Bracebridge Hall or the Humorists [Paperback]

Washington Irving (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 5, 2004

1865. Complete in One Volume. Washington Irving was the first American literary artist to earn his living solely through his writings and is considered to be the Father of the American Short Story. Bracebridge Hall or the Humorists followed the publication of The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. It was a well-received collection of essays, showing to what account the American observer had turned his experience of English country life. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.

Product Details

• Paperback: 316 pages
• Publisher: Kessinger Publishing, LLC (March 5, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0766198073
• ISBN-13: 978-0766198074
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,991,252 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Humdrum sketches, with a scattering of brilliant gems, June 1, 2006

By 

D. Cloyce Smith (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bracebridge Hall or the Humorists (Paperback)

Published under his pseudonym Geoffrey Crayon, "Bracebridge Hall" is a sequel of sorts to "The Sketch Book." Less a novel than a series of sketches--or a "medley," to use Irving's term from the title page--these tales revolve around the inhabitants of an English manor (based on the real Aston Hall, where Irving often stayed), the characters living in the village nearby, and the stories they tell. The "plot," such as it is, concerns the gathering of relations for a wedding. "In a word," Irving admits, "I cannot foresee a single extraordinary event that is likely to occur in the whole of my sojourn at the Hall."

As a collection, it's certainly not Irving's best (which is largely why it's so hard to find in print). Most of the character sketches rarely rise above type: the English squire, the old general, the widow, the servants. A few, however, humorously evoke remarkable eccentrics: the village "radical," Christy the crotchety huntsman, the gypsy who still retains the squire's sympathies after he's accused of stealing a sheep. Irving's recollection of the village's May Day celebration is particularly amusing.

Even more valuable are the masterful stories ("told" by various characters staying in Bracebridge Hall) that are hidden among these profiles and that stand on their own. The most famous of these is the ghost story "Dolph Heyliger" (and its story-within-a-story, "The Ghost-Ship"), but readers should not miss "The Stout Gentleman," a simple story about a mysterious apparition; "Annette Delarbre," an affecting love story; and especially "The Student of Salamanca," an overlooked gem of intrigue and suspense.