Washington Irving: History, Tales & Sketches

Library of America #16

by Washington Irving

This Library of America volume brings together the first four works of Washington Irving, America’s first internationally recognized man of letters. Irving’s early writings earned the admiration of literary figures like Hawthorne, Poe, Coleridge, Byron, Scott, and Dickens. He was widely traveled, a connoisseur of the theater both at home and abroad, and an intimate of royalty and high society in Europe and America.

Irving’s career as a writer began obscurely at age seventeen, when his brother’s newspaper published his series of comic reports on the theater, theater-goers, fashions, balls, courtships, duels, and marriages of his contemporary New York, called Letters of Jonathan Oldstyle, Gent. Written in the persona of an elderly gentleman of the old school, these letters captured his fellow townsmen at play in their most incongruous attitudes of simple sophistication. Irving’s next work, Salmagundi, written in collaboration with his brother William and James Kirke Paulding, and published at irregular intervals in 1805–06, continued this roguish style of satire and burlesque. Gossipy and current, filled with the latest news of the theater and other goings-on about town, or stirring up yet another literary squabble or scandal, Salmagundi is written with the innovativeness and energy of an accomplished new voice bursting upon a startled literary scene.

A History of New York, publicized by an elaborate hoax in the local newspapers concerning the disappearance of the elderly “Diedrich Knickerbocker,” turned out to be a wild and hilarious spoof that combined real New York history with political satire. Quickly reprinted in England, it was admired by Walter Scott and Charles Dickens (who carried his copy in his pocket). In later years, as Irving revised and re-revised his History, he softened his gibes at Thomas Jefferson, the Dutch, and the Yankees of New England; this Library of America volume presents the work in its original, exuberant, robust, and unexpurgated form, giving modern readers a chance to enjoy the version that brought him immediate international acclaim.

The Sketch Book contains Irving’s two best-loved stories, “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” It also includes many sketches of English country and city life, as well as nostalgic portraits of vanishing traditions, like the old celebrations of Christmas. One of Irving’s most captivating books, it reveals both the brilliance of his realistic depictions and his ability to appropriate European fables and themes to native purposes.

A writer of great urbanity and poise, acutely sensitive to the nostalgia of a passing age, Washington Irving was a central figure in America’s emergence on the international scene.

Genres: Classics, Literature, Fiction, Short Stories, American History, American, 19th Century

1144 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1820

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

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. *** -- This is an odd selection of travel essays, short stories and ghost tales. Irving – or his Geoffrey Crayon persona -- is a light-hearted story teller, mixing fantasy, legend, observation and tall tales. From talking to books (and having them talk back) to headless horsemen, Irving’s imagination knows few bounds.

Irving is a relaxed, chatty writer, and very observant, but his style (particularly to modern readers) may weary. It’s kind of like being cornered by a charming but somewhat long-winded story teller. If you are going to read Irving, sit back, get comfortable and get ready to indulge his unhurried stylings.

I did not read every story/essay in this set. The travel essays are pleasant enough. Irving/Crayon is a hospitable story teller, showing little malice toward his fellow men. His analysis, though, is hardly incisive or memorable, and only mildly humorous.

Irving also has some very good essays on American Indians. He uses some unfortunate language, but he displays great sympathy and admiration for Native Americans, and he pours scorn on their treatment by hypocritical whites. I wonder what he thought of the Trail of Tears?

The Sketch Book includes the humorous Rip Van Winkle and Ichabod Crane. Those are justifiably famous, and the best stories in the book (along with the Spectre Bridegroom). I was surprised how good Rip Van Winkle was. It is an excellent story, well told, and ending nicely. It’s a friendly yarn, but there was much more in it than I thought there would be. It's really a story about a man finding his time/place in life. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is also good, though I was surprised by the long preamble before Crane encounters the Headless Horseman. It’s really the story of a sleepy rural people and the pretensions of Ichabod Crane.

Both stories have suffered from numerous re-tellings that blunt the themes and the light satire. But both are very well-told stories. Irving's stories are much better than his essays.

Overall, Irving’s stories are light, funny and compassionate diversions. No one is hurt in the making of this whimsy. Yes, the stories lack the razor wit and satire of Twain that would make them more timeless. I can’t say I’d recommend this book, but a selection of his best stories might make some good light reading on a dark, chilly day.

[Gabe · Rating 5 out of 5]

When most people think of Washington Irving, they think "Oh yeah, isn't he that dude who wrote that movie with Johnny Depp?" Fortunately for us, most people are idiots. When he wasn't busy being ambassador to Spain or fighting ninjas, Irving spun some immensely entertaining yarns set in colonial America of the 17th Century. Collected here is some of his best work. I highly recommend it.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to the Library of America I continue to catch up -- quite late in my life, I admit (I am now 80) -- with some of the greatest writers in the history of the United States.

And Washington Irving (he was named "George Washington Irving" by his mother in honor of the first president) is certainly one of them.

Let me be clear about this book. While Irving is a simply gorgeous writer -- his writing is fluid, often humorous, and beautifully descriptive of persons and place -- he does date back 200 years, and that means much of what he wrote about then is effectively no longer part of our cultural memory.

Unlike some writers of that era, whose writing could be ponderous and cloyingly didactic, Irving is extremely easy to read. His writing can, I think, be actually called "mellifluous" for the way in which it flows and echoes.

This volume, the first of three 1,000 page plus editions covering his writing, consists of three very early pieces which I did NOT read completely through. They are: "The Letters of Jonathan Oldstyle," "Salagundi," and "A History of New York." While extremely readable, the problem (for me, at least) was that their subject matter for the first two of them was more time-locked than accessible: that is, he was writing in a humorous way about persons and events of that period that no longer "resonate" with me because they are fixed in the past and they have not remained part of our cultural heritage.

In the case of his "A History of New York," he has mixed real personages, places, and events with fictionalized, humorous accounts. I actually did read much of this, enjoying the way in which he occasionally "stepped on the toes" of icons of the period. But it, too, after a longer while, became a tad tedious.

HOWEVER, with respect to the 4th inclusion -- "The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon" -- I found myself reading everything! (Oh, yes, and one of the striking features about all of these early works is that he attributed them to fictional persons, even though the real author quickly became widely known.)

In these sketches he presents portraits of really interesting people, many -- perhaps most -- of them from "regular folks" and not of the upper class: innkeepers, travelers, village men and women. And as he talks about their homes and costumes we are propelled back in time to when this country was very new. In addition, since many of these sketches are placed in England, we encounter an England only a couple of decades following our Revolutionary War. Given this, it is interesting to find how kindly he was received wherever he went; there was apparently no lingering resentment against American citizens, and I found that surprising.

But it is in his loving sketches of rural churches, the home of William Shakespeare, and his investigations of the warrens of Westminster Abbey that most engrossed me in time and place. Some of his favorites words in these descriptions included "moldering" and "pile," the latter referencing large old buildings that have seen better days.

Ah, to walk with him into the dimly lit rooms of ancient libraries and to hear him muse about "all those old books moldering on dusty shelves" waiting for someone to once again bring them down into the light and open their pages! How many ideas and thoughts lie hidden? How many voices of people who labored so long to bring their books to life stay mute in disappointed silence?

So, fellow readers, just "who might like this volume of collected works"?

My best guess is this: a) People who love beautiful language and the uses to which it can be put; b) People interested in early American history, especially in the in-depth "painting" of persons and places now long vanished; c) Antiquarians who wish to know more about past times; and d) Adventurers who occasionally risk picking up an "unusual" choice just to see what it says to them.

I look forward to now turning towards the remaining two volumes of his works. Since they, too, are massive, you may accurately picture me "rolling up my sleeves" in preparation!

[Rob Roehm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Letters of Jonathan Oldstyle, Salmagundi, and A History of New York are all rough reads, full of contemporary criticisms and dated humor—they do, though, have their moments. I’ve had to skim some sections, especially in History of NY, as they are just a slog. The last section, The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., was much more engaging.

Irving's fiction is fabulous, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle" in particular; other items in The Sketch Book are quite interesting in their descriptions of the Revolutionary era. Some items, though, can be a bit of a slog due to outdated politics and allusions. But even these pieces are typically peppered with Irving's humorous descriptions.

[Jodi Hobbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful. Love the old customs of years gone by. Great to reread The Legend of Sleepy Hallow and Rip Van Winkle .

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely long-winded for a 2022 reader but also chatty and often charming. A good book to dip into on and off or to skim.

[Vince · Rating 5 out of 5]

I find from time to time I take comfort in working my way through collections of my favorite, or sometimes just influential authors who interest me. Not to long ago I had read an interesting biography of Washington Irving, America's first author who made an actual living through writing, and realized I hadn't read anything by him in 20+ years. This collection is not complete but pretty good. All the biggies are here, The History Of New York, Rip Van Winkle, The Headless Horseman etc. Reading through it you quickly realize that he and Swift really created modern satire and Irving's work is approachable as the language closely approximates what we use today. Every once and awhile his humor gets a bit repetitive but back in the day authors were paid by their output, word count etc. Never forget he coined Gotham for New York City, Knickerbocker is his, and we still have a team by that name playing in the Garden. Well worth reading if you like this sort of thing and Rip Van Winkle and The Headless Horseman have been changed so often by Hollywood that it's fun to read the originals which are surprisingly short stories.

[Kimball Larsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found Irving's writing more down-to-earth and accessible than other writers of the time. I like what he writes about as well as the way he writes. His sketches especially were like windows into the period.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

America's first great master of the belle-letrist style, Irving's baroque and often whimisical sardonic prose is in every way a delight to read, whether sketching early American society's many foibles or adding spice and vinegar to his great A History of New York.

[Keeko · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a few tears in my eyes when I finished this because I didn't want it to end, or maybe the tears were from laughing.

[Martin Bihl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Letters of Jonathan Oldstyle, Gentleman - finished 11.05.12

Salmagundi - finished 10.31.14

History of New York - finished 12.05.15