The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

The timeless collection that introduced Rip Van Winkle, Ichabod Crane, and the Headless Horseman

Perhaps the marker of a true mythos is when the stories themselves overshadow their creator. Originally published under a pseudonym as The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories gave America its own haunted mythology. This collection of larger-than-life tales contains Washington Irving's best-known literary inventions--Ichabod Crane, the Headless Horseman, and Rip Van Winkle--that continue to capture our imaginations today.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

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83 pages

Average rating: 7.14

63 RATINGS

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10 REVIEWS

Community Reviews

blewballoon
Nov 21, 2024
6/10 stars
3.5

Excellent prose, Washington Irving creates some really great imagery which often times felt like visual gags in writing. The exaggerated tone of the descriptions made me want to watch the animated adaptation, I could so easily picture the scene in a Looney Tunes or Donald Duck cartoon. For my attention span, these descriptions sometimes caused me to lose focus and I had to backtrack to remember the actual bones of the story.

Similarly to Dracula, this reads to me as more of a comedy than a scary story. Unlike with Dracula, the narrative voice came off as cynical and the characters are a not likable. Any adaptation that presents Ichabod as a good and sincere man is taking liberties. None of the other characters are better, they are just different caricatures.

Overall, somehow both a better and worse experience than I expected. The prose was fun to listen to on audiobook, but if it had been longer it probably would have worn out its welcome due to lack of captivating characters and plot.

Content Warnings:
Moderate: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, and Classism
Minor: Animal cruelty, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, and Colonization
FlyingDeacon
Sep 10, 2024
8/10 stars
An original American horror story filled with suspense and beautiful prose. Haunting characters that stand the test of time.
BookclubMemberRachel
Aug 18, 2024
3/10 stars
Boring and pretentious. Watch Tim Burton’s movie instead- the film is a masterpiece
Shahna
Jul 18, 2024
6/10 stars
This is a pretty heavy book to read for a child. I don't know how I got through it. I was so little.
@MissLitLife
Jun 06, 2024
8/10 stars
Oh Ichabod Crane....I haven't read this since grade school but it was a fun re-read and trip down memory lane...

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