Reviews for History of New York

The average rating for History of New York based on 2 reviews is 5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2013-05-17 00:00:00 Jose Maria Mitjavila Buendia In every reader’s life there are a few books which seem to come out of nowhere at just the right moment to surprise and delight and affirm your hope that there are still treasures lurking in the double-stacked shelves. This was that sort of book for me. Published in 1809, the young Irving’s book is a satirical novel/history of the Dutch New Netherlands, ostensibly written by a crotchety old fellow named Diedrich Knickerbocker – and printed by his former landlord after the author mysteriously disappeared while still owing a considerable amount of rent. Irving himself engaged in a sort of viral marketing campaign for A History of New York, writing missing person notices for Knickerbocker in several New York papers prior to publication. Knickerbocker’s “history” of New York begins with the creation of the world, of course. It moves on to the origin of species and the peopling of Earth, then jumps right into the “discovery” of the New World by Europeans (especially Henry Hudson). There’s a fantastic, biting chapter on the ethics of colonization and relations with the Indians. The bulk of the history, however, has to do with the gloriously comical reigns of the three Dutch governors of The New Netherlands. There’s a lot of inside-baseball for people familiar with the politics of New York in Irving’s own day, but unfamiliarity in no way detracts from enjoyment of the book. A History of New York is hilarious, and terrifically entertaining. There’s nothing quite like it in early American literature. Looking for comparisons, I can only turn to Tom Jones, Tristram Shandy, and maybe Rabelais. Supposedly Byron and Dickens, among others, were huge fans of this book. I read that Dickens carried a copy with him for years. A History of New York ought be more widely read and appreciated than it is today. It’s a real classic of American literature and belongs up on the top shelf with the likes of Moby Dick and Huckleberry Finn, etc. PS: Make sure to read the original text (such as found in the Penguin or Library of America editions). Apparently, Irving toned things down a bit in later versions.

Review # 2 was written on 2012-01-04 00:00:00 Chris Hernandez This book is incredibly funny! I hadn't read any Washington Irving in years but clearly, it's time to revisit his work.