Scan barcode
book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
Book on CD performed by William Costello
3.5***
The second (and most popular) of the Leatherstocking Tales is set in 1757, during the French and Indian wars. It’s an adventure novel and romance, featuring Hawkeye (a/k/a Leatherstocking, Natty Bumpo or the Scout), a white man who has adopted Indian ways. His “brothers” are the Mohicans: Chingachgook and Uncas. They weave through the lush landscape of upper New York, fighting to save Cora and Alice Munro, the beautiful daughters of a fort commander, from a treacherous Huron renegade, Magua.
I’m sure this was assigned reading in high school, and am equally sure that I relied on the Cliff’s notes to get through the exam and didn’t actually read this classic American novel. As an adult I can appreciate the prose and the style of 18th-century writing, but it still frustrates me. For the modern-day reader Cooper includes way too much verbiage to get to the point.
But if the reader can persist, s/he will find a tension-filled adventure – the chases through the wilderness, and major fights/battles are very suspenseful in places. And there is a significant message about the clash of civilizations as the Europeans fought over territory while ignoring the rights, wishes, livelihoods of the indigenous population. Cooper’s historical romance gave us many of the elements so common in frontier fiction: a loner hero, “noble savage” trusted companion, lovely heroines in danger, and a plot full of chases and epic battles. Looked at it that way, I am reminded of Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove.
What surprised me most on this reading was Cora’s character. Her strength, intelligence, courage and willingness to sacrifice herself made her a much more complex character than the typical “helpless maiden in distress.”
William Costello does a fairly good job of reading the audio version, though his slow pace at the beginning made me reconsider whether I wanted to keep listening. I think, however, it was more due to Cooper’s style of writing, than to Costello’s skill as a performer.
I do have to admit, that the glorious cinematography and music score of the 1992 film, starring Daniel Day Lewis as Hawkeye, kept running through my mind as I read/listened. While that film has significant departures in plot from Cooper’s novel, it did make me think that I should probably actually read the book, so when our local university book discussion group announced this book in the lineup for fall, I immediately RSVP’d. I’m glad I finally read it, and am looking forward to the discussion.
3.5***
The second (and most popular) of the Leatherstocking Tales is set in 1757, during the French and Indian wars. It’s an adventure novel and romance, featuring Hawkeye (a/k/a Leatherstocking, Natty Bumpo or the Scout), a white man who has adopted Indian ways. His “brothers” are the Mohicans: Chingachgook and Uncas. They weave through the lush landscape of upper New York, fighting to save Cora and Alice Munro, the beautiful daughters of a fort commander, from a treacherous Huron renegade, Magua.
I’m sure this was assigned reading in high school, and am equally sure that I relied on the Cliff’s notes to get through the exam and didn’t actually read this classic American novel. As an adult I can appreciate the prose and the style of 18th-century writing, but it still frustrates me. For the modern-day reader Cooper includes way too much verbiage to get to the point.
But if the reader can persist, s/he will find a tension-filled adventure – the chases through the wilderness, and major fights/battles are very suspenseful in places. And there is a significant message about the clash of civilizations as the Europeans fought over territory while ignoring the rights, wishes, livelihoods of the indigenous population. Cooper’s historical romance gave us many of the elements so common in frontier fiction: a loner hero, “noble savage” trusted companion, lovely heroines in danger, and a plot full of chases and epic battles. Looked at it that way, I am reminded of Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove.
What surprised me most on this reading was Cora’s character. Her strength, intelligence, courage and willingness to sacrifice herself made her a much more complex character than the typical “helpless maiden in distress.”
William Costello does a fairly good job of reading the audio version, though his slow pace at the beginning made me reconsider whether I wanted to keep listening. I think, however, it was more due to Cooper’s style of writing, than to Costello’s skill as a performer.
I do have to admit, that the glorious cinematography and music score of the 1992 film, starring Daniel Day Lewis as Hawkeye, kept running through my mind as I read/listened. While that film has significant departures in plot from Cooper’s novel, it did make me think that I should probably actually read the book, so when our local university book discussion group announced this book in the lineup for fall, I immediately RSVP’d. I’m glad I finally read it, and am looking forward to the discussion.
gabrodriguez29's review against another edition
1.0
As English is not my first language I was afraid to read "The Last of the Mohicans" for it knew it had really complex language. Turns out that that was not a problem at all but somehow half of the time I had no idea what was going on; besides the fact that there are entire chapters with no action whatsoever and the eternal dialogues that lead to nowhere the thing that put me out was that apparently Cooper forgot about characters for dozens of pages and I also forgot they were there until a "hugh" was muttered by any of them and that was all that was say by the natives like they had no personality or awareness of what was going on and the book makes it look like the only thing important to them was an occasional battle. And the fact that there was a guy that first was named Hayward and then Duncan and finally David (I think he was the same guy) was so confusing that I had to put down the book and recapitulate a lot. It was tiring and not at all exciting, I recognize it has a lot of History involved and I quite liked that part but besides that the book is too long for that Cooper was trying to say.
blondierocket's review against another edition
I think this is a story that I understand better in movie form than in written form. Historical novels have always been a challenge for me, but I have been wanting to read this one for quite some time and glad that I did.
Taking place during the Seven Years War, this historical classic brings to life the tale of a Mohican tribe as they struggle to survive and continue the bloodline.
Like some books I’ve read recently, I feel like in the future I may enjoy this book more a second time than I did this time.
Taking place during the Seven Years War, this historical classic brings to life the tale of a Mohican tribe as they struggle to survive and continue the bloodline.
Like some books I’ve read recently, I feel like in the future I may enjoy this book more a second time than I did this time.
lenora_huf's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
quillbot's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
I know I should expect this, but SO racist, and totally historically inaccurate, and also just stupid! Like; he wears a bear costume, and the Native Americans think he’s an actual bear?! And weirdly stilted writing that is probably the product of Cooper trying to write in an old-fashioned manner in the 1800s. It doesn’t deserve to be considered the classic, and the one star I give it is a pity point because the movie is so good and NOT LIKE THE BOOK. Yes, it is important in the historical context of narratives about Native Americans, but Cooper is essentially the Tom Clancy US propaganda airport thriller author of his day, and his works should be treated with an appropriate amount of gravity.