Rip Van Winkle

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Pages: 105

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About this book

At the foot of the Catskill Mountains, a Dutch village beside the Hudson provides the setting for Washington Irving's short tale. Rip Van Winkle is a kindly neighbour whose easy manner wins local affection, while his household life brings frequent quarrels. The narrator introduces the changing mountain colours and old brick houses before drawing Rip into a strange encounter among the rocks.

A silent company playing ninepins, a shared drink and a deep sleep turn familiar countryside into a place of uncertainty. When Rip wakes, the gun beside him is rusted and the paths through the glen seem altered. Irving combines village comedy with the atmosphere of local legend, letting everyday worries persist amid unsettling sights. Arthur Rackham's illustrations accompany a story that offers readers both a detailed Hudson landscape and a compact example of American folk fantasy.

About the author

Washington Irving

Washington Irving was an American essayist, biographer, historian, and short-story writer whose polished prose helped establish an international audience for literature from the young United States.