Customer Reviews

Hope Leslie: or, Early Times in the Massachusetts (Penguin Classics)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Written in the early 19th century and portraying the New England Puritan lives of the late 17th century, Sedgwick creates multiple patterns for what women can be, maneuvering between what is "appropriate" behavior according to men and the church and what is the motivation of the heart. Hope Leslie, the eponymous character, is almost always motivated by her heart rather than the rules of Puritan New England, and this lands her in all kinds of trouble. Still, her heart wins almost everyone despite her breaking of rules. Catherine Maria Sedgwick offended readers from the West when this was published because they felt her representation of Indians, through her female character, was too noble. But for women reading the novel today, almost 200 years later, the inspiration of this book lies in the many female characters, all of which represent some "pattern" or model that individual women may find themselves identifying with. There is not ONE model of womanhood, femaleness, but many. Interestingly, there are two women blown up on a ship near the end of the book. One is given a funeral ceremony (although she was Catholic, not Puritan, masqueraded as a male, and lived with a male lover unmarried); the other woman is never missed by anyone. Reading to find out who and why is worth the ride. Enjoy the book!

The book was required reading for my American Lit Before 1865 class. I had never heard of it or the author before then. I am glad I was introduced to both. The narrative is fast paced and will not lose your interest. Sedgwick used the storyline to comment upon several issues peculiar to this country. It is amazing how many of those issues are still with us nearly 170 years after the book was written and over 350 years after the story's setting.

I had to read this book for a college class on American Women writers, and found it especially intruiging. Sedgewick speaks with a literary voice that needs to be heard. You get so caught up in the story that you almost miss out on the intentions that the author has set out to convey through her story. The reader is captivated by the unfettered spirit of Magawisca, and feels remorse for Mrs.Fletcher and the hardships she must endure. While Hope becomes the main focus near the middle of the book, you find yourself rooting for other characters as well. Sedgewicks writing style is fresh, and you truly never know what to expect. She takes an old story and brings it to life with her own little twists and turns. You'll become absorbed, and although it is a rather long novel, you'll never want to put it down.

Sedgewick wrote this book almost 200 years ago. It was hard to read this book without comparing just about everything.
I compared her vocabulary, her descriptions of indians vs the british, the descriptions of appropriate behavior, the mores of the puritans.
Particularly delightful was the way she portrayed Native Americans speaking in old english "thither he went" "thy hands"
I have read other books from this era, and normally they have a terrible ending, so we can all mourn the (dead) heroine.
This book had some skillful twists and turns. Surely as some of our less sophisticated readers have remarked, the plot
was rather romantic and maybe even foppish, but consider the era in which it was read. it is a valuable window to the past.
I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good read

Hope Leslie is an enjoyable tale that was remarkable in its day. The women characters are strong and it brought attention to racial issues with the Native Americans. The author wrote it at a time when most people thought nothing about the way Native Americans were treated. But don't forget, this book is a romance. That means that parts of it, just like Last of the Mohicans, are unrealistic. However, I felt this story was much better than Last of the Mohicans, because Sedgwick's characters actually have more depth to them. Cooper seems to care more about the American landscape than he does about his characters interactions, whereas Sedgwick addresses matters of the heart.

Hope Leslie starts out with conflict, with love, with deception, and willing exile to a new land. The story is neatly woven, with plenty of action, romance, and adventure. It is written in a bit difficult of a style, but this book is much worth the decoding. Sedgwick delicately places passeges of savory descriptions of the beauty of the wildlands of New England, and glorifies aspects of both Christianity and Native American theology, but does not disregard small ugliness hidden within both. If looked at carefully, one can see the way that Sedgwick has shown that the Native American and colonist cultures are not as different as they seem.
This is a story of bravery, of love, and of the true nature of all of mankind. Think not, though, that there is no humor in it. Hope Leslie is a witty, passively rebelious girl who fights for what she believes in. She is an enigma that will remain in the hearts of all who read her story. Sedgwick has breathed the breath of life into all her characters and their stories, and their lives will leave imprints on all who read _Hope Leslie._

This is an interesting novel, and a fascinating study of liberal attitudes on race, gender and religion in the US of the 1820s, between the War of 1812 and the Jackson era. It invites comparison with James Fennimore Cooper's The Wept of Wish-Ton-Wish, a darker, more realistic treatment of similar themes.

This is an extraordinary historical romance about the complex relationship between the Puritan settlers of New England and the Native Americans they encountered. Hope Leslie is a spirited heroine who seems out of place in this repressive society; but at the same time, she is able to bring out the best of those around her. She has an amazing effect on her friends, and has almost a sorceress-like quality with which she bends them to her will. In no way, however, is she an anti-Christian heroine. She is as virtuous as any Puritan woman, but she also prefers to follow the desires of her own emotions. She is alike in many ways to Everell Fletcher, her childhood companion, who gets caught up in her adventures.

This story is very much a romance, in that the main characters, Hope, Everell, and Magawisca, a Pequot princess, possess qualities that ordinary people don't. They commit acts of fierce loyalty and sacrifice, and have the willingness sacrificing their lives or freedom to help an innocent. The other characters in the book, however virtuous, are nonetheless content to trust in Providence. They do not go out of their way, risking everything, to do what they feel and know is right.

Hope Leslie is also an historical novel. It depicts not only real people, like Governor Winthrop and Cotton Mather, but also real events, like the tragic Pequot War. Magawisca relates the story of the massacre of her village like a real witness. In reality, many of the unfortunate Pequot survivors were sold into slavery, or forced to become servants, which is exactly what happens to Magawisca and her brother, Oneco. Although the story itself is fiction, one can readily see that the portrayal of real-life people and events gives it a credibility that other novels set in the period do not have. It is likely that events much like the ones depicted in Hope Leslie did take place, in some form.

This version of this novel was absolutely horrible. there were pages of passages with symbols and punctuation marks in place of words. missing sections, misspelled words. it was completely ridiculous to try to read. this review has nothing to o with the content of the story. THAT is extremely important and relevant to women's studies and racial equality on early America. this version, however, was awful

A much better read the The Last of the Mohicans, this book is actually presented in understandable language. And while trivial at times, this novel presents a clear and interesting picture of 17th Century colonial life and is an enjoyable read.