Old Christmas / by Washington Irving ; Pictured by Cecil Aldin. (1908) [Leather Bound]

by Washington Irving

Leather Binding on Spine and Corners with Golden leaf printing on spine. This book is printed in black & white, Sewing binding for longer life, where the book block is actually sewn (smythe sewn/section sewn) with thread before binding which results in a more durable type of binding. Reprinted in 2022 with the help of original edition published long back 1908. As this book is reprinted from a very old book, there could be some missing or flawed pages. Resized as per current standards. We expect that you will understand our compulsion with such books. If it is multi volume set, then it is only single volume. 222 Old Christmas / by Washington Irving ; pictured by Cecil Aldin. Irving, Washington

222 pages, Leather Bound

Published January 1, 2022

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

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a sweet book.

It follows our narrator who is wistfully enjoying Christmas in England, but underneath his enjoyment is a loneliness. He’s a stranger here, and all the whimsical holiday celebrations aren’t for him. That’s true until he meets a friend of his who invites him to his father’s manor house for Christmas celebrations.

The narrator is drawn into a world of old time Christmas merriment. The father is a man of the gentry (possibly nobility?) class with an eye to the past. He believes, rather than living in a townhouse like his fellow men of fortune, that he belongs at his country estate. This, he claims, gives him the chance to get to know the peasantry surrounding his estate better.

We see the truth of that in their shared Christmas celebrations. Overall, it’s a sweet telling of one man’s Christmas Eve and Christmas experience as an outsider to English customs, particularly old fashioned English customs.

This is the first adult book I read with my daughter, so that makes it even more special to me!