The Last of the Mohicans (Bantam Classics)

Beautiful new copy. Came in perfect condition.

Having watched the 1992 Daniel Day Lewis film after several cocktails, my husband dared me to read the book. And I drunkenly accepted the challenge. Whew, it was a doozy. I’m not even going to elaborate on how the sequence of the plot between the film and the book differed, or how the death and survival of characters were changed because the film is a total bastardization of the book. Therefore the end was not at all what I expected considering the fates of the primary characters were changed so radically. And there is zero romance so don’t read the book expecting anything passionate. I will admit that the actors and scenery from the movie helped with my mental visualization of the characters and the setting. There’s a lot more commentary about how the different tribes interact with one another and with the whites, be they French or English. The rhetoric can be rather cumbersome and it took me a good 40 pages to acquaint myself with the cadence and embellishments. Here’s an example of a single, extravagant sentence: “The strong glare of thee fire fell full upon his sturdy, weather beaten countenance and forest attire, lending an air of romantic wildness to the aspect of an individual, who, seen b the sober light of day, would have exhibited the peculiarities of a man remarkable for the strangeness of his dress, the iron-like inflexibility of his frame, and the singular compound of a quick, vigilant sagacity*, and of exquisite simplicity, that by turns usurped the possession of his muscular features.” Despite the reading being somewhat challenging, it was engaging. The plot is still dynamic and suspenseful. Despite the difficult and elaborate prose, it was rewarding and I was emotionally vested. *Sagacity is apparently one of JFC’s favorite words.

This review is for the Kindle version with the Audible edition. I thoroughly enjoyed this tale and I am very pleased I have it as an experience in my life. My satisfaction is due, in no small part, to the excellent skills of the author and the narrator. In this work, it quickly becomes evident that Mr. Cooper possesses a wonderful command of the English language in grammar, sentence and context structure. This skill is present from begging to end of his novel. His contextual structure is so strong that when the narrator makes a single error in pronunciation the error in no way interferes in the reader's comprehension of the correct word and meaning. Aside from that singular error, the narrator displayed a strong command and a smooth, flowing fluency of an English dialect long since removed from that of our present day English. I would say that the narrator has taken that which would be difficult language for most, if not all but a few, present day English speakers and made it easier that the listener may comfortably comprehend the story. I found the narration beneficial and therefore declare it worth the additional cost. The author's story structure benefitted the reader's imagination in every possible way. This is one classic for which I harbor no regrets for having dedicated my time.

I'll admit, I've seen the movie with Daniel Day Lewis, and loved it. But, the book, just like always, surpassed the movie. Not only was it full of adventure, but the difference between the two made it even better. The adventure that this group of people went through was keep you on the edge of your seat good. Hawkeye was my favorite in the movie, but Uncas was by far my favorite in the book. He had so much depth and character that was left out in the movie. All of the characters did in the book, well except for Alice. And I think that was because Cora kept her pretty protected. The dignity with which the author portrayed the native American characters was surprising to me, given the time this book was written, but very much added to the depth of the story and each character. I didn't think I was going to like this book, but I loved it and it will now be among my favorites.

Keeping in mind that this historical novel was written in 1826, I thought that the language was a bit stilted and abstruse. This was complicated by the fact that the main characters went by multiple names, some proper and some descriptive. As a result, I found myself rereading many passages and making generous use of the reading tools that Kindle includes. Nevertheless, the story itself is straightforward enough and covers a period of history that I knew very little about, namely the French and Indian Wars. These pre-Revolutionary wars involved an admixture of various Indian tribes, French, English and Colonists. Cooper’s description of their complex interactions was interesting and informative. An underlying message in the book, and a subject that Cooper clearly felt passionate about, is the blatant mistreatment of the Indians by the whites on the one hand and on the other hand the whites’ total dependency upon them. He has Hawkeye, the protagonist of the story, doubting that the “skin” problem would ever be solved, an issue that in a larger sense resonates with our society today.

One of America's most beloved tails and a timeless classics, Last of the Mohicans intertwines action, adventure, love, drama, fiction and facts during the French and Indian wars so flawlessly it is impossible to separate one from the other, hence making it into a truly masterful tale! Cooper creates characters so interesting and alive, that they become the readers personal friends or enemies! Cooper creates multiple plots that twist and turn with such overwhelming intensity, the reader cannot put the book down easily, and when possible to lay it down, it is always with regret and breathlessness. His detail is superb, creating vivid pictures and everlasting impressions of America's red skinned Warriors, colonist's and British Red Coats clashing against the blue coated French and sure footed Canadian aborigines. Loyalty,and love, treachery and deceit, courage and cunning, wisdom and faith, gains and losses, life and death. Cooper creates such reality in writing that one cannot but swear the book, and all its characters were living, breathing beings!

This was a 1923 book. The main reason I bought it was bc of the illustrations by NC Wyeth. His son, Andrew, is a great artist, n I really like is paintings. In his day NC was also very famous. His illustrations in this book were great. So if you can get an illustrated book. I think you'd like it. As far as the book, it's a really good story, very interesting. And a good source of what the culture was like back then. Especially the attitude towards Native Americans. It would be interesting to know what Native Americans, as a group, would think about this attitude. Because they do call them savages. And they do describe a scene in a lot detail where the Indians slaughter a bunch of whites without acknowedging that whites were slaughtering Native Americans just as much and just as gruesomely. On the other hand, the story does describe the good traits of the Native Americans. And one of the two main characters, Uncas, is described in glowing terms. Of all the characters, he's described must glowingly, admirable, and as a person who you would most like to emulate. The other main character is Hawkeye, a white guy who lives in the woods with Uncas and his father, Chingachgook, also described in very glowing terms. This really isn't a spoiler alert bc this all happens very early in the book. What happens is the bad guy Native American kidnaps the two daughters of a British commander who's fighting the French commander, Montcalm, in upstate New York. The time period is before the Revolution. The rest of the book is about Uncas, Hawkeye, and the ancillary characters trying to get the two daughters back. Again not a spoiler alert bc this basic plot is outlined very early. I say it's a bit of a slog bc he writes in a very florid style, which sometimes makes it hard sometimes to figure out what's going on. But you get use to it. If you can get use to the sloggy parts, it's a really good story, you learn about the events and the culture back then, and you'll be glad you read it.

I read the condensed story as a school boy. Now nearing 80, these 3. Enjoyed them very much. I hate a flowery writer but Cooper shows some need and for the most part pulls it off. "The truth ain't always pretty, but it's still the truth".

Livraison assez rapide , belle édition du livre pour ceux qui souhaite lire le livre par plaisir ( l'histoire est brute , pas d'explication de critique , juste l'histoire et rien de plus )

A classic. Great narration. Slightly weak, abrupt end. 1994 Wordsworth edition. Paper back. Quarter century old papers have a yellowish tint.

A classic book that is an enjoyment to read. Strong character development, great storyline, memorable story for all ages to enjoy.

A story that will appeal to those interested in the period of the North American colonial wars, when Britain and France were in bloody conflict for control over what would later become the USA and Canada. Featuring the legendary woodsman scout Hawkeye, the backdrop of the tale is the vast area of forest and lakeland of (in present-day geography) up-State New York. During this period, it’s interesting to note that the various indigenous (ie Indian) tribes were in fact allied to the respective antagonists, the Hurons with the French and the Mohawks with the British. Although the book is undoubtedly an engaging and worthwhile read, it should be noted that it is written in an old-English style, which can, occasionally, be difficult to understand.

Ich habe dieses Buch vor langer Zeit als Teenager gelesen und finde es heute ebenso spannend und lesenswert wie damals. Ich glaube, nur wenige Leserinnen und Leser wissen, das dieser Roman auf wahren Begebenheiten beruht. Inhalt: Dieses Geschichte spinnt sich um das wirklich statt gefundene Massaker im Fort William Henry.Es war der August des Jahres 1757, als das Fort William Henry am Ufer des Lake George mit 2.200 britischen Soldaten und amerikanischen Milizionären gehalten wurde, als der Marquis Louis-Joseph de Montcalm mit 8.000 Mann (3.000 Mann reguläre Truppen, 3.000 Mann Miliz, 2.000 Indianer) gegen das Fort zogen, um es zu erobern. Der Roman spielt zur Zeit der Kriege der Franzosen gegen die Engländer (mit indianischen Verbündeten auf beiden Seiten) um die koloniale Vorherrschaft in Nordamerika (Franzosen- und Indianerkrieg). Aufhänger des Romans ist das historisch verbürgte schreckliche Massaker an der britischen Garnison von Fort William Henry im Jahr 1757. Rein fiktiv ist hingegen die anschließende Entführung zweier Töchter des Kommandanten, Oberst Munro. Die Darstellung der Indianerstämme der Mohikaner - Chingachgook und Unkas - und Huronen - mit Magua - ist typisiert. Sie hatte jedoch zu ihrer Zeit großen Einfluss auf die öffentliche Vorstellung und die spätere Diskussion um die Verbringung der Indianer in Reservate. Der Roman handelt von den Mohikanern Unkas und Chingachgook sowie Hawkeye (Lederstrumpf), die die beiden Munro-Töchter , die dunkelhaarige Kora und die blonde Alice, aus den Händen der Huronen, die sie entführt haben, zu befreien versuchen. Mit dabei ist der Major Duncan Heyward, der Verehrer Alices, und ein Prediger namens David Gamut. Sie werden auf ihrem Weg in tödliche Kämpfe mit den Huronen unter ihrem Anführer Magua, der Kora als seine Frau möchte, verwickelt. In der zweiten Hälfte des Romans spielt auch der Stamm der Delawaren eine für die weitere Entwicklung der Geschichte wichtige Rolle; nur durch die Verwandtschaft der beiden Mohikaner mit diesem eigentlich mit den Huronen verbündeten Stamm können die Helden die Delawaren auf ihre Seite bringen. Trotzdem endet die Geschichte sehr tragisch. Fazit: Sehr spannend und lesenswert!