Sleepy Hollow Books

When I first bought a copy of this book I expected it to be a horror story-which it is-but it has an added bonus...it's also very funny! Don't get me wrong now, it's a very dark kind of humor, but nothing too corny or too bloodthirsty. I'd give it a PG-13 rating in terms of adult content, although it certainly has its very weird and freaky moments. The Headless Horseman is very wicked, and the characters who try to hunt him down are a peanut gallery, ranging from wacky professors and priests to college drop-outs and trigger-happy cops. The plot is excellently twisted and then unwound at a lightening pace at the end. You'll need to catch your breath at the conclusion of this one - I felt like the Headless Horseman had just chased me down the street.

This book is a true thriller. I was truly consumed from beginning to end. I must say, however, it was a bit lengthy with a few typos....Otherwise some very good reading.

The Fifth Horseman by Gregg Gonzalez keeps you guessing all he way through. All along, one can imagine how the text amazed many n the big screen, the language is so descriptive and creative. The historical refences add so much detail, and will leave you wanting to visit Sleepy Hollow to see the mentioned sites. It is pretty scary! I read it alone but it sure kept me on the edge of my seat! For my first novel it sure kept me involved from beginning to end.

Excellent book.The descriptive nature of the writing made the book come alive.The characters are all three dimensional and lead to the reader having difficulty putting the book down.The setting and the main character(the headless horseman)lend themselves to a pleasant autumn evenings reading.

Every October I look forward to reading a Halloween related book to put me in the spirit of the season. I have read my share of both good and bad, but this particular book, The Fifth Horseman, is my personal favorite. Not only does it capture the feeling of October / Halloween time, but it also is based on one of the coolest villains of all time, the Headless Horseman! The storyline is also very exciting and has some very unique twist and turns. Definitely buy this book, you won't be disappointed. It exceeded my expectations and I hope for a sequel, in the meantime, I guess I will just have to read it again!

My all time favourite movie - I thought that this would be money worth spent because it comes with the original story. Only problem is Amazon don't have this in stock anymore so I was directed to buy it second hand. It came much much cheaper, 15 cents, in all right condtion but the pages were rotted a bit.

The book was poorly written, it lacked detail and dicriptions of the wonderful landsapce of the story and just focused on the plot and the dialouge.

And the original story is enough to make anyone go to sleep.

This book is awesome for one who enjoyed Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow, and are interested of reading the Washington Irving story which the movie was based upon. That is what happened with me. And you can't go wrong for this great price you can get both.
Sleepy Hollow by Tim Burton the book has much added dialogue and scenes that wern't seen in the movie, and Washington Irving's Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a timeless classic but it didn't intrigue me as much as Tim Burton's version.

i love this story. it's always been my favorite short story, and since johnny depp is my favorite actor, christina ricci my favorite actress, and Tim Burton one of the best directors ever, of course i loved the movie, too. i hadn't read this adaptation before, and even though i didn't like the way is was put together as much as the original, is was all in all a great book. YAY!

Sleepy Hollow (the new version) was a very exciting tale. It is quite different from the original version yet contained more thrilling events. The beginning was a little slow but the last couple chapters wizzed by. The original story was short and could have elaborated more on the last scene to make it better. All in all it was a good novel

This book is about a mystery of a killer. There are three bodies that turn up beheaded and no one knows who the killer might be. A frail schoolteacher from the town of Sleepy Hollow named Ichabod Crane goes out on a journey to try and find out who the killer might be. He is surprised to find out that the killer is actually someone that returned from the dead to seek revenge upon the town. Ichabod Crane is sets out to hunt down the headless horseman that has killed many people. The daughter of the host he is staying with that he is determined to marry accompanies him. He thinks he can beat the horseman by using his brain and they set out on a journey full of spook to try and beat the horseman at his own game.
This book is really great for children because it is a mysterious tale that many children can get into. This is a book that can be for adults but it is written in a way that children can read it and love it as well. It keeps kids thinking and wondering what is going to happen next. This is something that a book should do because it keeps kids interested and into the book.

This ghost story is wonderfully told and I highly recommend it to readers of all ages. It is a particularly good read during Halloween. The fact that it is told in third person contributes to its overall good qualitity because I felt as though I was an outside observer watching the characters progress.
I enjoyed the plot of this story, for it is a sweet love story in which two men fight to court the beautiful Katrina. Along the way, the town is haunted by the headless horseman, who will defeat anyone who crosses his path. I developed sympathy for Ichabod Crane as he watched the love of his life with the fierce Brom Bones. Described as a social outcast, Ichabod is a lonely person with an overactive imagination. I admire him for his intelligence and determination and I believe that many teens can relate to him today. We have all felt the feeling of rejection, or as though we didn't belong. Even though the situation is not in Ichabod's favor, he perseveres and tries to regain the affections of Katrina. On the other hand, I learned to dislike Brom Bones because he reminded me of a typical bully. With his tough exterior, Brom Bones intimidates many people in the town.
The plot is very simple, yet Irving uses an abundance of words to describe his characters. The descriptions of Ichabod, Katrina, and Brom Bones are very specific, allowing readers to appreciate them more and imagine them as real human beings. Irving's language is poetic and he uses imagery continuously. The descriptions are so vivid, that they seem almost dreamlike.
The end of the story is magnificent and it startled me because I did not see it coming. Even though the circumstances were not to my favor, I found the ending to be very clever and suspenseful. Personally, I enjoy both love stories and horror films, so this short story met my expectations. It is special because people can relate to it even hundreds of years later. The simple plot mixed with a sophisticated word choice make this story one to be read for generations.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is an intriguing tale that is much more profound than it seems.

The overly superstitious townspeople, including Ichabod Crane, are fascinated with scary, ghost stories that permeate the town as the dreamy Dutch community is a perfect setting where people are absorbed in myths and superstitions. With its ambiguous ending, this story leaves the reader questioning what is true and what is merely fantasy. This is interesting as it allows the reader to believe what they want. I determined that the appearance of the Headless Horseman was a hoax by Brom Bones, but disliked that there was no definite answer to the mystery of the Headless Horseman.

Irving's fluid style is amazing as he aptly creates the settings, especially dreamy environment of the town. His exceptional descriptions are, at times, witty, and at others, suspenseful, demonstrating his ability to conjure up a wide range of moods.

As Ichabod Crane's downfall is caused by his strong belief in superstitions, Irving warns of the dangers of believing in superstition too fervently.

This classic tale is one that readers of all ages will enjoy for its riveting storyline, unique characters, and delightful style.

I remember reading this story as a child, how it was frightening and suspenseful at times, but always entertaining and an enjoyable read. Re-reading this classic American story for academic purposes, to my surprise I found that the same feeling still persisted through the years, only this time with a deeper understanding of the rhetorics and it's witty brilliance. Irving's exceptional and unique way of combining suspense and humor makes this story a must read for everyone.

The sheer length of the story already got me excited. It's short and a fast-read, but not compromising for its quality. The story primarily deals with a man named Ichabod Crane, a teacher immediately following the American Revolution. Ichabod surrounds himself with beliefs of mystical creatures and legends, such as that of the Headless Horseman. His superstitions are what ultimately brings Ichabod to his downfall. Not only Ichabod, but the entire town is certain that such a creature exists, although no one has uncovered evidence, and as a result myths fly around and everyone is on their toes about the whole issue. This goes to show Irving's primary argument and purpose in this story: that false supersitious beliefs will ultimately lead to ones downfall, as is the case for Ichabod.

The overall tone of this story is light and lyrical, with a dash of wit and humor thrown in to add spice. Irving's eloquent and flowy writing makes this story enjoyable just from the sound of the language, and has an unusual combination of freight and suspense with light-hearted humor. Throughout the book, Irving also gives examples of some of the dark elements present in the story. For example, Irving warns readers that they are about to enter a sleepy land that is open to supernatural happenings. The mythical events that happen in the land correspond to ideas of dark romanticism that incorporated fantastical occurrences. However, not the entire book is plagued with dark and serious elements. For example, the character of Ichabod Crane is intended to be comical, because Irving assigns odd characteristics to him, such as an abnormal nose and gangly frame. Through such traits, Irving adds humor that is shown through the character of Ichabod from the otherwise dark and gloomy storyline.

All in all, this story is simply a must read for any lover of American literature.

I havent read this book since I was a kid and it is as classic as ever.

Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", is known for its poetic, flowing style. Yet, the rest -plot, theme, characters, and setting -limit the short story's zest, turning reader after reader away with its repetitive dullness.
I have to admit, however, that Irving's style is fantastic in this story -the lengthy drawn-out sentences and chains of details matching its mood and atmosphere perfectly. Each description creates a vivid picture in the reader's mind, excluding no details and offering every type of poetic rhetorical device. Alliteration, similes, metaphors, personification -Irving does it all. Yet, eventually the writing also becomes tedious. Readers skip over chunks of sentences, scanning for the next major plot. He hopes for another spark of interest, a reason to continue the story. Unfortunately, the reader ends up disappointed, for the plot is annoyingly short: Ichabod Crane, the main character, is the town's schoolteacher. In love with the beautiful Katrina's wealth, Crane competes with Brom Bones, who also desires Katrina's hand in marriage. However, one night Crane finds himself pursued by the Headless Horseman. Terrified as his worst nightmare comes to life, Crane loses his reason, a subject of his active imagination. And the next day, he's gone.

Since Irving spends much of the story introducing each character and setting precisely, by the time the reader gets to the actual story, it is about over. Having finally understanding each character, the reader might expect a reward for sticking through the details -perhaps a juicy plot to accompany the characters. Yet, after detailing every characteristic to its absolute end, the story ends. Readers are given no chance to care about the characters, and the story loses its appeal and memory in the reader's minds.

With its themes well-hidden behind its style, The Legend of the Sleepy Hollow is neither a fun nor an easy read. Close diligent speculators will approach the story as a puzzle, an enigma to be eagerly solved. Yet, casual readers of the short story will gain nothing, perhaps muttering some praise for its style before quickly finding something more interesting. Learning nothing about how the story can relate to us, readers finish the story confused about its purpose and message. Because of this, the author fails to communicate with the reader, seeming to only strive to entertain the reader.

Although the setting also matches the style and overall atmosphere of the story, it is unrealistic. A town of dreaminess, where everyone is void of reason and rationality, and only fascinated with superstition and the imagination. Visions and hallucinations are prevalent in this town, and time slows down to a dreamy tempo. As much as the town of Sleepy Hollow seems different and perhaps even interesting, it is impractical. Thus, readers are again unable to connect to the story, distanced away from the book.
While its graceful lyrical style can render it stylistically a good read, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow contains barely any plot and discernible themes. It really is all style and no substance.

Not one of Tim Burton's best.But if you have collected his other books on the art of his movies, you will still want to buy this too.You'll still get a good if not great book.

The first thing I noticed about this book is that how unappropriately mistitled it is by calling itself "The Art" of Sleepy Hollow. What I saw instead is the unentertaining shooting script printed superimposedly on the so-called 'conceptual arts' and stills from the movie.
I was expecting a book with a feature of something like The Art of The Matrix. Being a fan of moviemaking conceptual artistic designs, I found the pictures and still photos to be blurry and in some cases 'artless'. What a disappointment for a book based on a really atmospheric and visually stunning approach.

"The Art Of Sleepy Hollow" does a great job a carturing the sweeping,eerie mood of Tim Burton's films,with great stills and re-creations of the beautiful art design.There are also an abundance of original scatches,illustration the development of many of the characters and scenarios in the completed film.My favorite photo personally is the one at the back showing a menacing Tim Burton holding the mock-ups of two severed heads,perfectly capturing the fun-house chills of the film.As an added bonus you get the original screenplay,with many scenes that were not in the film,that help elucidate and clarify alot of the scenes that didn't make a lot of sense in the film.If you loved the movie,this book is a must-have.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVED this movie! And I'm a big fan of Tim Burton and his visuals. But this book doesn't accentuate either of the above. The illustrations are not very exciting and the book lacks tons of actual still photos and behind the scenes shots. At least I got it for free. I was hoping for something similar to the Bram Stoker's Dracula book that came out shortly after that film. That book and script was exceptional and captured the full beauty of the movie. This one (though the script is included) does not do the same. A shame because I love this film.

this book is a total failure!

I've heard so much of Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow over the years that this is the reason I purchased the book. I'm working up in the Catsilll Mountains at the moment and wanted to read something that related to the area. This book is far more than the Catskill Mountains as it discusses many of his ventures in England. I found this book to be engaging and heartfelt. I'm happy to finally know more about Washington Irving and his experiences.

I must admit I bought this book solely out of a desire to read "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," probably the work Irving is most well-known for today. Every year on Halloween, when I was growing up, a small group of friends and I would watch the old Disney cartoon version of the story while we sorted through our candy. More recently, I fell in love with the 1999 live action adaptation "Sleepy Hollow" starring Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci. I figured it was about time I read the original story to see how these two films stack up in comparison. The rest of the material in the book was of secondary interest to me in making my purchase, but having now read it I can say that, while it wasn't quite what I expected, it was well worthwhile.

The title is both apt and misleading by turns: "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and other stories in the Sketch Book." The use of the term "other stories" led me to believe that it would be just that - a collection of short fiction stories. Not so. There are three pieces in the book which would fit this description - "Rip Van Winkle," "The Specter Bridegroom," and the aforementioned "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" - but the rest is a conglomeration of various other types of writing. The title "Sketch Book" is very appropriate. Irving has, in essence, provided us with a series of short, literary "sketches" on a variety of subjects and in a variety of styles. The topics vary, but they are also arranged in such a way that one usually flows smoothly into the next, lending a sense of continuity despite the variability of material covered.

A large percentage of the book is devoted to the author's observations on life in England, himself, though an American, having spent 17 years there. Some are purely observational, and some have elements of fiction and imagination woven in, as is the case with "The Mutability of Literature," an interesting little piece in which Irving imagines a conversation between himself and an old book. Irving also occasionally ventures into the realm of satire. Other topics he explores include the differences between America and England, the role of women, English funeral traditions, Christmas, love, etc. He also did travel pieces, including the interesting "Stratford on Avon," which tells of his exploration of places connected with the life of William Shakespeare. Toward the end there are two pieces discussing the lot of Native Americans - not politically correct by today's standards, but offering an interesting insight on the mindsets of the time.

I should probably take a little time to discuss "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" itself, since it was my primary motivation for purchasing the book and, I suspect, will be what draws most other modern readers to it as well. If you've only seen the 1999 movie version, do NOT expect anything remotely similar. The old Disney cartoon is much more accurate. It is actually a very short story - about 32 pages in length. Ichabod Crane is a schoolmaster (not an investigator as in the 1999 movie) in the town of Sleepy Hollow, and falls for the young and lovely Katrina Van Tassel. Katrina, however, is also being courted by a rival suitor, Brom Van Brunt. Following a town "quilting frolic" at which many tales of local superstition are told, including that of the Headless Horesman, Ichabod sets out into the night alone, is beset by a headless rider before he reaches is destination, and is never seen in Sleepy Hollow again. It is left up to the reader to determine what happens to him.

The language of the book is antiquated, to be sure, having been composed in 1820, but it is not difficult to read. Irving's writing is very warm and inviting. He does tend to paint things rather romantically, and the England he shares with us is not the England of the Industrial Revolution during which the book was written, but this almost makes it more appealing as it opens up room for imagination. One must also remember that Irving wrote the pieces in "The Sketch Book" largely to combat his own depression, a condition he suffered from greatly, and he probably needed a cheerful outlet to distract him. We do, nevertheless, get a glimpse of his more melancholy thoughts in pieces like "The Widow and Her Son," "Rural Funerals," and "The Pride of the Village," all of which deal with death.

The last chapter of the book, "L'Envoi," is a closing piece that was included at the end of the second volume of the London edition. It is an interesting collection of the author's thoughts on and explanations for his own work. He makes an interesting note on the ecclectic nature of the book: "His [the author's] work being miscellaneous, and written for different humors, it could not be expected that anyone would be pleased with the whole, but that if it should contain something to suit each reader, his end would be completely answered. Few guests sit down to a varied table with an equal appetite for every dish" (362). Also included is an Afterword by Perry Miller, which offers observations and insights on Irving's life and career.

My memories of reading ' The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' and ' Rip Van Winkle ' in school are memories of vague misunderstanding, a haze of wondering what they were all about. This is especially true in regard the story of Rip Van Winkle.But there was nonetheless in the atmosphere of the stories, something of the feeling of old America, the Dutch- English America so present in the Renssaeleer County I grew up in. Later in life returning to Irving's work I read some of the Alhambra Tales and sketches. All the writing seemed to me to come of ' another world and time' a world and time much more leisurely and slow than the America which was to follow. It is hard to believe but it is little more than thirty- years between Washington Irving's gentelmanly meanderings, and the American Renaissance of Melville, Hawthorne, Emerson, Thoreau and Whitman. Irving is the first American writer known to the world, but he does not really presage the great American creative outburst that is to follow him.
One more point. There is a story from the Talmud about Honi ha- Maagel who goes to sleep for a generation. And when he wakes up finds a wholly new world. He makes then the famous remarks ' Death is preferable to living without friends'. Perhaps Washington Irving too had a sense of being somewhere back in the past, far out of the time of present everyday America. And thus perhaps he suggests that if you sleep too long when you wake up your world is lost and it as if you are dead . i.e. it is as if you have not woken up at all.
Irving in this sense as a writer seems more some one read as a relic than one who gives the kind of inspiring fire his great American successors will provide.

Washington Irving's "Sketch Book" is an eccentric mongrel of literary types that mingles travel writing, literary reflections, and tales (fiction and historical); it is most famous for "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." In 1931, the literary critic Henry Seidel Canby remarked that "without the two Dutch stories, however, 'The Sketch Book' would not have worn so well. They are perfect examples of what Irving loved to do, and naturally he did them well."

Indeed, few readers ever encounter any of the other selections, except perhaps "The Spectre Bridegroom"--a comic tale of mystery and suspense. What may surprise many readers, however, is that nearly all of the book's remaining entries are about England--mostly about rural life and the landed gentry outside London, or (as described by William Cullen Bryant) "warm and cheerful pictures of English life."

Under the pen name of Geoffrey Crayon, Irving details his sea voyage to England, a comical fishing trip inspired by "The Compleat Angler," a walking excursion through Little Britain (a London neighborhood), and a visit to the library at the British Museum, where he "soon found that the library was a kind of literary 'preserve,' subject to game laws, and that no one must presume to hunt there without special license and permission." He attends a rural church service (during which he pays more attention to the congregants than the rites) and even crashes a funeral party. There are two essays on Shakespeare, a sequence of articles describing English Christmas customs, a biographical account of King James I of Scotland, and a tour of the tombs in Westminster Abbey.

From the safe distance of his exile in England, Irving hurls two essays describing sympathetically "the characters and habits of the North American savage." The phrase is jarring to 21st-century ears, but, while Irving repeatedly uses the unfortunate term, he simultaneously condemns that the "the appellations of savage and pagan were deemed sufficient to sanction the hostilities of both [colonists and writers]." Regardless of its bipolar sensitivity to language, the first essay is a rousing defense of Native Americans: "They cannot but be sensible that the white men are the usurpers of their ancient dominion, the cause of their degradation, and the gradual destroyers of their race." The second essay is a portrait of King Philip, or Metamocet of Pokanoket, the 17th-century chief of the Wampanoag tribe whose conflict with the New England settlers resulted in the near-eradication of his people.

Irving has a tendency to dilute his delight with an abundance of detail, but his mastery of the quip and his sarcasm--so abundant in his "History of New York"--is still on display throughout "The Sketch Book." Its unevenness, ponderousness, and lack of thematic coherence can be challenging, however, and those looking for fiction rather than "sketches" may prefer (as I did) Irving's "Tales of a Traveller," which is comprised entirely of ghost stories, pirate adventures, and tall tales.

Not to be read quickly and to be savored like fine wine, Washington Irving's "The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon" is a matchless classic in American Literature. Written in 1820 and destined to become a true American literary pantheon (along with his preceeding work "Diedrich Knickerboker's History of New York), Irving introduces us to timeless observations and wit that ultimately become enduring discources defining early American Literature.

Irving's mantra with this work is a set of observations, indeed "sketches" of his many travels and musings while roaming through England and his home in upstate New York along the Hudson River. The eternal figures of Rip Van Winkle and Ichabod Crane are evoked in this tome and set a literary standard that others aspire to, but one that Irving effortlessly achieves time and again. Not only does this volume frame these two classics, "The Sketch Book" also contains other literary giants such as "The Angler", "John Bull", "Philip of Pokanoket", "The Specter Bridegroom", "The Mutability of Literature" and "The Art of Bookmaking" wherein the essence of Irving's literary style is neatly conveyed in the following:

"Being now in possesion of the secert, I sat down in a corner and watched the process of this book manufactory. I noticed one lean, bilious-looking wight, who sought none but the worst worm-eaten volumes, printed in black letter. He was evidentley constructing some work of profound erudition that would be purchased by every man who wished to be thought learned, placed upon a conspicuous shelf of his library, or laid upon his table, but never read. I observed him, now and then, draw a large fragment of biscuit out of his his pocket and gnaw; whether it was his dinner, or whether he was endeavoring to keep off that exhaustion of the stomach produced by much pondering over dry works, I leave to harder students than myself to determine."

With a style that has emitted diverse emotions (Lord Byron "unashamedly wept" over the melancholy pieces "The Broken Heart", "The Widow and her Son" and "The Rural Funerals") and having enjoyed over a century and a half of eminent popularity, Washington Irving's "aim in life is to escape 'from the commonplace realities of the present' and to lose himself 'among the shadowy grandeurs of the past' ". Readers tuned in to this philosophy continue to enjoy Irving's literary prose (by buying and re-reading his works), and also, by buying and reading, secure his reputation as a master in American Literature. When one has digested "The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon" and "Diedrich Knickerboker's History of New York", one has embraced the essential works of Washington Irving and most would then assuredly join me in saying that he rates eminately in American Literary standing.

Irving's book on the Alhambra and the surrounding territory of Granada remains one of the best guidebooks to the region--and one of the most entertaining travelogues ever written. Anyone who has visited (or plans to visit) southern Spain will be thrilled by the account of Irving's trip, but I'll go further: you need not ever go there to enjoy this classic work of history and humor.

Irving stayed at the Alhambra for three months in 1829 and jotted down notes concerning its history and legends. Early in his visit, Irving was accosted by Mateo Ximenes, a credulous and indigent "son of the Alhambra" who soon proves a worthy and endearing companion, a guide to secret chambers, and a conveyor of whimsical traditions. A couple of years later, while in London, Irving wrote "The Alhambra," describing his idiosyncratic hosts, recounting the millennium-old history of the Moorish occupation, and transcribing fresh versions of the palace's medieval legends and myths, many of which resemble stories from the "Arabian Nights." The first edition appeared in 1832, a second American edition was published four years later, but Irving extensively revised and enlarged the book in 1851, incorporating material unavailable or unknown to him in the 1830s. This last edition is the one most commonly available today.

The result is easily Irving's most accessible book, filled with wit and anecdote. Alongside the history of the Moorish kingdom of Granada, Irving intersperses tales (both historical and mythical) of enchanted caves, imprisoned princesses, and buried treasure. His admiration for Islamic heritage is obvious throughout: "The Arab invasion and conquest brought a higher civilization and a nobler style of thinking, into Gothic Spain." And he regularly denounces the prejudices (both medieval and contemporary) "so strongly characteristic of the bigot zeal, which sometimes inflamed the Christian enterprises" and which have prevented his fellow Europeans from studying a rich and justifiably proud tradition.

As Irving accurately summarizes, Moslem Spain was "a region of light amid Christian, yet benighted Europe; externally a warrior power fighting for existence; internally a realm devoted to literature, science, and the arts; where philosophy was cultivated with a passion . . . and where the luxuries of sense were transcended by those of thought and imagination." Plus, the Islamic "occupiers" and Christian warriors certainly knew how to tell a good story. This book will delight both history and literature buffs.

I don't always like to read classics, but when a friend of mine suggested that I read this book, I decided to try it, and I am very glad that I did. Irving's words, though written so many years before now, still paint eloquent pictures of the Spain of his time. I could almost see what he was seeing. The stories and legends are also wonderful and fascinating. An antique copy of this book is one of my most treasured gifts.

I ordered this as a gift for my Ma.

When I visited her a few weeks later I saw something that looked like

a high schooler had copied at kinkos.

The type is blurry and smudged.

Some paragraphs are unreadable.

Will Amazon take it back?

No, it been more than 30 days....40 days to be exact.

I will not purchase gift books from Amazon again...better off going to Borders....get a

clean copy and ship it yourself.

Many Americans know Washington Irving as the author of "the Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle". Few realize that he was also a world traveler, scholarly fluent in Arabic and Spanish and something of an Hispanophile, to the say least.
Irving's book is largely responsible for the widespread romantic image of Spain. It is a collection of observation, history, fairy tale, written in Irving's unique blend of romanticism and healthy skepticism. It is roughly framed by his journey to the Alhambra and his departure from it, an in between we are given a tour of the grounds and hear a few tales (including tales of Moorish ghosts on headless horses) which are roughly intertwined as in the Arabian Nights. Indeed, this little book is the 'Arabian Nights' of the west.
Before visit the Alhambra read this book. If you are not planning on going, read it and you'll probably change your mind.

I have always loved the story of "The Headless Horseman", so I was excited to read this book. After their mother dies, Aimee and Shane Lancaster move to the town of Sleepy Hollow with their father. Right when they arrive strange things start happening and a lot of creatures start appearing. Aimee and Shane along with their new friend Stasia must stop them all by first stopping the Headless Horseman. Overall it was a great book. It got boring at times, but not for long! Christopher Golden did a great job retelling the story of "The Headless Horseman" in a whole new way. I loved it and I can't wait to read the others!

"The Hollow: Horseman" by Christopher Golden and Ford Lytle Gilmore, is a Young-Adult novel of suspense and horror adapted from the classic Washington Irving short story (That being "The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow"). For fans of the classic in any form (Disney's old cartoon version, the 1999 Tim Burton film, etc.), Golden's novel is a welcome addition.

The story follows brother and sister Shane and Aimee Lancaster as they move from Boston, MA to Sleepy Hollow, NY with their father Alan shortly after the death of their mother from cancer. Upon immeadiate arrival into the town, they are plunged into unnatural events. Street lights burst by themselves, pets bark and howl, etc. After the chaos ends, settling into their new town seems to be a bad choice. But life goes on: Alan becomes chief editor for the local newspaper and Shane and Aimee quickly make an odd assortment of friends at school, including Stasia Traeger, a girl obsessed wth everything supernatural and relating to the occult. However, other worldly beings control this area of New York. Shane and Aimee are taught to believe that while Sleepy Hollow is famous for the legend of the "Headless Horseman", there are plenty of other creatures and spirits haunting the local grounds.

But to say the Horseman isn't the star is a lie, because he is. Quicker than you can spin your head around, he makes his entrance and begins hunting for a fresh new head. The body count slowly builds up as local police and townspeople fear a more realistic approach and believe a madman is dressing up as the local legend when in fact it is Aimee, Shane, and Stasia who know better.

The novel manages to satisfy many needs: The first, and primary joy in the novel, is the fact that Golden gives the reader more than just the Horseman to think about. In today's age of over-the-top horror, a man without a head doesn't seem so scary. Golden solves this problem by making Sleepy Hollow the center of all things paranormal. Pixes and goblins are said to haunt the forests, a ghost drifts through Stasia's house, a dog out for blood strikes fear in all the locals. Even the trees of Sleepy Hollow seem to have a sinister side. Clearly, in Sleepy Hollow, anything and everything can harm you (Your coffee mug is no exception!). A second joy to the novel is that Golden doesn't add onto the original story, he rewrites the whole story over again and starts you fresh (You'll be suprised that Icabod Crane isn't the sweet and shy schoolmaster you thought he was)! Golden's interpetation is a darker and sinister version than Irving's original.

The plot and mystery of the novel is a bit predictable but it shouldn't upset readers. The characters are strong and individual , the dialouge manages to stay away from being too cheesy, and the suspense keeps you reading. I will say that if you're looking for a white-knuckle horror thrill ride, look elsewhere. "The Hollow", pun intended, is a bit hollow in its chill-factor. You'll really need to put your imagination to work to creep yourself out over this book.

But lack-of-chills aside, it's an enjoyable novel. Especially if you're a very big fan of the lore that is everything Sleepy Hollow. Golden manages to spin a fresh take into the old story, details just enough lore without being too boring, gives us enjoyable sub-plots we'll hope to see continued in books #2, #3, and #4 (Note: Don't read synopsis' of the sequels so as not to spoil the story of this first novel), and gives us a decent amount of gore as well.

Fans of the Horseman, make sure to check this one out.

After their mom dies of cancer, Shane and Aimee Lancaster's dad decides it's best for the family to leave Boston and make a new start elsewhere. He accepts a job in the small town of Sleepy Hollow, New York. But from the time the Lancasters arrive in town, strange things begin to happen, events that seem to have no explanation outside the supernatural. Sleepy Hollow has always been a town of legend and myth, but now it seems that those legends are coming alive. And when an apparently headless horseman begins murdering people in town, Shane and Aimee begin to fear for their lives, and the two teens decide to try and uncover the truth, even though the adults insist it must be an ordinary murderer dressed up as the horseman.

This book was a lot better than most teen horror books I've read. I thought it had a very interesting and unique concept, a modern retelling of the legend of the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow. Shane and Aimee are releastic teen characters that act like real siblings do. Due to violence and some language, I would only recommend this book to readers ages 13 and up. I think teenagers who enjoy horror stories will enjoy this book a lot.

Reviewed by Rebecca Herman for Flamingnet Book Reviews, www.flamingnet.com.

Christopher Golden has got to be one of the busiest writers in the world. From comic books to Buffy novels to the Outcast series, one wonders where he finds time to do it all. Actually this one is co-written by Ford Lytle Gilmore. This is the start of a new series by Golden set in Sleepy Hollow. Three more books in the series are already planned. In this one, two teens move with their family to the little town of Sleepy Hollow, New York. Everything seems pleasant enough in the beginning but then soon the kids find out that the old legends of the mysterious Headless Horseman may be more than just a story to scare kids. As they attempt to solve the mystery they find themselves being pursued by the Horseman and hell itself.

Enjoyable story. Golden knows how to write for juveniles and teenagers as well as any writer with intelligent stories that never seem to campy or condescending. I would say the hollow is best aimed at middle-schoolers, maybe 11 - 14 age range with enough chills for reading on a couple of dark and stormy nights. Good start to a new series and looking forward to the second book.

From the first page, the author's style was engaging and informative. I learned more about Washington Irving than I had imagined could be written about a 19th century author. He lived an illustrous life, especially during his 17 years in England, and he was acquainted with a virtual who's who of that period. I am eager to share this work by Brian Jay Jones to my biography-loving friends and believe they will share my enthusiasm for the contents of the book, as well as the author's colorful usage of the English language.

I was eager to read this biography. Unfortunately, I found it impossible to finish the book. As both a composition instructor and a biographer, I was bothered by Jones's carelessness with terminology and lack of support for his assertions.

Jones claims that Irving was homosexual, then presents evidence which might, perhaps, indicate that Irving was bisexual. Jones presents as the clincher the fact that Irving's brother uses the word "orgies" to describe parties held by Irving's friends, completely ignoring the fact that Irving himself uses the same word to describe ladies' tea parties.

Jones also writes of times when Irving "almost certainly" had homosexual affairs with certain men, but gives little or no evidence to support this conclusion.

Further, Jones claims that, solely to get out of work, Irving convinced his family that he was sick and needed rest at a spa. Then Jones quotes an acquaintance in the next room as saying that Irving coughed violently all night. And later in the book, Jones reports that Irving was getting over his cough and weakness, a statement contradicting Jones's own judgment.

It's almost as though Jones wrote the book and then decided that it needed something startling, so he inserted these assertions, with little regard to what he had already written.

This could be a landmark book, but it needs work.

Once I got into Brian Jay Jones' biography of Washington Irving, I couldn't put it down. And I will say that it didn't seem like an automatic winner. I knew less than nothing about Irving, whose name I associated with the Walt Disney version of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow and with Rip van Winkle; that's about it. But now I feel I have been transported back by the scruff of my neck into the raucous, brawling and yet strangely elegant world of early America. An eager nurse trailed George Washington through the unpaved streets of downtown New York, and obliged him to stroke the tousled head of baby Washington Irving, guilt tripping him I suppose by saying that this baby was named after you, General! And thus it began, young Irving's vicarious association with nearly every president up until Abraham Lincoln (Irving finally died the year before Lincoln took office). Presidents I didn't even remember play in this fascinating story!

Brian Jay Jones speculates that we don't know, but that Irving at least in his youth might have had some sort of gay lifestyle, and I would agree, but after a wild youth his sense of fun seems to have disappeared in general, and the masks he invented early in life, the masks of the graying Diedrich Knickerbocker and the patrician Geoffrey Crayon, sort of froze onto his face right quick. And onto his genitals too? There doesn't seem to be one case of him actually having sex, but maybe people did things different back then? Maybe you could carouse around with your heavy-drinking bachelor friends till you were about thirty, having sex with them too, but that didn't count as a preference? Irving's talents changed over the years from the sly, anti-Jefferson provocations of his (faked) History of New York, to the mellow sounds of The Alhambra and Wolfert's Roost. He seemed fascinated by biography, and wrote lives of such disparate figures as Columbus, Oliver Goldsmith, and the prophet Mohammed (known then as "Mahomet"); even the teenaged "poetess" Margaret Miller Davidson came under his biographical gaze. He was a man of intense, if sometimes scattered curiosity, and many found him loveable. Brian Jay Jones excels at parsing out the strange passion the widow Mary Shelley conceived for Irving; this could have been a whole novel all by itself. He's good with people, the big and the small, the famous and the forgotten. Irving's encounters with his peers are especially well drawn; his infatuation with Walter Scott as a substitute father, a father of art; his rivalry with the firecracker James Fenimore Cooper; his kindness to the ambitious Edgar Allan Poe. When he meets up with Clark (from Lewis and Clark) on his trip to the frontier, it's like worlds smashing together, worlds of reference and power. And Jay Jones can also strip away the Victorian curtains of prudery which in the past have occluded our view of early Federal life; it is somehow reassuring to find Irving travelling through the hideous English pass through a mountain that his contemporaries called the "Devil's @sshole."

But he goes too far, I think, in his vocabulary which is continually anachronistic. The nurse who pestered George Washington is called a "presidential groupie." An entire chapter is called "Workaholic." At times of stress, he gets "burnt out." Then he has "a meltdown." Then he gets "a stalker of sorts." The Quarterly Review's attitude towards all things American? Snotty. Just a handful of dozens and dozens of tacky neologisms, slips into a modern, suburban vocabulary that somehow distort what one feels the real emotional experience must have been for Irving, by re-casting him and his life into sound-bites of pop psychology, while the real thing must have been fuller or at any rate more tentative than Jones gives it credit for. Reduce reductiveness, Jones, for otherwise your life of Irving is first rate.

This book is refreshing, original and well written. Mr. Jones' prose is vibrant and alive. Most likely, Mr. Irving would have been pleased--although perplexed as to why it has taken so long--that his writing and life are getting such literary care. Good job Mr. Jones.

"But is old, old, good old Christmas gone? Nothing but the hair of his good, gray, old head and beard left? Well, I will have that, seeing that I cannot have more of him."

-- "Hue and Cry after Christmas," from the opening page of Old Christmas.

This book is what Washington Irving called a "sketchbook" -- a collection of impressions about something, gathered into a fictionalized story. It's a melancholy, fond evocation of fading English Christmas traditions of the author's time.

The story's simple: Irving sets himself in the English countryside, where he's travelling one Christmas Eve. At a country inn he runs into an old schoolmate, who invites him home to spend Christmas at the family estate. The friend's father, it turns out, dotes on all things Christmas, and has tuned his household to some of the more quaint and obscure English traditions celebrating the day. That lets Irving include lots of odd little bits and pieces of Christmas tradition, told through the old man, as part of his plot. The book covers a night and a day. The chapters are pieces of that time: the stagecoach ride is one chapter, then "Christmas Eve," and so on through "Christmas Dinner."

I read this every year lately, and it's a nice, low-key, sad and happy little way to mark the Christmases passing. Washington Irving wrote it in the early 1800s -- the dates of most of his "Sketch Book" are right around 1819 or 1820 -- and the story is mostly a reminiscence about even earlier Christmas traditions. Then it took until 1894 for this edition to be printed, with the illustrations by Caldecott. Later the facsimile edition I have was printed, in maybe the early 1980s... For a little book about Christmas past to have made it through all those years, and come down to me in this personal "sketch," is a glad thing. Coming back to the same copy year after year makes a nice little private tradition.

The text to this is available in a few places on the Web. That's an okay way to get to know the language, but a facsimile of the original book, with the illustrations, is still worth the few dollars it'll cost. The Caldecott who illustrated this is the one for whom the children's book award was named, among other things. You need to read this one next to the Christmas tree, not by the glow of a computer monitor.

Very enjoyable reading for those who like to pull up a chair, have a cup of tea, and escape to a simpler, more elegant time. Those who enjoy Christmas stories, or Anglophiles who can never get enough of English history will enjoy this insight into an Old English Christmas from one who was there.

This book was a creative and vibrant retelling of Washington Irving's tale "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Illustrator Jeff Zornow applies his dynamic and often creepy imagery to a classic for children. Zornow captures the autumn landscape of upstate New York that inspired Irving long ago beautifully is this book so that the imagery alone tells the tale. The reader follows charismatic Ichabod Crane through his time at the village of Sleepy Hollow. Ethereal specters, jealous townsmen, the fair maiden, the rest is history all captured in a short story. Who can ask for more? Perfect for ghost story lovers and Zornow junkies.