Bracebridge Hall

Bracebridge Hall, or The Humorists, A Medley was written by Washington Irving in 1821, while he lived in England, and published in 1822. This episodic novel was originally published under his pseudonym Geoffrey Crayon.

Plot introduction
As this is a location-based series of character sketches, there are a number of individual plots. The tales centre on the occupants of an English manor (based on Aston Hall, near Birmingham, England, which was occupied by members of the Bracebridge family and which Irving visited).

Plot summary
As this is a series of character sketches, the most effective way currently to describe this book is to list the contents.

Volume I

 * 1) The Author
 * 2) The Hall
 * 3) The Busy Man
 * 4) Family Servants
 * 5) The Widow
 * 6) The Lovers
 * 7) Family Reliques
 * 8) An Old Soldier
 * 9) The Widow's Retinue
 * 10) Ready Money Jack
 * 11) Bachelors
 * 12) Wives
 * 13) Story Telling
 * 14) The Stout Gentleman
 * 15) Forest Trees
 * 16) A Literary Antiquary
 * 17) The Farm-House
 * 18) Horsemanship
 * 19) Love-Symptoms
 * 20) Falconry
 * 21) Hawking
 * 22) St. Mark's Eve
 * 23) Gentility
 * 24) Fortune Telling
 * 25) Love-Charms
 * 26) The Library
 * 27) The Student of Salamanca

Volume II

 * 1) English Country Gentleman
 * 2) A Bachelor's Confessions
 * 3) English Gravity
 * 4) Gipsies
 * 5) May-Day Customs
 * 6) Village Worthies
 * 7) The Schoolmaster
 * 8) The School
 * 9) A Village Politician
 * 10) The Rookery
 * 11) May-Day
 * 12) The Manuscript
 * 13) Annette Delarbre
 * 14) Travelling
 * 15) Popular Superstitions
 * 16) The Culprit
 * 17) Family Misfortunes
 * 18) Lovers' Troubles
 * 19) The Historian
 * 20) The Haunted House
 * 21) Dolph Heyliger
 * 22) The Storm-Ship
 * 23) The Wedding
 * 24) The Author's Farewell

Release details
All are hardcover editions except the 1823 and 1991 (binding unknown).
 * 1822, USA, C.S. Van Winkle, 2 volumes (May 21, 1822) – published by M&S Thomas, Philadelphia
 * 1822, UK, John Murray (May 23, 1822)
 * 1823, Berlin, German translation
 * 1836, USA, Carey, Lea and Blanchard, 2 volumes
 * 1865, USA, G.P. Putnam's Sons, complete in one volume, by Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.
 * 1869, USA, G.P. Putnam and Son
 * 1876 (dated 1877), London, Macmillan & Co., one volume edition, illustrated by Randolph Caldecott
 * 1890, London, Edinburgh & New York, T. Nelson and Sons
 * 1978, USA, Sleepy Hollow Restorations (October 1, 1978), ISBN 0-912882-35-2
 * 1990, USA, Ams Pr (June 1, 1990), ISBN 0-404-03508-6
 * 1991, USA, Library of America: Bracebridge Hall, Tales of a Traveller, The Alhambra (March 1, 1991), ISBN 978-0-940450-59-2