The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

About

Irving's story (1820) is the American Gothic's first great success: Ichabod Crane, a gangly schoolmaster obsessed with ghost stories, pursues the daughter of a prosperous Dutch farmer and is driven off by the terrifying Headless Horseman — who turns out, probably, to be his rival Brom Bones in disguise. The story is a comedy of American social ambition as much as a ghost story, and its autumnal Hudson Valley atmosphere is perfectly realized. As reading material it is ideal for October evenings; as group performance, Crane's flight and the Headless Horseman's pursuit are tremendously effective.