Rip Van Winkle

"Rip Van Winkle" is considered by some critics to be one of the finest early American short stories. Almost everyone knows the basic story, but I'd guess not all that many people have actually read Washington Irving's original story. **Warning: if you're one of those vanishingly rare people who's n......more

Rip Van Winkle is one of those stories we seem to recollect from childhood but perhaps are not sure exactly how. It feels like a traditional folk tale; as though its origins have been lost in antiquity. Indeed the name “Rip Van Winkle” now seems synonymous with the idea of someone going to sleep, me......more

Book Review 4 of 5 stars to Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving. In Washington Irving’s short story “Rip Van Winkle,” Rip’s wife Dame constantly nags her husband because all he ever does is sleep, put off his chores, and play with his dog Woof. The other women in the village are tolerable......more

An entertaining short story by Washington Irving, this was a pleasure to read! I am dating myself here, but as a child we had a record player in our living room, and I was the proud owner of an LP titled “Rip Van Winkle”. I would sit with my little sister and listen in pure bliss to this classic tal......more

This classic story is a classic for good reasons. Good on the surface, good in metaphor, and good in political discourse. But of course, no one has to pick up on the political discourse bit. And we don't even need to look deep to figure out what it's about. Nah. I'd rather just read this on the surfa......more