Review

About Author :
Washington Irving (3rd April 1783 – 28th November 1859) was an
American short story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is
best known for his short stories "Rip Van Winkle" (1819). Irving was one of the first American writers to
earn acclaim in Europe, and he encouraged other American authors.He died at the age of 76.

Review:
This story fascinated me a lot. It was full of thrill. There lived a man named Rip Van
Winkle.He was a villager.His village was surrounded by greenery which added beauty to his village.He
was a good-natured man and the people in the village in which he lives loved him very much..He was
kind to everyone. He was always willing to lend a helping hand and performs tasks that husbands are not
willing to perform for their wives.

He loved his wife(Dame Van Winkle)very much.When his wife’s behaved badly with him he said
nothing.To escape his wife he liked hunting and hanging out with friends in the village.To get some
peace,private and feeling great despair, along with his dog, Wolf, Rip Van Winkle heads for the
woods.On his way, he climbs the Catskill Mountains without thinking about what he was doing. He
afterwards realizes that it would be dark, before he returned to the village, and he was terrified of what his
wife would say when he returns home.

On his return he heard someone calling his name.He stopped and looked around and saw no one.He
again moved to his village.He again heard someone calling his name and finally he saw a man.He greeted
him and the man was drinking liquor and playing ninepins The whole group reminded Rip of the figures
in an old Flemish painting in the parlor of Dominie Van Shaick, the village parson, and which had been
brought over from Holland at the time of the settlement. and Rip decided to have a taste and after this Rip
fell on the ground.

When he awoke up after twenty years, the first thing that comes to his mind was his wife’s reaction to
him staying out all night. Wolf was nowhere around and his gun was rusted.He called for his dog and
there was no response. Rip decided to move towards village and started moving, he noticed that it was
much harder for him.

When he returned, he saw that everything was changed and he doesn’t recognize anyone, and no one
recognizes him the buildings were changed and he was in a shock. At that time, America was independent
from Britain, and his children had grown and his wife had died.
After some time, he met his daughter who was married and had children. He learns from her that Dame
Van Winkle is dead, and he was not sad.She took him home to live with her. She had a comfortable, well-
furnished house.He was now working on a farm with her daughter’s husband. Rip’s and successor who
was about to same of himself, seen leaning against the tree and he soon found many of his former partners
and preferred making friends among the rising generation, with whom he soon grew into great favor.He
was on his routine again and learned from old Peter Vanderdonk, the village historian that the Mountains
has always been haunted by strange beings.

Conclusion:
The conclusion of the story is that Wip was a good person and wanted to help
everyone and his wife was opposite and we should be like wip and should not be like his wife. It was an
interesting story and would recommend everyone to read this story.