Tales of a Traveller

Tales of a Traveller, by Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. is an 1824 two-volume, four-part collection of essays and short stories authored by Washington Irving. He compiled the collection while he was living in Europe, primarily in Germany and Paris and published it under his pseudonym, Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. Notable stories included are "The Adventure of the [German Student]", "Kidd the Pirate", and "The [Devil and Tom Walker]".

Reception

Irving thought highly of Tales of a Traveller, saying: "I think there are in it some of the best things I have ever written". He was therefore disappointed by the book's generally poor critical reception. Critic John Neal was severe in his critique, saying in American Writers: "We hardly know how to speak of this sad affair.... No wonder that people have begun to question his originality". By the early 20th century, critics generally ranked it lower than The Sketch Book.