NOTES ON THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a celebration of 200+ years of existence of the American classic written by Washington Irving, adapted and Illustrated by Patrick Thomas Parnell.
This newly illustrated vision of the headless horsemen will excite you but also get your imagination flowing with ghostly tales.
A young man named Ichabod Crane moves to the small village of Sleepy Hollow where he comes face to face with the headless hessian of the woods late one night after a Halloween gathering.
ABOUT THE STORY
“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is a short story by American author Washington Irving, which is part of his collection of 34 essays and short stories titled The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. These were written while Irving was living abroad in Birmingham, England. “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” was first published in 1820. “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” along with Irving’s companion piece “Rip Van Winkle”, is among the earliest examples of American fiction with enduring popularity, especially during Halloween because of a character known as the Headless Horseman believed to be a Hessian soldier who was decapitated by a cannonball in battle.
Sleepy Hollow is renowned for its ghosts and the haunting atmosphere that pervades the imaginations of its inhabitants and visitors. Some residents say this town was bewitched during the early days of the Dutch settlement, while others claim that the mysterious atmosphere was caused by an old Native American chief, the “wizard of his tribe before the country was discovered by Master Hendrik Hudson.” Residents of the town are seemingly subjected to various supernatural and mysterious occurrences. The “Legend” relates the tale of Ichabod Crane, a schoolmaster from Connecticut and what happens during his stay at Sleepy Hollow.
ABOUT THE BOOK
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a 36-page book that was printed “8 1/2 X 11” with a glossy hardcover and has a printed spine, illustrated in black, grey, and white, with a dust jacket.
The story is printed with an old-style font similar to the old-style typewriting machines and has inkpots on the numbered pages. The book was published by Riot Press Productions in 2022.
MY HISTORY WITH SLEEPY HOLLOW
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow has gone through several adaptations in films since the silent film era, TV shows, music, books, audiobooks, graphic novels, and Broadway shows. It also had a cultural impact in the U.S. on the existing Sleepy Hollow/Tarrytown, New York, and many other places that took over the influence of Sleepy Hollow. Over the years it has become a very popular theme for Halloween.
My first exposure to Sleepy Hollow was the Johnny Depp movie from 1999 which in all honestly, I wasn’t much into and which I don’t remember much of. But the 2013 TV series got me again interested in Sleepy Hollow.
It’s a reimaging of the story in a modern setting that I found very interesting. Ichabod Crane is resurrected and travels through time to uncover an ancient mystery. But he doesn’t come into the modern world alone. The murderous Headless Horseman, who has been revived is bringing terror to the town. Ichabod alongside the local Sheriff’s department Lieutenant Abigail Mills goes on a mission to stop him.
They included all sorts of monsters and legends in the first 2 seasons. Season 3 was half good and half bad. The stories started to go a little bit warry and it completely lost me when they killed the protagonist. The show is carried by the male and female lead, why did you kill one of them? After that, I did not care about season 4 or Sleepy Hollow. I was planning to get a physical book or maybe an audiobook but I never did until now.
FINAL THOUGHTS
“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is a high-quality book with beautiful illustrations that helps you go through the story which isn’t an easy one to go through as it’s written in the original old-style English. The beginning was a difficult read for me but once I reached the second half of the book I got into it. This happens when English is not your first language.
This version of Sleepy Hollow was initially crowdfunded on Indiegogo which for some reason I missed during my crowdfunding entertainment adventure, but it is available at the Riot Press Production Online Store which is where I got the book along with the T-Shirt. You can also find two “9 x 12” additional prints there.
The book was signed which was a nice surprise. The order arrived in great condition and there were no issues with the shipping. Obviously, it is a nice gift for the Halloween season but it is a nice gift regardless. Maybe a nice donation to your local library? It’s worth it to check it out.
Interested in more titles? Check them in the “EYES ON” series wherein I document my experience with crowdfunding entertainment and share my notes on the products I received.
All images in this publication belong to the original creators and are used as references under fair use.
My notes are all set. Let me know what you think.
See you on the next page!
