Sketch by Daniel Maclise, c.1830s. Courtesy The Walter Scott Digital Archive, Edinburgh University Library.Washington Irving is considered by some today to be old-fashioned, a fate he anticipated in his
Sketch Bookessays, “Westminster Abbey” and “The Mutability of Literature”. Yet Irving believed that imagination of a Shakespearean quality defies mutability – which may well apply to Irving's best work. His story of Rip Van Winkle continues to be appreciated by many, and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” has been made into movies, a musical, and a drama, and has a website dedicated to it. There continues to be an audience, too, for the rest of
The Sketch Book, Knickerbocker's
History of New York,
The Alhambra, and
Life of George Washindgton. Other works such as
Tales of a1978 words
Citation: Rust, Richard. "Washington Irving". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 19 February 2009 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2315, accessed 24 November 2024.]
