The Legend of Sleepy Hollow: Ultimate Annotated Edition

Celebrating the bicentennial year of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" (first published in 1820 in The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.), this Ultimate Annotated Edition allows readers to delve into Washington Irving's classic tale like never before. The story is glossed with 116 detailed notes, designed to heighten the understanding and deepen the appreciation of Irving's artistry. These notes elucidate various facets of "The Legend" and its composition: the author's consistent comedic and satiric touches, which help put the lie to Sleepy Hollow's idyllic name; the situation of Brom Bones as the true hero of the narrative; Ichabod Crane's hitherto-overlooked source in a figure who previously appears in the Sketch Book; the ways Irving's literary idols, William Shakespeare and Walter Scott, inform his story; the true significance of the pumpkin fired at Ichabod (which has nothing to do with that favorite holiday icon, the jack-o'-lantern). This eBook also features an extensive bonus essay, "Eerie Rider: The Headless Horseman's Forays into Pop Culture," which follows the famous character along the course of his diverse post-Irving career. Not content to catalogue the where and when (the Horseman has appeared, in an assortment of media), the essay explores how his image and mythos have evolved over time, why this midnight rider strikes such a chord with audiences, and what factors have established the Horseman as a modern October monarch, a figure synonymous with the Halloween season.

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