The Legend of Sleepy Hollow: Classic Tales Edition

Written by Washington Irving

Narrated by B.J.Harrison

Here is the complete and unabridged tale of Ichabod Crane and his ill-fated visit to Sleepy Hollow.

Half of the charm of the tale is Irving's beautiful prose, as he describes the glorious New England countryside. But, of course, there are chills galore when the Headless Horseman appears.

• Language: English
• Publisher: B.J. Harrison
• Release date: Oct 23, 2013
• ISBN: 9781937091590

Washington Irving

Washington Irving Was born in New York City in 1783. He lived in the United States, England, and Spain (where he served as an American diplomatic attache). A prolific author, Irving wrote The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., Diedrich Knickerbocker's History of New York, The Alhambra, and biographies of George Washington and Christopher Columbus, among other works. He is best remembered, however, for his two most famous stories, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle."

[Jennifer Smith · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A classic that stands the test of time. One of my favorites and a story I revisit every October.

[joririchardson · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was my 3rd of the three Halloween 2010 reads.When pondering what three books to choose for Halloween this year and browsing through some online suggestions, I was almost surprised to realize that I hadn't read "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" yet. I saw an animated film adaption as a child, and I know the story, but I hadn't read the actual book.After requesting it at the library, I was surprised to find how tiny it was. It is actually a short story, and the edition I read just managed to be 71 pages, with the help of large font.It is the story of a well liked schoolteacher named Ichabod Crane, in a small 1700's New York town. The town is rumored to be haunted, and despite his scholarly outlook on life, Ichabod himself can feel an unnerving presence in Sleepy Hollow. Ichabod falls in love with a beautiful rich girl named Miss Katrina von Tussell, who seems to return his affections. It is all too good to be true, but Ichabod's luck takes an unfortunate turn when he is riding home one night...Though I am glad that I finally read this well known little short story, I can't say that I was overly impressed.The book is just too short for the reader to ever get very invested, and the headless horseman (the part that everyone remembers) is only featured on a page or two. The rest of the plot, which is meant to build up toward the scene of Ichabod fleeing from the horseman in the woods, does not have very much to do with the ending. I felt that the book was pretty pointless, all in all. There were three plot elements: a) Schoolteacher and pretty rich girl fall in love. b) Jealous fighting man decides to make an enemy of schoolteacher. c) Schoolteacher meets a ghost in the woods at night and is never seen again.If I hadn't already known the story going into this book, I would have been thinking at the last point: "wait - what?!"Really, it has nothing to do with the plot before that.The descriptions of the town were pretty at times, despite Irving's apparent aversion for periods (some sentances lasted an entire page - the first sentence in the book certainly did). A very quick read due to its small size, but not a book that I will be buying.

[Joy Med · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Nicely reas. Sound quality could be cleaner so as to sound more professional.

[Patrick Lennon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's wonderfully written. But it barely kept my attention. More interesting than entertaining.

[Kendra Ezell · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This was well written,nd, since I've listen to the audio book, well read. That's about it. I felt like we had a long time to get to know Ichabod Crane and his love interest , and less time on the actual headless horsemen and their encounter\s.
Definitely didn't expect this very and now I feel like I'm missing something.

[jrissman_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a short story about superstitions schoolmaster Ichabod Crane, who lives in the New York countryside in the late 1700s. While the well-known, culminating horseback ride may be the high point of the story, I found the portrayal of life in rural, early America and Ichabod's somewhat comedic character to be just as enjoyable.

[Rivka · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The quality was good, but I found the story hard to follow as an audio book. The older English is difficult to fully appreciate unless you're very focused on listening.

[kristelh_15 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I knew this story but I don't think I have ever read it. Every October I make a plan to read it and this year finally did. It is well known story of a headless horseman. It is a work of fiction and not based on any legends.The story takes place in the real village of Sleepy Hollow, New York. The story includes a reference to a Hessian soldier who was decapitated by a cannonball during the Battle of White Plains in 1776. The soldier's grave is located in a cemetery near Sleepy Hollow. A placard marks the spot where the soldier lost his head, which is less than 8 miles from Sleepy Hollow. Irving wrote The Legend of Sleepy Hollow while touring Europe and published it in 1819 and 1820 under the pseudonym "Geoffrey Crayon". The story is considered one of America's first ghost stories.

[joligula · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a wonderful story full of early American flavor. If you are looking for Johnny Depp bumbling through the fog, then this is not it. It is however another bumbler, bumbling through the fog and scared out of his wits. A classic story of atmospheric spook and superstition.

[leslie398 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Narrated by Tom Mison.

This Audible freebie was a nice way to revisit this novella but I had some difficulty in concentrating on Mison's narration. I don't know whether it was the text, my mood, or his narration...

[amcheri-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I never had the occasion to read this story but picked it up on Audible a couple months ago. I liked it and am happy that I can now say that I've read (listened) to it.

[michellesr13 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It is very similar to its Disney animated version, the second story felt a bit tedious to me but is actually quite good. Definitely a book you read very quickly!!!! (Translated from Spanish)

[ciegaporelpdf · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It even makes me a bit ashamed to admit how boring I found this classic. The only thing I highlight about it is the beautiful narration, where the dialogues were unnecessary; but the story itself disappointed me. (Translated from Spanish)

[booknookretreat7 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Been wanting to read this for a long time and I wasn't disappointed. I really enjoyed the story-telling and though it wasn't a typical horror story, it still had a descriptive atmosphere to the storyline. Giving it four stars.

[darthdeverell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a lovely little edition of Washington Irving’s classic story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, with Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman. Great for giving as a gift or adding to a child’s library of classics.

[vesper1931 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

In Sleepy Hollow schoolmaster Ichabod Crane and Brom Van Brunt compete for the affections of rich Katrina Van Tassel, but the spirit of the Galloping Hessian must have its say.
Originally published in 1820.
Not really that interesting a read

[dzejncrvena · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I am sorry, but I have to say this book did not spook me in any way. I find it too dense. Good thing I don't know/watch its animated adaptation because I would be tempted to compare the plot and overall vibes of the story. Well, this is for people who like to read classic horror stories.

[Ailed Rguez · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I want to start by saying that it's not my type of reading, but I already had the Disney movie as a reference and those were the mental images I had. In this tale, we learn about a small town where it is said that the ghost of a headless horseman appears. I think the vocabulary might be a bit tedious to read, but aside from that, I found it very interesting and quick to read. (Translated from Spanish)

[equestrienne · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I can't tell you how old I was when this story was first read to me, but I was very, very young and already had a keen interest in the paranormal. I do recall the library book my mother read the story from, it was an anthology of children's literature with Arthur Rackham illustrations.

It was required reading in my 8th grade English class, when I was reintroduced to the story. My teacher led classroom discussion and I think she made this an interesting literary work for our age group.

As an adult, I discovered this edition with the Arthur Rackham illustrations that I remembered and loved so well, so I purchased it for an addition to my personal library.

This week my six year old daughter brought home a library book of the Disney version of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, so I just had to pull the Washington Irving version off the shelf and start reading it to her. So, this little literary gem has now come full circle in my own personal history......life is sweet.

(on a side note, I have watched the Tim Burton film, "Sleepy Hollow" and I must say it is best taken as an adjunct to the story, as it is so very different. The cinematography and art direction are excellent, it is a visually stunning film, but it certainly cannot be mistaken for a film version of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow")

[count_zero-837732 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Stick with the Disney animated version.

[elam11 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

For all the adaptations of this story, it was surprising to get into the original and realize how short and un-Horseman-focused it really is. It was very evocative of autumn; I love the descriptions of the landscape and foods.

Personally I'm inclined to take the more supernatural angle, considering its sibling tales.

[AnnTarditti · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

For being a short book, it felt dense to me and didn’t surprise me. Too much description of everything without getting anywhere and too simple... (Translated from Spanish)

[Tina Glez · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A precious book with a series of stories about Moorish and Christian kings, the mysteries of Granada and its Alhambra, spells, predictions, love affairs, terror, and a bit of everything. Truly a work worthy of reading, with a clear and unparalleled descriptive prose. (Translated from Spanish)

[Alejandro Mansilla · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An enjoyable narrative, very descriptive and with suspense until the climax. (Translated from Spanish)

[Tina8 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A precious book with a series of stories about Moorish and Christian kings, the mysteries of Granada and its Alhambra, spells, predictions, romances, terror, and a bit of everything. Truly a work worthy of reading, with a clear and unparalleled descriptive prose. (Translated from Spanish)

[lydia1879 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I really thought this was going to be creepier!

I read it on an app called Serial, as a way to wean myself constantly scrolling through social media while waiting for a bus or standing in the queue at the post office, and it definitely did that. I genuinely have no idea when I started this book (I made a rough guess) but it took a while to read because I only read in little pieces at a time.

I enjoyed how atmospheric this short story was and I found Irving's writing surprisingly readable for the time that it was published.

However, I felt like it was a lot of exposition. I got to know all the characters, a little at a time, the atmosphere was built up with a few mentions of the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow, and then when it finally got to that part of the book, I was a little let down.

I feel, in part, that it's because there have been so many adaptions of the story that tweak the story, that when I finished reading it, I didn't feel satisfied.

But the writing was satisfying to read and he did have a real rhythm. The names mentioned in the story itself are evocative enough -- Ichabod Crane, Baltus Van Tassel, Sleepy Hollow, the Headless Horseman, it's all great fun.

I was happy that I read it though, because I might not have ever gotten around to it if it hadn't been for serial.

Onto Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde now c:

[AndrsCR12 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

A tale from classical literature that delves deeply into descriptions. (Translated from Spanish)

[Voronwie · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I agree with the placebo comment; it's not at all what I expected. I was hoping for more action, which doesn't seem to happen at all, but it is still an enjoyable and short read. (Translated from Spanish)

[danielstj · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An intriguing collection with an interesting set of narrative structure behind the stories. The measure of character is layered by, typically, third-person narration. Many of the earliest stories in this collection were quite palatable-- as was the titular story, but the middle and third part of the book contained tales that did not satisfy.

Nonetheless, a good read in parts.

[Edd62 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

No one missed Ichabod Crane. Because he was single and had no debts. Johnny Depp plays the character... now in the United States they are asking "To cut off his head." Is it prophetic? More than the story itself. (Translated from Spanish)