Washington Irving

It is the intention of this work to show that all Irving's books are readable today, that many are worth reading, and that a few demand reading and rereading. It is also its intent to demonstrate that Irving was not a short-story writer, but a composer of books: thus, a story in one of his books is more than that story alone, for it gains meaning from what came before and gives meaning to what will follow. I have prefaced each chapter with a short biographical sketch of Irving during the time of the composition of the works discussed. - Preface.