutch farmer. His counter-part is the powerful local hero Bram Bones, whose affections for Katrina mirror those of Ichabod Crane, and who is determined to put an end to the affections of underdog Crane by a mysterious and elaborate trickery. As is evident also in his other stories, it is particularly fascinating how Irving exploits the supernatural superstitions of the popular mind to create a sense of mystery and fear, but himself gives a naturalist explanation that rises above such popular notions by explaining the supernatural with natural events.

Though lesser known, the other three stories in the "Puffin Classics" collection are equally enjoyable. "The Spectre Bridegroom" is one of the most fascinating tales in the collection. A young man is mistaken for a bridegroom and received into the castle of a wealthy baron as the husband of the baron's daughter. But before the marriage can be consummated, the bridegroom dashes off, and the baron's family hears shortly afterwards that he's been killed. But then who appears again except the bridegroom - or is it his ghost? - to steal his bride and vanish once more! In the end, it is a satisfying tale more of brilliant scheming than of ghosts - although the fearful superstitions of the general public about the supernatural play an important role in the effective execution of these schemes. "The Pride of the Village" is the tragic tale of a young lady whose heart pines in love for an army officer who has deserted her, only to die at his feet when he returns. "Mountjoy" is a wonderful study of an apparently incurable romantic, described by Irving as a "Castle-Builder". When Mr. Mountjoy discovers a delicate footprint on a sandy shore, his passion for metaphysics, creativity and romance leads him to dream up an imaginary beautiful young maiden, and he promptly fall passionately in love with the nymph of his dreams. The air castle he builds and its accompanying romanticism is crushed numerous times, even drowned, but each time is renewed and revived, just when it seems that "the cobweb romance I had been spinning" would be demolished completely. In the end Mr. Mountjoy meets the girl of his dreams, only to discover that his air castles need to be reshaped once more, and in the end, destroyed completely.

Readers used to the easy diet of modern fiction will find the pioneering work of Washington Irving rather tough to chew on. But those who delight in tasting words, biting on imaginative characters and settings, with a few sips of suspense and supernatural in the process, will discover that Washington Irving's stories are just the literary serving they are renowned to be: a classic. Irving won't please all children of the modern era. But children of literature who have acquired a fine literary taste will find that despite the heightened language of his time, Irving is still digestible and enjoyable.

Period Observations set off Fantastical Tales, 15 Jul 2008
First, a note on the edition. I have a copy of The Modern Library 2001 paperback; this is a handsome, compact volume, complete with concise notes and an introduction from a modern author. It is well bound with quality paper, and I rather like the classy illustration on the cover.

The work itself is, of course, a classic, albeit - in the UK at least - a lesser known one. The title is somewhat misleading; to my mind, '... and Other Stories' implies a collection of narrative-based short stories, but that is not really what you get. Irving's original title and the subtitle here, 'The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.', is a better description. 'Geoffry Crayon' is a fictional front for Irving; his sketchbook is a collection of miscellaneous prose pieces. There are several observations - chiefly of nineteenth century England from the perspective of a visiting American; a number of what appear to be fictionalised versions of true tales picked up on his travels; a retold legend or two, and a few original stories. Probably the best known of the original stories are 'Rip Van Winkle' and 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' itself. Interestingly, both of these purport to be the work of another fictional creation of Irving's, one 'Diedrich Knickerbocker'. Both are set in New York State.

Personally, I quite like to read the stories in their original context, even if they don't fit the general pattern, which is the observations of an American abroad in England. Most of these observations are rather quaint and rambling, and are very much of their time. Taken together, though, they do provide a picture of how Irving would have seen England. Given that this collection was first published, and was well recieved, in England, this is quite interesting for an English reader with historical perspective.

But you're really interested in the stories, aren't you? (I was!)

Rip Van Winkle was oddly unsatisfying. It felt like a sketch for a longer work; our titular sleeper met with a curious company in the wilderness, joined with their revelry and awoke 20 years later. Perhaps the bare-bones nature of this tale, with its echoes of Thomas the Rhymer and other European faerie sleepers, is the very reason that its name has entered the cultural consciousness when older, more fabulous, tales lie on the verge of being forgotten.

Sleep Hollow is longer and more satisfying. It is easier to see through the supernatural gloss and to 'solve' the mystery of Ichabod Crane's fate - in fact, the solution is signposted quite clearly in the text. Irving - via Knickerbocker - creates a powerful sense of atmosphere in the story itself and leaves just enough space for the reader to feel smug about reading between the lines.

Other reviewers have made a point of saying that the story and the recent film are not very similar. To an extent, this is true; the film essentially takes the short story as