The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

By Washington Irving

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"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is a short story of speculative fiction by American author Washington Irving,

Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American short story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Re-Image Publishing
• Release date: Apr 27, 2018
• ISBN: 9783963766886

Washington Irving

Washington Irving (1783-1859) was an American writer, historian and diplomat. Irving served as the American ambassador to Spain in 1840s, and was among the first American writers to earn acclaim in Europe. He argued that writing should be considered as a legitimate profession, and advocated for stronger laws to protect writers against copyright infringement. Irving’s love for adventure and drama influenced his work heavily. His most popular works, Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, were inspired by his visit to the Catskill mountains. Irving is credited to have perfected the short story form, and inspired generations of American writer.

Reviews for The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

[sprainedbrain · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I hadn't read this story since high school, and got the Audible version just because it was narrated by Tom Mison. Irving's descriptions of the fall scenery, the food at the banquet, and most of all poor Ichabod are wonderfully and funny. I adore the voice of the 'historian' telling the story. For the most part, this isn't a scary story, but that night ride still gave me chills. Mison's narration is excellent!

[arkrayder · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Another nice re-read. Always loved The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow. Would love more stories like this.

[beammey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is probably the best edition of Sleepy Hollow that I've read yet. The illustrations bring so much to the story and make it so much better. The story is one of my favorites and this is no exception. I would recommend this book. 5 out of 5 stars.

[fionaliddle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A lot funnier than I was anticipating.

[john257hopper · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I thought this would be a taut and short horror story, but two thirds of it was a dull recounting of Ichabod Crane's idiosyncrasies and his attempts to woo a local heiress. The actual encounter with the headless horseman is brief and, for me, totally lacking in any suspense. 1/5

[caseybp · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My favorite ghost story of all time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[champak256 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very grabbing plot

[caanderson-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It’s a classic short read so worth the time to read again.

[delphimo_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Many times, I have viewed the animated Disney version of this classic short story. The setting inspires mystery and foreboding. Irving presents a well-written and very descriptive story concerning the Dutch settlers to New York. The story hinges a little on jealousy and greed. Two men battle for the lovely and rich young lady, Katrina Van Tassel. Which will win the prize? The description of the early settlers and their beliefs and their life displays a people still dominated by superstition. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing one of the first truly American writers emerge and develop his craft, but also leaving a legacy of early America.

[andyray_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's interesting how one sees a book that one has read before at the ages of 10, 22, and 40-something. Now at 64, I see clearly how Bram Bones pulled his trick on Ickobod Crane, leaving the field wide open for his marriage to the sweet baker of Dutch delights. What earns this book the five stars is the delicious descriptions of the 18th century Tappen Zee, Sing, Sing, Tarrytown area, which now are urban attachments to the greater Metropolitan New York area. We know the time this story takes place as they are still discussing the Revolutionary War, although methinks Irving's description is the rural scene about 50 to 100 years earlier. Whatever, Irving brings you right into Ichobod and Brum's and Katrina's lives and their culture, using what I choose to call "high omniscient" voice. This is a voice that knows everything and paints people's profiles for the reader. We know Ichobod Crane is a wonderful dancer and erudite scholar, but he also despises more than a touch of manual labor. He also wants Katrina for her dowry of the huge farm and its wealth, while the Dutch lad wants her for herself.

[death_by_papercut · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very short & extremely fun. Mr. Irving has a great way with words.

[bookwyrmm_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I was excited when my book club picked this because I am directing a play version right now. I have to say, I was rather disappointed. As there is no dialogue and Irving goes into such detail about everything, which is too much for a novella, the story drags and seems like nothing but exposition. The climax was lost in excess description.

[cbl_tn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow]still has the power to connect readers with memories of the Revolutionary War era that lingered into the 19th century. Reduced to its essential elements, it's the story of a classic love triangle. Which suitor will the lovely Katrina Von Tussell choose – brawny bad boy Brom Bones or nerdy schoolmaster Ichabod Crane? It's what Washington Irving does with the story that makes it so much fun. His descriptions of Ichabod Crane's appearance*, the school room, food, Sleepy Hollow, and, of course, the Headless Horseman are so detailed that you can easily conjure up mental images. The undertone of sarcasm lets you know just how seriously to take the story. Other than some jarring racial stereotypes, the story holds up well almost 200 years later.*Speaking of Ichabod Crane's appearance, I wonder if Cooper might have borrowed from Irving in creating David Gamut's character in The Last of the Mohicans?

[thornton37814 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What marvelous descriptions that Washington Irving makes as he relates the tale of Ichabod Crane, a schoolmaster from Connecticut who is teaching in Tarry Town, New York, and his encounter with the infamous "headless horseman." Irving is a master at describing the setting. He did enjoy writing rather long sentences in places. I enjoyed this revisit to a book read many years ago, realizing that I now had a much greater appreciation for Irving's writing. This is a story that would make a great read-aloud to upper elementary and middle school students. I read this on my Kindle with the 1992 Public Domain Books edition. This version had some formatting issues when diacritics were introduced into the text.

[la2bkk · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

It's difficult for me to categorize this work, although in retrospect its popularity surprises me. As a children's book on the supernatural, on some level it may strike a chord although the book's humor will be lost on the younger reader. As an adult book, its simplicity and lack of real suspense or horror left me unimpressed. All in all, a mildly interesting and nostalgic period piece.

[richestgirls-3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It has been a long time since I have read this story, and I was delighted, once again, to read it.

[librarycin · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3.5 starsIchabod Crane is a schoolteacher in a small village. The village has a resident ghost, the Headless Horseman. This short story really doesn't have a lot to tell beyond a bit of background, then what happens when Ichabod meets the Headless Horseman. Even still, I liked it. It's a fun ghost story to read around Halloween and since it's so short, I just might read it every year at this time. Unfortunately, despite it being so short, when I read it, due to timing, I only got about half-way before I set it aside. I picked it up and finished the other half a little later, but I think the interruption kept me from enjoying it even more.Reread 1 year later:3.25 stars. Ok, the main part of the story, when Ichabod meets the Horseman is - no question - the best part. I think I need to read this without distractions, though. I will probably try to read this in October next year, again, as an annual Halloween read, but I'd like to remember to read at home with no distractions around me. The book is very descriptive and, not being a big fan of description, my mind did wander a little bit.

[marycha-2 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The pictures are well drawn with many details added onto them. Flint Russ, the illustrator did a great job with that. The story was interesting, yet a bit sad.

[stahl2ricco · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle are classics, and pretty awesome! The rest of this collection is fairly uneven, and not so awesome. Still, it's hard to complain too much about a book that contains two "immortal classics"!

[murderbydeath · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I meant to listen to this at Halloween. That didn't work, so I decided to listen to it now as I wanted something short. Let me start by saying Tom Mison does a brilliant job with the narration. His voice is so smooth and gorgeous to listen to. But that proved to be a double edged sword. It was so smooth and so gorgeous that combined with the expository nature of the first half of the book, he lulled me into zoning out several times during the beginning. But once we get to Ichabod's departure from van Tassel's farm, everything picks up and I had no trouble paying attention. Superbly written and superbly told.

[rizeandshine · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Irving is a master at setting a scene, with description, details and imagery. I loved this quote, "The revenue arising from his school was small, and would have been scarcely sufficient to furnish him with daily bread, for he was a huge feeder, and, though lank, had the dilating powers of an anaconda;..." There is this type of subtle wit throughout the story. Very enjoyable.

[slarsoncollins · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This classic is beautifully written with elegant descriptions. I grabbed it because it was free, but would have gladly paid for this remarkable piece of literature.

[racharolla · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Beautifully written, vivid descriptions. A classic piece of literature.

[litaddictedbrit · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

When I first bought my eReader, I was offered 100 free eBooks and a couple of links to sites like Project Gutenberg, where you can download the 'classics' for free. This one caught my eye because I remember going to see the film adaptation (starring the ever wonderful Johnny Depp - I couldn't resist a picture...) when I was younger and being petrified. I thought it would be a suitable bite-size read (at only 30-something pages) for the month of Hallowe'en.As is often the case, this original story published in 1820 bears very little resemblance to the film it became. It is set in around 1790 in a Dutch settlement known as 'Tarry Town' where the inhabitants are extremely superstitious, believing most of all in the Headless Horseman, the ghost of a Hessian trooper whose head was shot off by a stray cannonball during the American Revolutionary War. The ghost now, allegedly of course, haunts the site looking for his head. Ichabod Crane is the character who unwittingly crosses paths with this phantom, after spending the evening trying to charm the beautiful daughter of a rich farmer. The description in this story is superb and the atmosphere of the settlement created at the beginning is one of the most charming I remember reading. Irving leaves nothing to chance - I don't think a passage goes by where the reader isn't painted a clear picture - it really is almost artistic!Considering that this is rumoured to be one of the earliest examples of American writing still read today, it's fantastically accessible. The turns of phrase and "old-fashioned" preoccupations like your horse-riding stance, for example, rather than seeming remote just evoke a wonderful sense of history and a more innocent time. This story won't chill you right to the bone but it might give you goosebumps on a dark night - Ichabod's encounter with the ghost (or is it...?) is fast-paced and a good climax to the tale. Overall: Best devoured in one sitting, this is nothing like the blood bath of the film (aside from the names of characters...) and well worth the short while you'll spend on it!

[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.

[sushicat-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A nice story well told. The wording had me smiling throughout - especially trying to match the description of Ichabod Crane with Johnny Depp or the scene of various animals in pasture immediately followed by Ichabod's vision of the same animals as part of a sumptuous meal. Beyond the entertaining little tale weaving ghost stories with a rivalry about a young woman's heart, it gives a wonderful description of a rural small town community and it's protagonists. Too bad it is so short.

[bookconcierge · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A classic ghost story that has been scaring children (and adults) for centuries. In the fertile valleys of the upper Hudson River lies a small port – Tarry Town. The villagers enjoy good health, fertile farms, and telling tales of ghosts, goblins, witches in their midst. Their schoolmaster is one Ichabod Crane, a tall, gangly fellow who also dabbles as the choir master. One of his musical pupils is the lovely Katrina Van Tassel, the only daughter of one of the wealthiest farmers. The schoolmaster feels he can win her over, but he has a formidable challenger in Brom Bones.

When Ichabod disappears after a party at the Van Tassel mansion, the whole valley is left to wonder what happened? Did he simply move on to another community? Was he spirited off by the Headless Horseman? Only a few clues are found, including his trampled hat, and no one, especially Brom Bones, is talking.

I remember being really scared by this story when I was a child. Reading it as an adult, I’m struck by the complexity of the language in this fairly simple story.

NOTE - I had posted this review when I first read the book, but when I went to look at it today (Feb 21, 2014), I found that it was posted under the GRAPHIC Novel. I definitely read the original version, not the graphic novel. I can only guess that at some point in time the GN edition was divided from the main edition and somehow my review got migrated in that fashion ...

[stevierbrown · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well if I am honest about this, I felt predisposed to like Sleepy Hollow; it is wonderfully and genuinely of its time and place, with the era and location certainly having a romantic draw for me.
The story also evokes a very definite atmosphere and I think I read this at the right time of year, just two days before Hallowe’en.
But for such a slim text it takes a great deal of time to get to the crux of the story; around 80% of the book is taken up with introducing the characters and landscape where the action is to take place. This is all very important, but once the action has occurred the story simply ends. Now, it is a very strong ending but following such a great lead up to the ‘terrible events’ described I expected a great and slow finish rather than just a two-page epilogue.
But I did still love it!

[pennylane78 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've heard several tellings and re-tellings of this famous story, but reading the original was quite a treat. It's one of those books that I SWEAR I read at some point, but I'm never really sure because I've heard the story so many times, it's just ingrained in my brain. This is a great story! If you haven't read it, it's super short, you should definitely give it a try!

[gbill_7 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Old books are like old people. A little fragile, a little faded, and perhaps about to fall apart, and yet having stories within which can still captivate, stories which have been poured out to others before you’ve come along to hold the very same pages, and which may pour out to others when you’re gone. Perhaps it’s only when one feels one’s own mortality that one feels this way, but is there any better symbol of the best of humanity passing down its history, knowledge, and culture from generation to generation, than a book? And of all books, any better representative of this than one which is old, having been in the library of unknown others before coming into one’s own?I found a connection not only to Northeastern America in the 18th century while reading ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’, but also to the fellow book lover who clipped the poem “Life or Death” by feminist/anarchist writer Voltairne de Cleyre out of the newspaper and included it in these pages for me to find decades later. With a front and back cover in this 1885 edition that appears to be alligator leather beginning to crack in places, and with the silk strings that bind the book together having been mostly snapped with age, it needed to be handled very carefully. Inside, however, I found Irving’s language beautiful, his characters iconic, and his story memorable. It’s really no wonder it’s been adapted in so many forms since 1820, and is a favorite at Halloween time. It’s the perfect short story, absolutely brilliant. The illustrations provided nice touches, particularly of the lovely Katrina van Tassel. ‘The Spectre Bridegroom’ was also included here and a teeny little less successful, but quite enjoyable nonetheless, featuring an ancient castle on the Rhine and love at first sight. Ah youth. Who can’t empathize? The mores might have been different (Katrina’s “provokingly short petticoat” displaying “the prettiest foot and ankle in the country round”), and life may have been simpler, but the feelings of love, jealousy, and fear of noises in the dark are the same. Am I reviewing the book or this edition? Or the beauty of books and humanity in general, having been swept up in some form of mystic reverie? Perhaps all of the above. Oh, and connection discovered to the last book I read, which was “Good Omens” by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett: Ichabod Crane’s love and mastery of Cotton Mather’s history of New England witchcraft.