[.ca] Last Of The Mohicans (ISBN 0451527658)

An American Classic:
I first read "Last of the Mohicans" many years ago. Recently, I was doing research on the Beaver Wars of the 17th century and learned a great deal about the history of the early colonies and the relationships between the various Native American nations and tribal groups. It's fascinating stuff, to say the least. After completing the research (which resulted in a two volume set of books entitled "Iroquois Wars" available on Amazon.com), I re-read Cooper's "Last of the Mohicans" with a more careful eye. Clearly, Cooper knew his stuff. He captures the true spirit of the American frontier spot on. He retains a mournful sensitivity toward the plight of the dwindling eastern woodland tribes while offering none of the absurd modern political correctness that makes every Indian wise, generous, and kind, and every European colonist vicious, greedy, and ignorant. While subject to the occasional novelist's hyperbole, Cooper also draws an accurate picture of Native military tactics and rituals. The various harangues and conversations he creates could have been lifted directly from the pages of the Jesuit Relations or other primary sources in which actual conversations were recorded by those who understood the various Algonquian and Iroquoian tongues. In short, I highly recommend "Last of the Mohicans" to anyone who enjoys historical novels or those with a particular interest in frontier history, the American colonial wars, or the native tribes of the eastern woodlands. The book truly is an American classic. (P.S., don't bother with the recent movie of the same name--it bears only passing resemblance to this book).

A true classic:
I never really had any intention of ever reading this booking, having assumed that it was romanticized nonesense, but after watching the movie, and, for some reason, enjoying it, I decided that the time had come: I had to read the book. So I did. At first, I'll admit, the going was a little slow, as the writing is somewhat fanciful and the dialogue stilted, but this awkwardness became less of an issue the more I became enthralled by the story. Having seen the movie in advance, it was interesting to see how much the movie had in fact diverged from the story. Actually, aside from many of the characters, the setting, and the general premise of the story, the movie is quite different from the book. So much so, that it is safe to say that the movie has totally failed to capture the true spirit of the novel, and is little more than the typical Hollywood historical romance. The most unfortunate aspect of the movie, however, is how the "patriotic" element was incorporated--this is simply not in the book. I do have to say that the movie in its own right is good, but it utterly fails as an adaptation. The is no doubt that Last of the Mohicans is a classic. It is a book that I know will be reread a number of times before my time comes, and I'm sure with each reading, new meaning and insight will be found in its pages.

Hard to understand:
This book is not quite what I expected. I expected a book I could UNDERSTAND. It may have a nice adventurous plot, but it is just way too hard to read. It was more of a burden to read than a joy. I see it as similar to a majic eye. You can't figure out what it is saying unless you cross your eyes. If you like to read books at night to make you go to sleep this one is ideal. Also, I found that I had to stop and think about what I just read because it was so hard to read and understand. I lost my excitement for reading it on the first page.

Captures the ruggedness of the American wilderness:
I first read The Last of the Mohicans in 1973 and have reread it periodically over the years. Although Mark Twain is often given credit for being the first quintessential American author, I would vote for James Fenimore Cooper. This is a magnificent book that captures the ruggedness of the American wilderness and creates the American Hero, Hawkeye- the loner who rejects the institutions and the relationships that most men need and who stand alone for what is right. This motif has been picked up in countless American heros ranging from Hammetts Sam Spade to John Wayne. Although written in a style that may be difficult for the contemporary reader to grasp, it is, nevertheless, a beautifully written novel. Cooper has a way of describing the savage beauty of the American wilderness that is unequaled in literature. An example of this is his description of the forest swallowing up the European armies only to spit them out in ragged pieces- armies larger than those that often dispose of the scepters of the mother countries were seen to bury themselves in these forest, whence they rarely returned but in skeleton bands that were haggard with care or dejected by defeat. Raised in western Oregon and spending much of my youth in the Oregon wilderness, I know exactly what Cooper describes. There is a terrible beauty about the wilderness that both invites and destroys. It is a beauty that draws on into its inner recesses can quickly turn into terror as the weather turns foul, ones sense of direction is lost and the forest seems to close in around one fights off the feeling of terror and loneliness. It gives an rush that city folks cannot even imagine. The story is set in the geo-political struggle between the France and England for control of colonial empires both in the Americans and India. It is a story of savagery, slaughter, betrayal and courage. Of course, this book would offend the sensibilities of politically correct. Yes, Indians are describes as savages and yes, they massacre innocent women and children. Yes, Europeans get better press; but Cooper, like Melville, addresses the race issue. Hero's and villains are been on both sides of the conflict. This is a great book and should be on your must read list of American literature.

A Frontier Clasic:
"The Last of The Mohicans" is the second in the Leatherstocking series by America's first professional novelist, James Fenimore Cooper. Set in upstate New York during the French and Indian War, it introduces the reader to the Eighteenth Century world inhabited by settlers and Indians. This work contains both continuations and similarities to "The Deerlsayer" (see my Amazon reivew). The Deerlsayer is now known as Hawkeye and seems to be more a man of action and less a man of words. Chingachgook remains his loyal friend, although the Indian nature is more presented by his son, Unca. As in "Deerslayer", much of the story revolves around two sisters, in this case Cora and Alice, who are making their way in the wilderness with the aid of their companions. Like in "Deerlsayer" the saga finds its action in war and chase scenes involving American settlers and their Indian allies against Indians opposed to them. This series is rare among early American literature in that the Indians display characters of their own. A bit of comedy is introduced into the narrative by the character of David Gamut, the professional psalmodist who, despite having gifts so ill-suited to the environment of the story, still manages to play a helpful role in the conflict running throughout the book. I read this for "mood setting" during a trip to Cooperstown and other areas in which the book is set and in which the author lived. I was also interested in a familiarity with this classic of American literature. As a reader of my Amazon reviews is aware, I tend much more toward history than to novels and, generally, enjoy them much more. That being said, this novel is a keeper. It is an enjoyable and edifying read, even if classical novels are not your forte.