Washington Irving and the book ‘Tales of the Alhambra’

A collection of essays, literary sketches and short stories compose the writings from Tales of the Alhambra. As quoted here by Britannica, Alhambra itself is a “palace and fortress of the Moorish monarchs of Granada, Spain.” An 1828 visit by Washington Irving inspired the writing of this brief overview.

(A portrait of Washington Irving, the author of Tales of Alhambra. Irving was born in New York City, New York, United States).

The tales collected in the book includes a combination of non-fictional accounting for the architecture of the Moorish castle from the height of the Moorish civilization. The work expands into a travelogue of the surrounding region with historical fact and medieval myth. The giving of a cursory history of the civilization at its highest reaches, will satisfy some. As quoted here, the offering of “[s]ecret chambers, desperate battles, imprisoned princesses, palace ghosts, and fragrant gardens” offers delights of more engaging flavor for those with a heart for the fantastic. The human stories of absconding with hidden riches, and attempts to profit from secret knowledge of this for gain, offers the most entertaining storytelling of the collection.

(Alternative covers for Tales of Alhambra by Washington Irving, which was first published in 1832).

A later, “authors revised edition” of Tales of Alhambra was published in 1851. That second edition is not the object of this consideration. An ideal audience for this book would be fans of fantasy writing. The earliest that I would consider introducing this work for firsthand reading would be young adults of 12-to-14-years young. I give Tales of Alhambra by Washington Irving 3.75-stars on a scale of one-to-five stars.

Matt – Wednesday, August 30, 2023