Selected Writings of Washington Irving

by Washington Irving, Saxe Commins (Editor; Introduction)

Introduction
1 From The sketch book. Rip Van Winkle; The legend of Sleepy Hollow; The spectre bridegroom; The broken heart; The Boar's Head Tavern, Eastcheap; Roscoe; Traits of Indian character; The mutability of literature
2 From Bracebridge Hall. The stout gentleman; The haunted house; Dolph Heyliger
3 From Tales of a traveller. The bold dragoon; Literary life; A literary dinner; The Club of Queer Fellows; The poor-devil author
4 From The Alhambra. Palace of the Alhambra; Inhabitants of the Alhambra; The Hall of Ambassadors; The mysterious chambers; The Court of Lions; Local traditions; Legend of the Arabian astrologers; Legend of the Moor's legacy
5 From Wolfert's Roost & other papers. Wolfert's Roost; "A time of unexampled prosperity"; The great Mississippi bubble
6 A history of New York

Genres: Short Stories, Classics, Fiction

689 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1945

About the author

People remember American writer Washington Irving for the stories " Rip Van Winkle " and " The Legend of Sleepy Hollow ," contained in The Sketch Book (1820).

This author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century wrote newspaper articles under the pseudonym Jonathan Oldstyle to begin his literary career at the age of nineteen years.

In 1809, he published The History of New York under his most popular public persona, Diedrich Knickerbocker.

Historical works of Irving include a five volume biography of George Washington (after whom he was named) as well as biographies of Oliver Goldsmith, Muhammad, and several histories, dealing with subjects, such as Christopher Columbus, the Moors, and the Alhambra, of 15th-century Spain. John Tyler, president, appointed Irving to serve as the first Spanish speaking United States minister to Spain from 1842 to 1846.

Reviews

[Ben]

Hb, Modern Library ed 1945, Good condition.. Read over winter break of sophomore year while staying at 14th & "C"

[Justin]

Liked reading again familiar stories such as Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle, and encountering for the first time Irving's short stories of Moorish Spain and the English countryside. But it was a very big book with very small print, so my interest inevitably waned. A broader note on short story collections: I like them, but the starting-and-stopping of plots also inevitably wears me out, like a literary traffic jam so to speak. And, Irving uses lots, and lots, of commas, which can be, distracting.

[Jonathan]

LOVED the stories about the Hudson River - Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Rip Van Winkle, etc. Also nice to read some of the less-known stories (Wolfert's Roost for ex.) from my town's namesake!