Customer Reviews

The Last of the Mohicans (Leatherstocking Tale)

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(38)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I thought that this was an excellent study of the European-Indian relationships and intertribal relationships among the Americam Indians. There are some gruesome scenes; I feel it is probably a fairly accurate account of practices at that time amongst those tribes. At times the narrative gets wordy because of the details of the history and traditions. I can't believe this book was taught in the 5-8 grades in this country 30 years ago. I don't think the majority of 12th graders could read this book with ease.

James Fenimore Cooper's novel "The Last of the Mohicans" (subtitled "A Narrative of 1757"), is a remarkable book for many reasons. First published in 1826, the book represents an early attempt to create substantial literary art from the material of North American history and geography. Although the book has its flaws, it is for the most part a success.

In the novel, the white woodsman Hawk-eye and his Mohican Indian comrade Chingachgook join forces to help the daughters of a white military officer through hostile territory. The story takes place in a colonial American setting marked by conflict between French and English forces -- a conflict that also involves various Indian nations.

There are a number of exciting (and often graphically violent) scenes of battle and chase. Hawk-eye, a white man who, to a large degree, rejects European-American values, is a fascinating figure -- indeed, he is one of the most enduring fictional creations in all of United States literature. Through the mouths of Hawk-eye and the various Indian characters, Cooper offers some intriguing criticisms of white culture.

As I said, the book is not without flaws. The momentum of the book lags for a brief stretch, and some of Cooper's characters (in particular, his women) at times sound a bit stereotypical. But the overall power and intelligence of Cooper's work is undeniable. Particularly impressive is his re-creation of a multilingual world of complex cultural and personal conflict. Also noteworthy is his evocation of the American landscape. A tale of death and survival, of betrayal and loyalty, and, above all, of the extraordinary bond between a white man and an Indian, "The Last of the Mohicans" is one classic that deserves to be read and reevaluated by each generation.

Like the Star Wars movies, Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales were written out of sequence. In their chronological order, with their order of publication in parentheses, they are: The Deerslayer (5), The Last of the Mohicans (2), The Pathfinder (4), The Pioneers (1) and The Prairie (3). So if you want to read them in either chronological or published order, you should read Mohicans second. But each novel is self-contained, so if you want to try just one, to decide if the rest are worth reading, then Mohicans is the one to start with, as it is his most famous work and generally acknowledged to be his best.

The hero of these tales, the improbably named Nathaniel Bumppo (or Natty, or Deerslayer, or Hawkeye, or The Long Rifle, or...etc, etc) was the first, and remains the quintessential, all-American fictional hero; brave, noble, honest and more at home in the wilderness than the town. He is not however, the strong, silent type. He has a habit of launching into long, rambling streams of homespun philosophy at the drop of a coonskin cap. Never mind that lead shot is flying thick and fast around his ears, he will lean on his rifle and expound on the different natures of Indians and whites, or the evils of literacy.

The plot of Mohicans is action-packed, but is linear - no surprise twists, and no sub-plots - and contains some highly improbable elements. Well, would you be fooled by an enemy disguised as a beaver? Michael Mann's excellent 1992 screen version reworked the plot extensively, to its advantage.

Cooper was the first distinctively American novelist and was inspired by Walter Scott, the inventor of the historical novel. He was consciously attempting to emulate Scott but, although he writes quite well, he lacks Scott's lyricism. And his characters, specially the women, are resiliently two-dimensional. But he did capture the spirit of the frontier, the pride and pain of a new and growing country, and in doing so created myths out of America's past that have survived, evolved, and have sustained the nation, ever since.

Difficult to read as it is wordy in description and the phrasing is old. The storyline of the wars in NY and the decline of the American Indian is excellent though.

Set in upstate New York in colonial times, Cooper here tells the story of the stolid colonial scout Hawkeye, nee Natty Bumppo (don't ask), who, with his two Indian companions Chingachgook (the Big Snake) and his son Uncas (apparently newly come to manhood), stumble on a party of British soldiers conducting two fair maidens to their father, the commander of British Fort William Henry during the French and Indian War. Under the watchful eyes of the young British officer who has the girls in his charge and led by a Huron scout, Magua, the party appears, to the indomitable Hawkeye, to be at greater risk than they realize as they trek through the wilderness toward the safety of the girls' father's garrison. And, indeed, Hawkeye's judgement is soon proved right as the scout Magua treacherously betrays the hapless girls in repayment, it seems, for a stint of corporal punishment inflicted on him previously by their absent parent. Since the Hurons, Magua's native tribe, are culturally akin to the Iroquois who are the herditary enemies of the Algonquin Delawares, from whom Chingachgook and his son hail and among whom Hawkeye has made his home and friendships, a natural antagonism has arisen almost at once between Hawkeye's party and the Huron and this proves salutary, when danger finally strikes. The tale quickly becomes a matter of flight and pursuit through thickly overgrown primeval forests, over rough mountains and across broad open lakes as the beleagured travelers first elude and then flee the dreaded Iroquois (allies of the French) who have joined the renegade Huron in an effort to seize the two girls. After a brief respite within the safety of William Henry however, the tables are once again turned as Magua's perfidy puts the girls once more at risk. And now the story shifts to a manic pursuit of the fleeing Magua who means to carry off his human prey in order to finally have his revenge on the girls' father, on the British and on the Europeans, generally, whose presence in his native country he blames (not altogether unjustifiably) for his myriad travails. Written in the fine tradition of the 19th century romance (which, of course, is what this book is), Cooper picked up where Sir Walter Scott (the venerable founder of this particular novelistic tradition) left off, creating a rich historical tale of adventure, nobility and marvelously sketched characters set against a brilliantly detailed natural landscape. If his characters are less keenly drawn than Scott's they are no less memorable for, in the quiet nobility of the scout Hawkeye lies the strong, silent hero of the wilderness which was to become the archetypical protagonist of the American western. And the Indians, Chingachgook and Uncas, are the very prototypes of the noble savage, so much used and over-used today. This is a tale of action first and foremost without much plot but so well told that you barely notice, as our heroes flee and pursue their enemies in turn until the very quickness of the prose seems to mirror and embody the speed of the action. Nor is this book only to be read for its rapid-fire rendition of flight and pursuit, for it touches the reader on another level as well, as the bold young Uncas moves out ahead of his comrades to place himself at risk for the others and the woman he loves. Although we never see Uncas at anything but a distance and never get to know the man he is supposed to be, he is yet a symbol of that people of whom he is the last chiefly descendant, the Delaware Mohicans. Nobly born into the finest of Mohican bloodlines, Uncas faces his final trial with heroic energy and resolve in order to defeat the nefarious and twisted Magua. Yet this struggle is also the final footnote in the story of a people, marking the closing chapter for all those Indians who, with the Mohicans, have seen, in Cooper's words, the morning of their nation and the inevitable nightfall which must follow. The book is a bit short on characterization and plotting and the prose is heavy for modern tastes, but the action is richly visualized in the flow of the narrative and the images are compelling. In the end, despite its flaws, this book of Cooper's is, in fact, the classic we have been told it is. -- S. W. Mirsky

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).

I read and thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is dubbed a classic for good reason. This story will captivate anyone interested in the French and Indian War period, Colonial America and the origins of American Warfare. Although not nearly the same experience, I recommend the Major Motion Picture as well. The cinematography and soundtrack are amazing.

It is easy to see that the modern action hero owes everything to Natty Bumppo. This is the best of the Leatherstocking Tales, though "Pathfinder" and "Deerslayer" are good too. "The Prairie" has its merits, but Natty is very old in that one, and "The Pioneers", the first to be published, deals only with Bumppo as a supporting character.

"Last of the Mohicans", however, is a masterpiece of romantic fiction, and the birth of the American action novel. Cooper's knowledge of the American Indian is not always accurate, but it is easy to see the genesis of many legends that surrounded Native Americans in American lore into the 20th century in this and other books from the Leatherstocking Tales. The language is antiquated and may be a bit difficult for younger readers, but it is worth it.

Also, a note on the film: The Daniel Day-Lewis movie is good--I enjoy that too, but it is incredibly different from the book. It is only VERY loosely based on Cooper's work, and Cooper's is unquestionably better.

If you are curious as to why this book is regarded as a "classic", pick it up. I hope you get as much from it as I did.

Set in upstate New York in colonial times, Cooper here tells the tale of the stolid colonial scout Hawkeye, nee Natty Bumppo (don't ask), who, with his two Indian companions Chingachgook (the Big Snake) and his son Uncas (apparently newly come to manhood), stumble on a party of British soldiers conducting two fair maidens to their father, the commander of British Fort William Henry during the French and Indian War. Under the watchful eyes of the young British officer who has the girls in his charge and led by a Huron scout, Magua, the party appears, to the indomitable Hawkeye, to be at greater risk than they realize as they trek through the wilderness toward the safety of the girls' father's garrison. And, indeed, Hawkeye's judgement is soon proved right as the scout Magua treacherously betrays the hapless girls in repayment, it seems, for a stint of corporal punishment inflicted on him previously by their absent parent. Since the Hurons, Magua's native tribe, are culturally akin to the Iroquois who are the herditary enemies of the Algonquin Delawares, from whom Chingachgook and his son hail and among whom Hawkeye has made his home and friendships, a natural antagonism arises almost at once between Hawkeye's party and the Huron and this proves salutary, when danger finally strikes. The tale quickly becomes a matter of flight and pursuit through thickly overgrown primeval forests, over rough mountains and across broad open lakes as the beleagured travelers first elude and then flee the dreaded Iroquois (allies of the French) who have joined the renegade Huron in an effort to seize the two girls. After a brief respite within the safety of William Henry however, the tables are once again turned as Magua's perfidy puts the girls once more at risk. And now the story shifts to a manic pursuit of the fleeing Magua who means to carry off his human prey in order to finally have his revenge on the girls' father, on the British and on the Europeans, generally, whose presence in his native country he blames (not altogether unjustifiably) for his myriad travails. Written in the fine tradition of the 19th century romance (which, of course, is what this book is), Cooper picked up where Sir Walter Scott (the venerable founder of this novelistic tradition) left off, creating a rich historical tale of adventure, nobility and marvelously sketched characters set against a brilliantly detailed natural landscape. If his characters are less keenly drawn than Scott's they are no less memorable for, in the quiet nobility of the scout Hawkeye lies the strong, silent hero of the wilderness which has become the archetypical protagonist in our own American westerns. And the Indians, Chingachgook and Uncas, are the very prototypes of the noble savage, so much used, and over-used, today. This is a tale of action first and foremost without much plot but so well told that you barely notice, as our heroes flee and pursue their enemies in turn -- until the very quickness of the prose seems to mirror and embody the speed of the action. Nor is this book only to be read for its rapid-fire rendition of flight and pursuit, for it touches the reader on another level as well, as the bold young Uncas moves out ahead of his comrades to place himself at risk for the others and the woman he loves. Although we never see Uncas at anything but a distance and never get to know the man he is supposed to be, he is yet a symbol of that people of whom he is the last chiefly descendant, the Delaware Mohicans. Nobly born into the finest of Mohican bloodlines, Uncas faces his final trial with heroic energy and resolve in order to defeat the nefarious and twisted Magua. Yet this struggle is also the final footnote in the story of a people, marking the closing chapter for all those Indians who, with the Mohicans, have, in Cooper's own words, seen the morning of their nation and the inevitable nightfall which must follow. If you give this book a chance and bear with some of the heavy nineteenth century prose, it will prove out in the end. An exciting and worthwhile read.

SWM
author of The King of Vinland's Saga

Mark Twain took great pleasure in ridiculing Cooper's novel, gleefully pointing out plot inconsistencies, unbelievable events that led often to harder to believe conclusions, and the wooden dialog and petty philosophizing of the novel's principle character - all in an effort to prove that any way you might look at it, Copper could not, for his life, tell a tale. I think that Twain might be guilty of a bit of jealousy. Many of the faults that Twain found with Cooper can be found in his own writings, from Tom Sawyer to Huckleberry Finn; moreover, in none of Twain's work can you find the dramatic action that Cooper was able to create. Also, Twain was looking backward some fifty years and American English had undergone some major transformations, becoming less structured thus making earlier American literature, by contrast, seem formal, wordy and, to some, unreadable.

Cooper's work must be evaluated from within its own time frame to prove just how revolutionary his writings were. Shaped by the traditions of the eighteenth century English novel and influenced by his contemporary, Sir Walter Scott, Cooper continued this tradition of the romance novel - with a peculiarly unique American twist: three of the major characters of this novel were not European whites (the almost universal character model of the literature with which Cooper was acquainted), but American Indians. Althought this was quite unique, Cooper was not free from the prejudices that was prevalent at the time of the novel's writing, and despite being associated with the idea of the "noble savage", created many more ignoble Indians than he did noble ones.

The strengths of the novel are the descriptive prose that Cooper employs to paint his picture of frontier America - descriptions which, in fact, compare with some of the best nature descriptions in American literature - and the fine character development of two of his supporting characters, Magua and Cora. Twain was correct about Cooper's hero, Hawkeye - he is wooden, ignorant, and despite his close association with his two Mohican buddies, Chingachgook and Uncas, is openly santimonious about his pure "un-crossed" white blood and rails at anything that smacks of learnedness. Magua and Cora are much more complex characters.

Magua is one of the best crafted characters in early American literature. He is not the stoical Indian character type represented by Chingachgook and Uncas, but combines the bravery of the Huron warrior witht the worse habits of the white man; he is ravaged by rage and hatred, having been cast out by his own tribe and used by both the French and English for their own colonial pursuits. He comes across as a sort of native American Ahab and is not without his sympathetic side. Cora is the antithesis of her fainthearted sister, the blond Alice. She is brave, resourceful and feminine; yet never could be considered (although Hawkeye does) a member of the "gentle sex". That there is a hidden aspect to her character, that her "charged color" hints at some dark mystery only makes her more appealing as a character.

In short, Cooper did know how to tell a story, and if the contemporary reader will abate some of his biases and give the novel a chance, that reader will be not only captured by the action of the book but will realize that Cooper deserves his place as America's first novelist. Do not confuse the recent movie of the novel, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, as an honest portrayal. The screenplay, when compared to Cooper's text, seems to have been based on an entirely different novel.