“Rip Van Winkle And Other Stories” Introduction of the book:
Washington Irving’s short story “Rip Van Winkle” was published in 1819 and 1820 in The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. Like other short stories in The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., Irving uses the character of Geoffrey Crayon to narrate. The story of “Rip Van Winkle” is also backed up by a fictional historian named Diedrich Knickerbocker. Irving previously used Diedrich Knickerbocker’s character to publish A History of New York from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty, a hoax history book which fooled many readers. Knickerbocker is an unreliable character. His presence reminds readers to question the truthfulness of the supposedly historical narrative at hand. However, although shaped like a folktale, “Rip Van Winkle” is still based on some truth. For example, the setting is under the Catskill Mountains and on the Hudson River—both real and prominent places in New York state. Additionally, the inclusion of Henry Hudson, who was a Dutch explorer in the late 1500s, brings an element of truth and realism to “Rip Van Winkle.”
This exciting collection
stars the legendary Rip Van Winkle, who takes a nap under a shady tree and awakens after twenty years! You’ll also meet, among others, Ichabod Crane, who comes to a gruesome end at the hands of the Headless Horseman of Sleep Hollow . . . .
