The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

Sleepy Hollow the movie is way better than Sleepy Hollow the short story.  There.  I admitted it.  I can't help it.  I read the short story bit by bit, over a number of days - mind you, its a very short story, so it shouldn't have taken more than half an hour to read it - because I just couldn't deal with having to read it all at once.  Which is actually pretty dumb, since the sooner I'd finished with it, the happier I would have been. Hmmm. I need to remember that for future boring books that I might encounter.  Anyhow, the story was just so dull and uneventful, that I found myself reading a page or three and then putting it down for the rest of the day.  Eventually, I sucked it up and just plowed ahead until I got to the end.  And, let me just mention, that after having seen the film version of the book, I sort of expected the same events to happen within the story.  After all, the movie was based on it, right?  Well, lo and behold, my disappointment when I didn't get to read what I had seen on screen.  Don't get me wrong, the story is about Ichabod Crane and does fancy Katrina Van Whatshername; and he gets pranked by a bully named Brom.  Oh, and there is mention of a headless horseman.  So, I suppose the bare bones did make it into the film, but truthfully, it seems to me that the screenplay writer took liberty with the concept of artistic license and for that I'm grateful.  Because, the film version of Irving's work truly brought his story to life - in fact, it infused it with life.

Okay, so I'm being a bit harsh. I can't help it.  I really thought the story would be like the movie and when it wasn't, well, I got bored with it.  Its just that I absolutely love the film version - Johnny Depp is in it! - and I remember how awesome it was and so, I sort of expected the short story to be just as amazing.  Don't get me wrong, I chuckled at some parts (like at the description of Ichabod and his bully) and I was a bit curious to find out what would happen to Ichabod late at night as he was heading home from the party, but that's about it.  When I got to the end, my first thought was, "What? That's it.Ugh."  Not exactly, excited words about what I'd just suffered through aka read.  Oh well.  At the end of the day, I was able to cross off another book from my list of titles to be read for R.I.P. VII and I realized that since its October, I should probably watch Sleepy Hollow in celebration of all things spooky and Halloween.  So, I'm off to watch the film and enjoy staring at kooky Ichabod Crane aka Johnny Depp!

Scout Books: American Shorts

About Scout Books and their American Shorts:

Scout Books is a small Portland, OR-based publisher, and they have just launched a new imprint: Good Ink.  The first series to come out of Good Ink will be titled, American Shorts. This series will pair ten classic American short stories with ten really great contemporary cartoonists and illustrators (including Vanessa Davis, Tom Neely, Aaron Renier, and Gemma Correll).  What a great way to add a fresh and modern take on some of American's most unforgettable classics!  Plus, it'll bring attention to ten amazing short stories!

Here are some the American Shorts I read:

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce 

Illustrated by Francois Vigneault

This story is about a man named Peyton Farquhar who has been condemned to death by hanging.  As he stands over the edge of the bridge contemplating his life and family, we read about the events that have brought Peyton to this death sentence.  We learn about the plan for sabotage and how Peyton wound up set up in a trap.  However, the hanging commences and as Peyton falls, the rope breaks and he is soon fleeing from death.  Strange things seem to happen to Peyton as he makes his way home, when suddenly...well, I don't want to give away the ending.  Suffice it to say, there is a twist and its a good one! 

What a gripping short story! Loved the writing and found that I could not wait to see what happened to Peyton next.  As for the illustrations, they were great!  Definitely provided a clear picture of what Peyton must have been feeling as he stood over the bridge with sweat dripping down his face - fear, regret and sadness. 

A Horseman in the Sky by Ambrose Bierce

Illustrated by Francois Vigneault

(included with An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge)

This story is set in Virginia and is about a young man named Carter Druse.  His loyalties are divided and tested.  Fighting for the North, Carter finds himself responsible for the death of a spy, who turns out to be someone from Carter's past.  Let me just say, I was pretty shocked by who Carter shot - it just seemed unreal and so beyond wrong.  Definitely a short story that stuns.  And the illustration of the horseman was excellent - definitely fit what I had imagined in my head. 

Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving

Illustrated by Bwana Spoons

Reading this short story was great fun.  I had never read it before - I'd only heard about the tale as a kid.  Suffice it to say I wound up laughing at the craziness of it all - how this lazy man wanted to escape his nagging wife and wound up falling asleep for twenty years. Talk about avoidance issues - ha ha ha!  This was definitely a treat to read.  And I enjoyed all the illustrations by Spoons - they were whimsical and fun - a perfect fit for RipVan Winkle. 

I really enjoyed these two pocket sized books of short stories and just wanted to say thanks to Scout Books for providing me with copies of the books. 

By the way, if you are interested in learning more about what other short stories will be released with illustrations, just check out Scout Books.  I know I'll be heading over to that website ASAP!