Thursday, October 16, 2014

THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW AND OTHER STORIES with giveaway!



Who else is watching Sleepy Hollow?  I'm loving this take on Washington Irving's classic tale. Ichabod as portrayed by Tom Mison is easy on the eyes too.  In all honesty it was disappointing to discover his age..:)  Just in time for Halloween Penguin is re-issuing the classic THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW AND OTHER STORIES.   Thanks to Andrea, the Book Nook Take II has a print copy to give away to one (1) commenter.  Sorry, U.S. or Canada only. Did you read these classics as a child or did you discover them later in life?  Good Luck y'all! 

THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW AND OTHER STORIES: 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 (A Penguin Classics Original; On-sale date: September 30, 2014; $11.00) gave America its own haunted mythology.

This new 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, and features an introduction and notes by Elizabeth L. Bradley, author of Knickerbocker: The Myth Behind New York and literary consultant to Historic Hudson Valley, the caretakers of Irving’s Tarrytown, New York home. The setting of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is renowned for the supernaturalism that pervades the imaginations of its inhabitants and visitors. The most infamous specter in the Hollow is the Headless Horseman, said to be the ghost of a Hessian trooper who had his head shot off by a stray cannonball during the American Revolutionary War, and who “rides forth to the scene of battle in nightly quest of his head.” The “Legend” relates the tale of Ichabod Crane, a superstitious schoolmaster from Connecticut, who competes with townsman Abraham Van Brunt for the hand of 18-year-old Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter and sole child of a wealthy farmer, Baltus Van Tassel. Crane sees marriage to Katrina as a means of procuring Van Tassel’s extravagant wealth. Bones, the local hero, vies with Ichabod for Katrina's hand, playing a series of pranks on the jittery schoolmaster, and the fate of Sleepy Hollow's fortune weighs in the balance for some time. The tension among the three is soon brought to a head.

    the legend of sleepy hollow  


WASHINGTON IRVING (1783–1859) is generally credited with being the father of the American short story and was the first American writer to achieve international renown. He debuted in 1802 with a series of observational letters to the Morning Chronicle, and is best known for his short stories Rip Van Winkle (1819) and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.  He has written several historical works covering figures such as George Washington and Christopher Columbus.   ELIZABETH L. BRADLEY, the author of Knickerbocker: The Myth Behind New York, serves as literary consultant to Historic Hudson Valley, the caretakers of Sunnyside—Irving’s Tarrytown, New York, home. She also wrote the introduction and notes for the Penguin Classics edition of Irving’s A History of New York.

2 comments:

  1. I have long enjoyed the tales from early days of America's settlement. Washington Irving's work is an excellent example of the culture in the area at the time.
    We have been enjoying SLEEPY HALLOW on TV. ( What is wrong with 32? That certainly isn't very old. ) We had company, so I missed most of the last show. It seems to be getting a bit more odd.

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    1. Glad to see you found it, librarypat. Please consider following to keep up with the giveaways. They're gong to be phased out at MIBN.

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