Has anybody read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow?

Question

I've always wanted to read this book.

I do know about those classic characters, Icabob Crane and the Headless Horseman!

My favorite movie intertaption of the book is Sleepy Hollow, directed by Tim Burton, and it stars Johnny Depp. It was very good when I watched it.

Has anybody read the book or seen a movie intertaption of it?

Answer 1

"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is much too short to be called a book except, perhaps, for younger readers. If you haven't read it, I suggest you do so. You can download it from Gutenberg (see below). The Johnny Depp movie received excellent reviews, but Martin and Porter noted that there wasn't much connection between book and movie.

Answer 2

Tim Burton's movie should have a disclaimer reading "Very loosely based on Washington Irving's classic." Disney's 1958 cartoon version is truer to "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" than Burton's movie is. Ichabod's a school teacher, not a detective. Katrina never studies witchcraft in the story (although one of Ichabod's favorite pastimes is reading Cotton Mather's "History of New England Witchcraft) Brom ends up marrying Katrina in the end of the story ("The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," although it has been published as it's own novella, is actually one of the two most famous short stories from Irving's "The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon," the other being "Rip van Winkle") rather than Ichabod, Katrina, and a character who didn't even exsist in the story departing for New York. Lady van Tassel in the story was far more likely to be Katrina's biological mother rather than a step-mother seeking to kill her. The Headless Horseman wasn't some specteral slave used to get revenge on folks. The was a major rivalry between Brom and Ichabood throughout the whole of the story once Katrina was introduced.

Honestly, while I've enjoyed some of Burton's works, this was a movie that never should have been made. Do yourself a favor and actually read the story. Irving's work is very rich and rewarding in comparison.

Answer 3

The book is much better - and very short. You should read it. It is also online, free.

BTW, the name is "Ichabod". :)

Jim, http://www.life-after-harry-potter.com