New copy - delivered FREE to any NZ address in 7-9 business days

With these words- Washington Irving expresses the dilemma of every American artist in the nineteenth century. The Sketch-Book (1820-1) looks simultaneously towards audiences on both sides of the Atlantic- as Irving explores the uneasy relationship of an American writer to English literary traditions. He sketches a series of encounters with the cultural shrines of the parent nation- and in two brilliant experiments with tales transplanted from Europe creates the first classic American short stories- Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of the Sleepy Hollow. The result was not only a hugely successful travel book; it exerted a strong formative influence on American writers from Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allan Poe to Henry James- and is well worth rediscovery in its own right today. Based on Irvings final revision of his most popular work- this new edition includes comprehensive explanatory notes of The Sketch-Books sources for the modern reader. In her introduction- Susan Manning suggests that the author forged a new idiom- the Literary Picturesque- to accommodate and turn to advantage his dilemma of dual literary allegiances.ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford Worlds Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxfords commitment to scholarship- providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features- including expert introductions by leading authorities- helpful notes to clarify the text- up-to-date bibliographies for further study- and much more....