Showing results by author "Washington Irving" in All Categories

In a quiet valley where time moves a little slower and shadows fall a little longer, a tale has been whispered for generations. Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow captures the strange charm of a world perched between dream and folklore—where superstition lingers, and the night rides on a restless horse. This classic story blends gentle satire, eerie beauty, and a touch of the uncanny. It doesn't just haunt—it hums like a memory just out of reach.

Irving's stories blend gentle humor, gothic atmosphere, and vivid historical detail, drawing readers into early American life and folklore. In The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, he introduces the unforgettable figure of Ichabod Crane and the spectral Headless Horseman, capturing the eerie charm of a rural New York village. Rip Van Winkle, a whimsical tale of a man who sleeps through decades of change, explores themes of time, identity, and transformation.

What happens when a man simply steps away for a quiet walk in the mountains—only to return and find the world utterly changed? Set against the misty ridges of the Catskills, this gently magical tale offers more than a rustic legend—it's a sly meditation on escape, transformation, and the odd persistence of character.

Der amerikanische Prosa-Künstler Washington Irving hat mit seinen Erzählungen einen prägenden Einfluss auf die amerikanische Literatur ausgeübt. Das liegt an seiner sehr angenehmen Sprachgestaltung und dem Realitätsbezug des gewählten Gegenstands. Allerdings ummantelt er seine Geschichten ebenso gerne mit einem Grotesk-Phantastischen Gewand, so dass man zum einen nie weiß was als nächstes kommt und zum anderen immer das Gefühl vermittelt bekommt hautnah dabei zu sein, wobei einem die beschriebenen Szenen sofort vor dem geistigen Auge vorüberzuziehen scheinen.

Actress Glenn Close reads Washington Irving's eerie tale of romantic rivalry along the Hudson. The story pits the new schoolmaster Ichabod Crane against the local hero and bully, Brom Bones, for the hand of Katrina Van Tassel. This haunting drama climaxes with the appearance of one of the great, legendary ghosts of all time: the headless horseman.

Zhou Xuefa (Rip Van Winkle) is well loved by everyone in his town, everyone except his nagging wife. With his faithful dog, Blackie, Zhou Xuefa spends his time playing with kids, helping neighbors, and discussing politics in the teahouse. One day after a bad scolding from his wife, he goes for a walk into the mountains and meets a mysterious old man who appears to be from an ancient time. The man invites him into his mountain home for a meal and after drinking some wine, Zhou Xuefa falls into a deep sleep. He awakes to a time very different than what he once knew.

Beyond the well-known tales of Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow that catapulted Washington Irving and The Sketch Book into literary fame, this collection features a rich tapestry of stories such as Roscoe, The Broken Heart, The Art of Book-making, A Royal Poet, The Spectre Bridegroom, Westminster Abbey, Little Britain, and John Bull. Drawing inspiration from German folktales—most notably for The Legend of Sleepy Hollow—Irvings narratives range from the poignant reflections found in The Wife and The Widow and Her Son to the lively escapades of Little Britain and the humorous ...

In this delightful Washington Irving tale, after Van Winkle drinks to excess on the sly, he stumbles his way into the woods and falls into a deep sleep beneath a tree. He awakens to find it is 20 years later - and the American Revolution has occured as he slept!

Embark on an exhilarating journey with Benjamin Bonneville from 1832 to 1835 as he leads a daring expedition through the breathtaking landscapes of Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Nevada, and California. Washington Irving vividly recounts the vibrant world Bonneville encountered—a realm where adventurous trappers ride their decorated steeds and courageous war chiefs roam the wild. Experience the thrill of traders’ caravans navigating rugged terrain, the excitement of buffalo hunts, and the camaraderie found in a hunting camp brimming with tales of danger and adventure. ...

Washington Irving stands as one of early Americas literary gems, celebrated for his sharp wit and satirical flair. With a remarkable talent for crafting vivid imagery through his prose, Irving transports readers to the heart of early American life. Having spent considerable time in England, he penned some of his most enduring works there. This collection features two of his most beloved tales Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, both set in New York and rich with the legends and everyday experiences of early settlers. To further enrich this anthology, weve included two of Irvings ...

A Baker’s Dozen - A collection of 13 classic Christmas stories.

Washington Irving (1783-1859) was a short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat. The short story "The Devil and Tom Walker" is about a miserly man who makes a deal with the devil. Irving’s fictional character Diedrich Knickerbocker is a Dutch-American historian and narrator of "The Conspiracy of the Cocked Hats" and the “golden age” of Wouter van Twiller, the Dutch Governor of New Amsterdam.

One of the most entertaining travelogues ever written, Washington Irving's Tales of the Alhambra is a heady mix of fact, myth, and depictions of secret chambers, desperate battles, imprisoned princesses, palace ghosts, and fragrant gardens, described in a wistful and dreamlike eloquence.

Anjelica Huston narrates this haunting early American tale from Washington Irving following the likable but lazy Rip Van Winkle into the mysterious Catskill Mountains. There he meets a band of odd fellows playing a game of ninepins. After sharing a flagon of strange brew, Rip falls into a deep sleep for 20 years. When he wakes up, he finds that his home is a very different place indeed. This story is a wonderful reminder about making the most of your life.

An old pilot of the sea who had been driven by tempests "he knew not wither" returns to Lisbon to tell of a wonderful lost island that his ship had been driven to by a storm. Survivors of a shipwreck many years ago had thrived there and built seven wonderful cities. Upon leaving however, the sailor meets another storm and could not say where this mysterious island lay. The public immediately names this island, the "The Island of the Seven Cities." and there was much talk of its wealth.

Selections include "The Robber Bridegroom" by Washington Irving, "The Stolen White Elephant" by Mark Twain, "Chickamauga" by Ambrose Bierce, "The Mission of Jane" by Edith Wharton, and "The Black Cat" by Edgar Allan Poe.

An den Ufern des Hudson Rivers befindet sich ein von den Einwohnern des beschaulichen Städtchens Tarrytown gemiedenes Tal, welches Sleepy Hollow genannt wird. Dort ist es, zumindest der Meinung der niederländischen Siedler nach, nicht geheuer, denn der Geist eines hessischen Söldners wurde schon einige Male als grauenvoll anzuschauender kopfloser Reiter dort gesichtet. Auch der neue Dorfschullehrer Ichabod Crane hört schon bald nach seiner Ankunft von diesen Spuk-Geschichten...

Wander through echoing courts and jasmine-scented halls, where the whisper of Moorish kings still lingers in the painted air. In Tales of the Alhambra, Washington Irving invites the reader not into mere history, but into a waking dream of Spain—a place where stone lions keep watery vigil and forgotten soldiers pace moonlit corridors. These stories, part legend, part keen observation, ripple with the mystery of vanished empires and the quiet wonder of a traveler who listens closely.

Ichabod Crane, a lanky, lean, superstitious school master, arrives to teach the children of Sleepy Hollow. As he vies for the attention of the lovely Katrina Van Tassel, his rival for her attention is the town rowdy, Brom Bones. Brom tries to scare Ichabod away with local superstitions and ghost tales. And soon enough the ill-fated schoolmaster encounters a terrifying legend come to life: the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow.

Discover the timeless wisdom of Washington Irving, one of Americas literary giants. In this captivating collection, Irving shares his reflections from years spent in Europe, giving life to beloved classics such as Old Christmas, Bracebridge Hall, and Tales of a Traveler. Through poignant short stories that explore the delicate nature of the heart, he navigates themes of love, heartbreak, and mortality with empathy and grace. This volume is a cherished addition to a series celebrating his early works. (Greg Giordano)