20 h 54 minAudiobook5 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if a haunted house makes you laugh, and a wicked baron gets exactly what he deserves?
In The Ingoldsby Legends; or, Mirth and Marvels, Thomas Ingoldsby gathers comic tales, ballads and poems full of ghosts, saints, witches, monks and rogues. Behind that borrowed name is Richard Harris Barham, a London clergyman who turns old chronicles, English folklore and church legends into stories told with a grin.
Haunted tales, saints' lives and monastic gossip supply the material; quick rhymes, puns and sudden turns supply the fun. Across old England, especially Kent, restless spirits and strange bargains meet human greed, vanity and folly. Canterbury, Dover and the Kentish coast give these curious stories a firm sense of place.
What you’ll discover
- Legends with a wink Discover old stories retold in lively rhyme, where solemn subjects make room for mischief.
- Hauntings with humor Enter haunted houses and meet restless spirits in ghost tales meant to amuse.
- Puns at every turn Enjoy names, Latin tags and everyday phrases twisted into unexpected comic shapes.
- Pride meets its match Watch greedy, vain and foolish figures face the prospect of strange, fitting punishments.
- A journey through Kent Explore the old houses, roads and cathedrals that give these legends their local character.
Is it for you?
This book suits readers who like comic verse, old legends and English folklore, and anyone who enjoys wordplay read aloud. It may be less suited to those who want a sustained plot, or who dislike Victorian jokes and period attitudes.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A clergyman writes under a borrowed name
- Old legends are retold with a wink
- Ghosts and goblins are meant to amuse
- Wordplay drives the humor
- Rogues, fools and the fate of the proud
- Place, history and lasting influence
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 20 h 54 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 5 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
eBooks and audiobooks open right away. Download EPUB or PDF, or send the book to your Kindle. Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout.
How it works · 60-day guarantee
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, for the whole household.
- We remind you first. We email you 7 days before your first payment. Then your first year is 50% off: 0,14 USD a day, then 0,27 USD a day, never raised. Or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
60-day money-back guarantee. If the library is not for you, ask within 60 days of your first payment and we refund it in full.
25 languages, side by side
Read and hear Le Leggende di Ingoldsby; o, allegria e meraviglie in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Read it side by side
Le Leggende di Ingoldsby; o, allegria e meraviglie
Ghosts, saints and rogues populate comic tales of old England.
Excellent
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- The whole household
Starts right away, on any device
Read free60-day money-back guaranteeRenews every yearCancel anytimeHow it works
Language: Italiano
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 6
A clergyman writes under a borrowed name
Richard Harris Barham was an Anglican priest and a cathedral man in London, and he was also a lover of antiquities and a good storyteller at dinner. He was born in Canterbury, and Kent stayed close to his heart. Under the name Thomas Ingoldsby, he pretended to be a gentleman of Tappington Everard, a country house in Kent.
This invented squire gives the book its frame. He claims to have gathered tales from family papers, old books and local talk. The pose lets Barham play the friendly antiquary who tells you what he has found, then spoils the solemn mood with a joke.
Renews every year · Cancel anytime
The author
Thomas Ingoldsby
1788–1845 · English humorist and priest
Thomas Ingoldsby was the pen name of Richard Harris Barham, a British writer and Anglican priest. He was born in Canterbury in 1788 and died in London in 1845. He served as a clergyman in Kent and London. His collection, The Ingoldsby Legends, began appearing in print in 1837.
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, for the whole household. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
170 USDFREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
120 USDFREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
60 USDFREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
60 USDFREE - The whole householdUp to 5 readers
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
More like this
Free
Free
Free
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
Questions about Le Leggende di Ingoldsby; o, allegria e meraviglie
Can I read it free?
Yes. The beginning, from the first page to the end of chapter 1, and the first 5 minutes of the audiobook are free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 90 days, with the eBook to keep. After that, your first year is 50% off. You also get 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
Can my family read too?
Yes. The whole household reads and listens: up to 5 readers, each with their own shelf and their own place in every book.
What if it is not for me?
Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. If you have paid and the library is not for you, ask within 60 days of your first payment and we refund it in full.
What is The Ingoldsby Legends about?
It is a collection of comic verse and prose tales that retell old legends, ghost stories and church anecdotes. Witches, monks, knights and spirits appear, and each tale plays the old material for laughs.
Who was Thomas Ingoldsby?
Thomas Ingoldsby was the pen name of Richard Harris Barham, an English clergyman and writer. He presented himself as a Kentish squire who collected old tales, and the pose gives the book its friendly voice.
What is The Jackdaw of Rheims?
It is one of the best-known poems in the collection. It tells of a jackdaw that steals at a gathering in the Lord Cardinal's palace and the solemn church response to the theft, mixing grand ritual with comic effect.
Popular in poetry and plays
See all
Free
Free
Free
Free
