The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon (1820) by Washington Irving

 1,001 Novels: A Library of America

The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon (1820)

by Washington Irving

Tarrytown, New York

New York: 19/105

Upstate: 18/23

       Washington Irving has fallen out of favor in recent decades.  The Legend of Sleepy Hollow has some value as early American royalty free IP, but other than that you'd be pressed to find a reader outside the literature departments of American universities.  Irving was, I think, the first professional man of letters- the Penguin Classics edition of this book- a compilation of what we would call magazine articles in the 20th century, bears an introduction by Irving himself that describes, of call things, the history of the publication rights for the book itself, complete with numerous references to his mentor, Sir Walter Scott.

   Besides The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the rest of the articles are mostly his travelogues from England.  When I went to Spain 15 years ago I actually read his book about Spain- which was actually pretty readable.  These articles I found less so.  It's also pretty clear that was familiar with the literary culture of his era- particularly the gothic style circa 18th century, which strongly influenced Sleepy Hollow.