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    The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
    The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
    The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
    Ebook66 pages53 minutes

    The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

    By Washington Irving

    3.5/5

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    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArchive Classics
    Release dateJan 1, 1976
    Author

    Washington Irving

    Washington Irving (1783-1859) is an American author best known for his short stories Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. He is largely considered to be America's first internationally best-selling author.

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    Reviews for The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

    3.5/5

    820 ratings68 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Another nice re-read. Always loved The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow. Would love more stories like this.
    • 5/5
      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!
    • 5/5
      I read this classic every October. This year I listened to it on audio. I never, never tire of this story. My favorite part is the part where Irving describes the sumptuous farm/kingdom of Baltus Van Tassel, with increasing warm wit, through the ravening eyes of Ichabod. I think of it dearly as Van Tassel Estate Revisited, and always sympathize wholeheartedly with Ichabod's pinings after Old Money, New England style--oh, and Katrina too.
    • 5/5
      Very short & extremely fun. Mr. Irving has a great way with words.
    • 4/5
      A lot funnier than I was anticipating.
    • 5/5
      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.
    • 5/5
      My favorite ghost story of all time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    • 4/5
      Very grabbing plot
    • 4/5
      This was really interesting. I've seen the movies Sleepy Hollow, and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and many other versions which differ from each other. This story is what they were both based on so I was really pleased to see that they both followed this story closely.
    • 4/5
      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"!
    • 2/5
      Hmm... Not sure why this was such a hit. Other than giving me a longing for Fall back east, I don't get it.
    • 4/5
      Worth reading for historical value as "America's first ghost story." Find an illustrated version to read to the kids around Halloween time.
    • 4/5
      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 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.
    • 5/5
      I read this classic every October. This year I listened to it on audio. I never, never tire of this story. My favorite part is the part where Irving describes the sumptuous farm/kingdom of Baltus Van Tassel, with increasing warm wit, through the ravening eyes of Ichabod. I think of it dearly as Van Tassel Estate Revisited, and always sympathize wholeheartedly with Ichabod's pinings after Old Money, New England style--oh, and Katrina too.
    • 3/5
      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.
    • 5/5
      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.
    • 5/5
      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 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!
    • 3/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      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 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.
    • 4/5
      A great little story. I haven't read this since I was probably in grade school or junior high -- a glimpse of a more innocent time.
    • 2/5
      Classic story of the legend of sleepy hollow as written by Irving. The story is not as exciting as all of the movies. However, it was an enjoyable listed on a weekend road trip during the month of October.
    • 2/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 3/5
      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.
    • 5/5
      It has been a long time since I have read this story, and I was delighted, once again, to read it.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 2/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 5/5
      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!
    • 5/5
      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.

    Book preview

    The Legend of Sleepy Hollow - Washington Irving

    Project Gutenberg's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, by Washington Irving

    This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with

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    Title: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

    Author: Washington Irving

    Release Date: June 25, 2008 [EBook #41]

    Last Updated: November 26, 2012

    Language: English

    *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW ***

    Produced by Ilana M. (Kingsley) Newby and Greg Newby

    THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW

    by Washington Irving

    FOUND AMONG THE PAPERS

    OF THE LATE DIEDRICH KNICKERBOCKER.

    A pleasing land of drowsy head it was,

              Of dreams that wave before the half-shut eye;

            And of gay castles in the clouds that pass,

              Forever flushing round a summer sky.

                                             CASTLE OF INDOLENCE.

    In the bosom of one of those spacious coves which indent the eastern shore of the Hudson, at that broad expansion of the river denominated by the ancient Dutch navigators the Tappan Zee, and where they always prudently shortened sail and implored the protection of St. Nicholas when they crossed, there lies a small market town or rural port, which by some is called Greensburgh, but which is more generally and properly known by the name of Tarry Town. This name was given, we are told, in former days, by the good housewives of the adjacent country, from the inveterate propensity of their husbands to linger about the village tavern on market days. Be that as it may, I do not vouch for the fact, but merely advert to it, for the sake of being precise and authentic. Not far from this village, perhaps about two miles, there is a little valley or rather lap of land among high hills, which is one of the quietest places in the whole world. A small brook glides through it, with just murmur enough to lull one to repose; and the occasional whistle of a quail or tapping of a woodpecker is almost the only sound that ever breaks in upon the uniform tranquillity.

    I recollect that, when a stripling, my first exploit in squirrel-shooting was in a grove of tall walnut-trees that shades one side of the valley. I had wandered into it at noontime, when all nature is peculiarly quiet, and was startled by the roar of my own gun, as it broke the Sabbath stillness around and was prolonged and reverberated by the angry echoes. If ever I should wish for a retreat whither I might steal from the world and its distractions, and dream quietly away the remnant of a troubled life, I know of none more promising than this little valley.

    From the listless repose of the place, and the peculiar character of its inhabitants, who are descendants from the original Dutch settlers, this sequestered glen has long been known by the name of SLEEPY HOLLOW, and its rustic lads are called the Sleepy Hollow Boys throughout all the neighboring country. A drowsy, dreamy influence seems to hang over the land, and to pervade the very atmosphere. Some say that the place was bewitched by a High German doctor, during the early days of the settlement; others, that an old Indian chief, the prophet or wizard of his tribe, held his powwows there before the country was discovered by Master Hendrick Hudson. Certain it is, the place still continues under the sway of some witching power, that holds a spell over the minds of the good people, causing them to walk in a continual reverie. They are given to all kinds of marvellous beliefs, are subject to trances and visions, and frequently see strange sights, and hear music and voices in the air. The whole neighborhood abounds with local tales, haunted spots, and twilight superstitions; stars shoot and meteors glare oftener across the valley than in any other part of the country, and the nightmare, with her whole ninefold, seems to make it the favorite scene of her gambols.

    The dominant spirit, however, that haunts this enchanted region, and seems to be commander-in-chief of all the powers of the air, is the apparition of a figure on horseback, without a head. It is said by some to be the ghost of a Hessian trooper, whose head had been carried away by a cannon-ball, in some nameless battle during the Revolutionary War, and who is ever and anon seen by the country folk hurrying along in the gloom

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