The Last of the Mohicans (Lightyear Press Limited Edition) [Hardcover]

James Fenimore Cooper (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1996 | ISBN-10: 0899682545 | ISBN-13: 978-0899682549

Angered by the values of his materialistic society, Hawk-eye lives apart from the other white men, sharing the solitude and sublimity of the wilderness with his Mohican Indian friend, Chingachgook. As the savageries of war test these exiled men, they agree to guide two sisters in search of their father through hostile Indian country - even if it means risking everything. An enduring American classic, "The Last of the Mohicans" is a fast-paced portrait of fierce individualism and courage, set against massacres, raids, battles and a doomed love affair. It is also the unforgettable story of the friendship between two men.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I think these World's Classics editions are really fine. The notes are meaningful and very useful to students, yet the way they are indicated in the text is not intrusive. Great job!."--Grace Epstein, Stephens College

"[An] excellent inexpensive paperback edition. Much better quality than equivilant volumes. The explanatory notes are a valuable addition."--Jeff Cupp, Troy State University

"'Historical Contexts' concise yet thorough. Apparatus generally very satisfying in its relevance and thoroughness."--Fred R. McFadden, Coppin State College

"At last, a paperback book under $4.00! this edition is indeed a "World Classic."--Paul Putt, Lee College

"Introductory material and historical notes are helpful." --Dr. Judy L. Martin, Missouri Western State College

From the Publisher

This book is in Electronic Paperback© Format. If you view this book on any of the computer systems below, it will look like a book. Simple to run, no program to install. Just put the CD in your CDROM drive and start reading. The simple easy to use interface is child tested at pre-school levels.

Windows 3.11, Windows/95, Windows/98, OS/2, MacIntosh PPC OS 8.1 or higher, and Linux with Windows Emulation.

Includes Quiet Vision's Dynamic Index. the abilty to build a index for any set of characters or words.

Each book is either read aloud by a actor or (for Window/95-98-ME and MacIntosh systems) by an electronic voice. For the electronic voice to work you must have TTS software installed. The Apple distributed TTS for MacIntosh: an SAPI compliant TTS for Windows.

If your CD does not have the electronic voice in it (must be version 4.10 or higher) you can download a free update from Quiet Vision. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover
• Publisher: Buccaneer Books (May 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0899682545
• ISBN-13: 978-0899682549
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (117 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #420,068 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

78 of 83 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a piece of history, February 17, 2010

By 

Kayo Smada - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Last of the Mohicans; A narrative of 1757 (The World's Best Reading) (Kindle Edition)

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.

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An essential early American novel, October 5, 2001

By 

Michael J. Mazza - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Last of the Mohicans (Signet Classics) (Paperback)

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.

45 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Voice of the Wilderness, March 11, 2005

By 

Peter Reeve (Thousand Oaks, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Last of the Mohicans (Bantam Classics) (Mass Market Paperback)

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.