After watching the movie over a year ago, I found this book to be very fascinating. There were many plot differences and much information left out of the movie that the book provided for me. As a result, I would strongly recommend reading the text rather than seeing the movie (despite the fact that it is great to watch Johnny Depp play the part of Ichabod Crane).
One element of the text that I truly relished in was the imagery and word choice the author used within the story. Not only is the topic of the infamous Headless Horseman eerie, but the word choice aids the author in creating a truly gothic scene that is the basis for the plot and conflict. Sensory details appear to be a priority for Irving as I felt as though I was in story because his descriptions of sounds and colors were so vivid. I felt I could practically taste the food he was depicting in many scenes. Thus, I can truly see why this text has lived as a classic all these years.
While I truly enjoyed the experience of reading this text, I found that the beginning was slightly difficult to follow. This was because I was expecting an immediate reference to the Headless Horseman. In fact, it wasn't even until the last 1/3 of the text did the "real" legend of Sleepy Hollow even take place. Most readers might have been discouraged by this pacing issue, but I knew that the payoff would totally be worth it. It was. As the Headless Horseman was galloping rapidly behind Ichabod Crane, I could hear the hooves hitting the ground and the breathe wheezing out of the jet-black horse's nostrils because of Irving's style of writing. I could actually feel the panic Ichabod Crane was feeling while attempting to make it to the bridge to what was assumed safety. I became lost in the text.
As a result, I would recommend this text to anyone who is looking to celebrate the season of Halloween and fall. This legend is a must read as it is still a part of popular culture. READ IT!!!
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