Washington Irving: Bracebridge Hall, Tales of a Traveller, the Alhambra (Loa #52

Once you have visited the Allhambra in Grenada, Washington Irvines book comes to life. The tales come to life. The experience is so magical that you believe the fables may have actually happened. Who knows? I had to purchase the book immediately after my visit and it is the best book purchase I have ever made

I think this book is much more enjoyable if you read it after you have visited the Alhambra; two Moorish palaces that sit on top of a mountain in the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountain range of Spain, palaces of incredible architecture and setting, the last outpost of the Moors in Spain. Christopher Columbus waited for 6 years before Queen Isabell would give him ships, she made him wait until the Moors were driven out of Spain. When the Alhambra finally falls, Coloumbus is given permission and ships for his quest a few days later, and the next year the Spanish Inquisition starts. All of this comes to you if you visit the very romantic/historic city of Granada and the Alhambra, and after seeing the Alhambra restored, having walked its rooms and grounds, having listened to the fountains, letting your immagination run, then read this book, after you return home. Washington Irving's stunt of taking up residence in the rundown, forgotten Alhambra of his time seems even more fantastic. In fact, if you are going to Spain, buy a copy of this book in Granada; they are sold everywhere in different languages, and have pictures of paintings done in the period around Irving's stay. If you haven't been to the Alhambra, you should go.

"Tales of the Alhambra" is must-reading for the traveler in Spain. Irving is best remembered in this country for his collections of American folklore, like the stories of Rip Van Winkle and the Headless Horseman, but in Spain they remember him for the Alhambra stories -- in fact, there's a hotel named in his honor in Granada. Irving lived in that beautiful old Moorish palace at a time when it was a neglected ruin, and his wonderful descriptions, interspersed with the folk-tales that he collected from the people of Granada, helped to spark interest in repairing and restoring the monument. The folk tales, told in Irving's inimitable, witty style, usually deal with romantic elopements, or buried treasure, or both. My personal favorite is the story of the young prince living in the Generalife (the beautiful summer palace) who learned the language of the birds. That one is fantasy, but it's true that there was hidden treasure in the Alhambra: the palace itself, its architecture and decoration, and we have Irving to thank for rediscovering it.

A great book to read while traveling in spain. If you are going to Alhambra, read this book! It will bring the palace alive for you. The writing is very accessable, and easy to follow for having been written so long ago.

When we were kids, we had a card game called Authors. I think the object was to be able to name the works of famous authors. At any rate, there were three titles that always seemed especially enticing: Idylls of the King, The Heart of Midlothian and Tales of the Alhambra.Thirty years later, I picked this one up with some trepidation; we've all struggled through classics of two hundred years ago, baffled by arcane language & outdated usages. However, to my very pleasant surprise, the book is terrific, combining an Iberian travelogue with delightful tales and legends of Moorish Spain. Irving's travels are interesting enough in themselves, but it is the tales, which have everything from flying carpets to hidden treasure, that really make the book.GRADE: A