The Last of the Mohicans (Bantam Classics)

This is a classic novel by James C. Fenimore, written in 1826. It is the second of eight in this series, and it is illustrated by the famed illustrator and artist N.C. Wyeth.

Excellent story. Written in a style that makes it a bit tougher to read quickly, but defintely worth the effort.

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.

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.

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.

The media could not be loaded. The product was exceptionally well-packaged, ensuring it arrived in perfect condition. I bought this book for my bookshelfI went through page by page and was very happy that all the pages were so clean and that I found this book so clean in leather cover

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.

The book is a better quality than most paperback books. The illustrations add to the story which takes the reader back to another to time. I enjoy the quaint language which also reflects the era the author lived in. I'm finding the book is very different from the movie!