The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

By: Washington Irving

Narrated by: Anthony Heald

In the Dutch settlement of Tarry Town, New York, in a secluded glen called Sleepy Hollow, Ichabod Crane arrives to educate the children of the region. This lanky schoolmaster from Connecticut fancies the idea of marrying the beautiful Katrina Van Tassel, the 18-year-old daughter of a wealthy farmer, but there is a problem with his plan. Abraham “Brom Bones” Van Brunt, the town rowdy, has already set his heart on marrying her.

This romantic rivalry climaxes one autumn night with the appearance of the legendary Headless Horseman, allegedly the ghost of a Hessian trooper who lost his head to a cannonball during the Revolutionary War. Every night he rides through the woods to the scene of the battle in search of his head.

Since this story’s first appearance in 1820, generations of readers, young and old, have thrilled to the headless horseman galloping through the haunted woods of Sleepy Hollow. The rollicking tale of Ichabod Crane and his ill-fated courtship of Katrina Van Tassel has become a classic ghost story.

Public Domain (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“[This story’s] unprecedented success allowed Irving to devote himself to a career as a professional author.” ( Encyclopedia of Literature)

Melodic

There is a flow and word choice to the writing that is evocative and does an excellent job of setting a tone. Listening made me want to write my own ghost stories with the same level of detail that makes the world feel "real". I mean, why explain the horse's name is Gun Powder and that he has a mischievous spirit if not to make it feel like a lived in world with its own sense of reality?

Entertaining classic holds up, wonderful narration

I wanted something little and short to relax as I nodded off. While I have read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, my interior narrator pales in comparison to Anthony Heald's deft narration.

Classic tale. Excellent narrator.

A classic tale with vivid description! The narrator was also excellent. Extremely engaging! Enjoyed it very much.

A nice short story

I must admit that it has been several decades since I last heard the story of the headless horseman and I was excited to once again hear the original tale. With all the modern tellings, it was much shorter than I remembered but nice nonetheless. The performance was perfect and the narrator could have been telling it at midnight around the camp fire. Well worth the listen.

A Classic

A Great classic. Perfect for Halloween or whenever you just want a quick spooky story!