Monday, November 4, 2013

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Book/Movie Review

Rating: 5-- Can't go wrong with this short scary story.

Hi everyone! (see another discussion about TLSH at Linked in Hollywood)



I thoroughly enjoyed this short story by Washington Irving.  Not only is the story creative and interesting, but the style and language is elegant and engaging.  For younger children, I would say it requires advanced comprehension and vocabulary skills as the terms and phrases are early American.  The story was first published in 1820 after all.



I was very interested in the backstory to The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.  I found an excellent source and instead of copying and pasting, you can take a gander here.  Very, very interesting!!!

I'm still researching education of the early school masters, so as soon as I have info, I will post.

Typical 1790s attire
Being soft, round, and plump was a sign of wealth.
My vision of Katrina Van Tassel.


The original Ichabod Crane.  A colonel in the military, he met with Irving,
and his name was thus used.  He wasn't too happy about how the character turned out.

The many faces of Ichabod:

My personal favorite--just watched it with the kids and they LOVED it!
 
Love Johnny, but he wasn't lanky or nerdy enough for me
The latest and greatest, and yes, be still my heart.  It's such a different
take on the story and character, that I don't mind the changes.  
I have yet to re-watch Sleepy Hollow, the film, but when I do, I will give my comparison.  I think Disney stays relatively true to the book and definitely captures the tone and emotional elements of the character.  I know, weird to say, but it's true.  There is such a contrast between the lively Van Tassel party and Crane's horrifying horse ride home.  Perhaps it's the build up and anticipation of what is to become of our gangly school master.  The TV series is a different take on the story.  Crane dies in the Revolutionary War with the Hessian soldier (which I love by the way) and is married to Katrina.  She is actually a witch of sorts and casts a spell on Ichabod.  This keeps him from dying and he wakes up over two centuries later.  I stayed open minded and have enjoyed where the story is taking me.  Will be back with more follow up and comments.  Hope you enjoyed your read!






Posted by at 3:46 PM
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5 comments:

  1. PTSS/LBNovember 5, 2013 at 1:21 PM

    OB (and everyone),

    Do you think the story would have been different had it been told from a different POV, perhaps Katrina's or Brom's?

    Are you superstitious? Do you get sucked into ghost stories?

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    Replies
    1. Open BookNovember 6, 2013 at 1:17 PM

      What fun questions.

      "Do you think the story would have been different had it been told from a different POV, perhaps Katrina's or Brom's?"

      Actually, I like it as is. Perhaps if it was told from Katrina's perspective might make it more dramatic and realistic but I like the comic element the story has to offer now because it gives the reader a break from the horror.

      Delete
    2. Open BookNovember 6, 2013 at 1:26 PM

      Are you superstitious? No, its too high maintenance with very little return. Hahaha!

      Do you get sucked into ghost stories? It depends on the story.

      How about u?

      Delete
    3. PTSS/LBDecember 11, 2013 at 9:05 PM

      I agree OB. I think the story is better as is. A different POV wouldn't have the same impact. Am I superstitious? Not really. However, I do believe that whatever you send out into the world, you get back double fold.

      Delete
  2. PTSS/LBNovember 5, 2013 at 1:23 PM

    Also, despite the fact that the story involves two men fighting over a lady, the story isn't that romantic. It's not really romantic at all. How would the story be if it was more romantic? Would it be nearly as scary? Why did Irving write this story with two parts: winning Katrina's hand and the Headless horseman? Did it serve a purpose?

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