Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper

Let me start by saying that the movie doesn't really follow the book that closely. In the beginning, you catch things that match up with the movie, but as the plot continues they become less and less similar. The ending itself is COMPLETELY different, but I don't want to spoil it for people who want to read the book.


The writing style in Last of the Mohicans is much the same as The Deerslayer, but then we can't expect Cooper to up and shift gears. I only mention it to say that you can see my previous review about Cooper's dialogue style.

Having seen the movie(many times), my first reactions to this book were noticing the differences between book and movie. This isn't the best way to enjoy a book.
As I continued reading, I found myself sufficiently engrossed in the plot and the movie was furthest from my mind. I wasn't visualizing Daniel Day-Lewis and Wes Studi.. Just Hawkeye and Magua as Cooper had originally described them.
This book doesn't have quite the religious overtones that Deerslayer did, but the use of the word "Savages" becomes more plenitful. Although not as derogatory. If that's possible. It came to sound like a general nickname for the Indians. I think the reason I caught this was because --well, for one I thought it was sprinkled a little over-generously, but when I looked at the tone of the word. And the tone when Indians called whites "Palefaces". It balances out. Everone's got a nickname for everybody. While it might be terribly insensitive that some whites might call a black person, but by the same token black people have plenty of names for us.(Honky, Cracker, etc)
ANYway-- I digress
Cooper takes on the Indian/White Man 'climate' if you will. How one feels about the other. You do get that feeling that Whites are seen as superior-- This is usually when they talk about how much better it is that White people don't brag about valiant feats in a fight or make their women do work like the Indians do. Yet at the same time, you can see 'praises' for the Indian's pragmatism and respect for nature.
I suddenly feel like I'm writing a paper for a lit class.
Sorry.
Last of the Mohicans is an adventure story, basically. It picks up where The Deerslayer left off. The French and Indian War is at its peak. Scalps are at a premium and both whites and reds are collecting them for cash money. Cora and her younger sister Alice are off to see their father the General with the help of Major Duncan Hayward and their scout, Magua. They cross paths with Hawkeye, Chingachgook, and Uncas, who readily identify Magua as a Huron. Magua escapes injured, but will be back. Oh yes, he'll be back. He's one of those bad penny villans.
The rest of the book chronicles their journey. When Uncas and the ladies are captured by the Hurons, Hawkeye gets dressed up as a bear to free them. Which I at first thought was kind of hokey because he was actually acting like a bear--Wandering about on all fours and growling--But when they explained where the suit came from it wasn't quite so much a reach. I just wouldn't have expected people to so readily believe Hawkeye was a real, live bear.
The ending is sad, and Cooper takes all kind of time to show you how sad it is. Like a sort of Shakespearian salute to those who had fallen.
It is a good book. And it belongs on that list of books that a person really ought to have read at least once in their lives. A classic. It's a representation of literature during that era, as Cooper was writing these stories relatively close to when the events in the stories themselves took place. When they were released, the Leatherstocking Tales were the 'Bestsellers' and hot new literature. I think about that from time to time when I read an older book: That at one point in time this book(It's setting and events, dialogue, etc.) was considered current and popular.

So in closing,
If you don't want to purchase this book(shame on you), at least get down to your library and check it out. If you think you'll 'cheat' and watch the movie, I strongly discourage it. You'd be much better off to read the book first. THEN the movie if you like. Just keep in mind when you watch the movie that the book was first. So instead of saying the book's wrong for not matching the movie, say that the movie is messed up.(Not that it wasn't a good movie--It's still one of my faves) It's just decidedly different.