Status
Available
Genres
Publication
New York : Books of Wonder, 1990.
Description
A superstitious schoolmaster, in love with a wealthy farmer's daughter, has a terrifying encounter with a headless horseman.
User reviews
LibraryThing member gbill
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
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.
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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.
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LibraryThing member andyray
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
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.
What earns this book the five stars is
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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.
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LibraryThing member LibraryCin
3.5 stars
Ichabod 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
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.
Ichabod 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
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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.
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LibraryThing member theboylatham
4/10.
A short story about a schoolteacher and his encounter with a headless ghost rider. Pretty dull.
A short story about a schoolteacher and his encounter with a headless ghost rider. Pretty dull.
LibraryThing member krau0098
My first experiences with this Halloween story were on old Halloween records my parents had and of watching the old Disney video in elementary school for Halloween. I realized though that I had never actually read the story itself. So I downloaded the free version on my Kindle.
Everyone should know
This story is very well-written and enjoyable even after such a long time. I was surprised to find that the Disney version was extremely accurate; so if you watch that short movie you will get a very good representation of the story.
Most of the story is spent setting things up and some of the descriptions can get a bit drawn-out and boring. At the same time some of the descriptions are also rather amusing and humorous.
All in all an excellent story that made for an interesting read. Might get a bit boring at parts for kids, but I was impressed at how funny some parts of it were too. If you get a chance to watch the Disney movie Sleepy Hollow, it is a great movie and really stays true to this story.
This free Kindle version had some slight formatting problems in a couple places, nothing too horrible but I did notice them.
Everyone should know
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this story, or at least have heard of it. It's about Ichabod Crane, the schoolmaster of Sleepy Hollow, and his run-in with the evil Headless Horseman.This story is very well-written and enjoyable even after such a long time. I was surprised to find that the Disney version was extremely accurate; so if you watch that short movie you will get a very good representation of the story.
Most of the story is spent setting things up and some of the descriptions can get a bit drawn-out and boring. At the same time some of the descriptions are also rather amusing and humorous.
All in all an excellent story that made for an interesting read. Might get a bit boring at parts for kids, but I was impressed at how funny some parts of it were too. If you get a chance to watch the Disney movie Sleepy Hollow, it is a great movie and really stays true to this story.
This free Kindle version had some slight formatting problems in a couple places, nothing too horrible but I did notice them.
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LibraryThing member vibrantminds
The book is the classic tale of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman. Set in Sleepy Hollow, Ichabod is the schoolmaster who is quite smitten with Katrina Van Tassel but so is Brom Bones who is his rival in every sense of the word. Superstitions plague the town including the one of the Headless
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Horseman who haunts the church yard and is seen nightly dashing from there to the battlefield in search of his head. A party ensues at the Van Tassel estate. Ichabod and Brom are both in attendance to woo Katrina. After the party Ichabod stays on but leaves looking rather downtrodden only to be pursued by the Headless Horseman and never to be heard from again. Brom in turn marries Kartrina and Ichabod is said to be seen in New York and whenever the story of Ichabod is told Brom Bones always laughs. The Disney cartoon movie version is a classic and pretty much sums up the entire story. Show Less
LibraryThing member slarsoncollins
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.
LibraryThing member RachaRolla
Beautifully written, vivid descriptions. A classic piece of literature.
LibraryThing member litaddictedbrit
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
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!
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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!
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LibraryThing member rizeandshine
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
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anaconda;..." There is this type of subtle wit throughout the story. Very enjoyable. Show Less
LibraryThing member thornton37814
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
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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. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookwyrmm
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.
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The climax was lost in excess description. Show Less
LibraryThing member john257hopper
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
LibraryThing member la2bkk
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
All in all, a mildly interesting and nostalgic period piece.
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or horror left me unimpressed. All in all, a mildly interesting and nostalgic period piece.
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LibraryThing member delphimo
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
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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. Show Less
LibraryThing member marycha
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.
LibraryThing member richestgirls
It has been a long time since I have read this story, and I was delighted, once again, to read it.
LibraryThing member Darcia
This is one of those stories that needs to be savored. The words have a beautiful cadence that make for great material to be read aloud. The story itself is fun, with vivid characters and a bit of mystery. But I go back to it every now and then just to experience the beauty of the language.
LibraryThing member hemlokgang
This was the first time reading this tale of mystery and humor. I love Washibgton Irving's characters, but this story was just so-so.
LibraryThing member BeckyPugh
This story gave me nightmares as a child. I would only tell this story to older kids and adults. Own a copy.
LibraryThing member ssimon2000
Classic ghost story of Ichabod Crane and the Galloping Hessian, otherwise known as the Headless Horseman. Just about everyone is familiar with the story, so I won't go into details here.
The narration by Tom Mison was very good. He simply has the right voice for reading this classic.
The narration by Tom Mison was very good. He simply has the right voice for reading this classic.
LibraryThing member bookofsecrets
THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW is a well-known and loved classic by Washington Irving. As a kid, it really gave me the creeps, so I was excited to see the new audio version pop up as a freebie on Audible. It was narrated by the amazing Tom Mison, who happens to play the role of Ichabod Crane on the
Most know the story already. Awkward, lanky Ichabod falls for a farmer's daughter named Katrina Van Tassel, who is also being courted by the hulking Brom Bones. After leaving a party at the Van Tassel Farm, a terrified Ichabod Crane is chased through the woods of Sleepy Hollow by the Headless Horseman, and then...?
Washington Irving was a fabulous writer, and the language in this story is beautiful. Tom Mison has the perfect voice to tell Ichabod's harrowing tale, and his acting talent shines through in the narration. I thought his English accent fit the story nicely, and I particularly loved how he pronounced the words autumnal, Hessian, and Brom Bones. Yeah, I could easily get lost in his voice. THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW is most definitely worth a listen!
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show Sleepy Hollow.Most know the story already. Awkward, lanky Ichabod falls for a farmer's daughter named Katrina Van Tassel, who is also being courted by the hulking Brom Bones. After leaving a party at the Van Tassel Farm, a terrified Ichabod Crane is chased through the woods of Sleepy Hollow by the Headless Horseman, and then...?
Washington Irving was a fabulous writer, and the language in this story is beautiful. Tom Mison has the perfect voice to tell Ichabod's harrowing tale, and his acting talent shines through in the narration. I thought his English accent fit the story nicely, and I particularly loved how he pronounced the words autumnal, Hessian, and Brom Bones. Yeah, I could easily get lost in his voice. THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW is most definitely worth a listen!
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LibraryThing member readafew
Listened to this book on the way home and I think it's the first time I've heard/read the whole story of Ichabod Crane. Everyone know the basics of the story and the headless horseman. But there was a lot that I had forgotten from the different films and of course each one interprets the ending in
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their own way. I liked this ending and I am happy to have finally had a chance to hear the original version. It makes it easier to appreciate the other interpretations that way. Show Less
LibraryThing member ScoLgo
A very short novella that contains a surprising amount of exposition. Lengthy descriptions about the landscape, the town, food, Ichabod Crane's clothing, his lady love, etc... Very little about the Headless Hessian until nearly the end. A fun enough little tale but not quite what I was expecting.
LibraryThing member OscarWilde87
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow ranges among the most prominent of American short stories. Washington Irving wrote this story about a Headless Horseman in 1820. Set in the settlement of Tarry Town, New York, in 1790 the narrator, one Diedrich Knickerbocker, tells a tale about the competition of Ichabod
At a harvest party at the Van Tassels' home, Ichabod Crane listens to local legends about ghosts and the Headless Horseman. The latter is said to be a decapitated soldier who haunts Sleepy Hollow. When Sleepy Hollow is described at the beginning of the story it is a place of beauty in the woods near Tarry Town. However, this description turns upside down when Sleepy Hollow is described in connection with the local legend of the Headless Horseman. It is suddenly dark and bleak, full of ghosts and fear instilling.
The story about Sleepy Hollow plays with the theme of local oral culture as stories are largely told and not written down. In contrast to that there is the schoolmaster, Ichabod Crane, a man of letters. No wonder that the stories about the ghost of Sleepy Hollow filled him with fear. They are probably more vivid than anything he has read. He, in his role of schoolmaster, is placed in a town steeped in tradition as the new and learned man. It is hence part of his initiation and his process to fit in the local community to be introduced to local lore. Deeply impressed by the story of the Headless Horseman, Crane rides home from the party during the night and there is an encounter with the ghost of Sleepy Hollow. The next morning, his horse is back at the stable but the schoolmaster is nowhere to be seen. Soon, his books are burned and he is replaced by a new schoolmaster.
All in all, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a nice tale of folklore, tradition and a guarded local culture that includes elements of the supernatural. A short read that will definitely be worth your while. Readers who like this story might also enjoy Washington Irving's "Rip Van Winkle."
Four stars for The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
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Crane and Abraham Van Brunt for Katrina Van Tassel, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy famer. While Van Brunt is a rough fellow who likes to play tricks on the weaker people in town, the protagonist Ichabod Crane is a lanky schoolmaster who superstitiously believes in the writings of Cotton Mather's "History of New England Witchcraft."At a harvest party at the Van Tassels' home, Ichabod Crane listens to local legends about ghosts and the Headless Horseman. The latter is said to be a decapitated soldier who haunts Sleepy Hollow. When Sleepy Hollow is described at the beginning of the story it is a place of beauty in the woods near Tarry Town. However, this description turns upside down when Sleepy Hollow is described in connection with the local legend of the Headless Horseman. It is suddenly dark and bleak, full of ghosts and fear instilling.
The story about Sleepy Hollow plays with the theme of local oral culture as stories are largely told and not written down. In contrast to that there is the schoolmaster, Ichabod Crane, a man of letters. No wonder that the stories about the ghost of Sleepy Hollow filled him with fear. They are probably more vivid than anything he has read. He, in his role of schoolmaster, is placed in a town steeped in tradition as the new and learned man. It is hence part of his initiation and his process to fit in the local community to be introduced to local lore. Deeply impressed by the story of the Headless Horseman, Crane rides home from the party during the night and there is an encounter with the ghost of Sleepy Hollow. The next morning, his horse is back at the stable but the schoolmaster is nowhere to be seen. Soon, his books are burned and he is replaced by a new schoolmaster.
All in all, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a nice tale of folklore, tradition and a guarded local culture that includes elements of the supernatural. A short read that will definitely be worth your while. Readers who like this story might also enjoy Washington Irving's "Rip Van Winkle."
Four stars for The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
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