Additional Reading: “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”
Whether you simply enjoyed “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and want to read similar stories or you’d like to do more research, there’s a lot out there to explore.
For instance, you might be looking for other stories by Washington Irving. “Rip Van Winkle” is one of his most popular, but you should also check out “The Devil and Tom Walker.” You can also read the collection “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” was originally published in, The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. Irving took a lot of inspiration from German folktales, so that’s another great rabbit hole to get lost in.
Do you want to learn more about Irving himself? Read Washington Irving by William Hedges or Critical Essays on Washington Irving by Ralph M. Aderman.
If you’re looking for other American authors, Nathaniel Hawthorne is a good launching point, particularly “Young Goodman Brown.” Also, look for works by Charles Brocken Brown and James Fenimore Cooper.
Several films have featured this story, including a 1922 silent film called The Headless Horseman. You may already be familiar with Disney’s 1949 animated adaptation, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. Tim Burton released a film in 1999 called Sleepy Hollow, which takes many liberties with the story. There’s also an episode of Nickelodeon’s Are You Afraid of the Dark? called “The Tale of the Midnight Ride” as well as an episode of Wishbone called “Halloween Hound: The Legend of Creepy Collars.”
Are you looking for more horror about getting lost in the woods? You might watch The Blair Witch Project, which also relies on folklore to craft a story.
Have you found other adaptations you prefer? Any interesting articles? I’d love to hear about them.
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