Product Description

Cooper's most enduringly popular novel combines heroism and romance with powerful criticism of the destruction of nature and tradition. Set against the French and Indian siege of Fort William Henry in 1757, The Last of the Mohicans recounts the story of two sisters, Cora and Alice Munro, daughters of the English commander, who are struggling to be reunited with their father. They are aided in their perilous journey by Hawk-eye, a frontier scout and his companions Chingachgook and Uncas, the only two survivors of the Mohican tribe. But their lives are endangered by the Mangua, the savage Indian traitor who captures the sisters, wanting Cora to be his squaw. In setting Indian against Indian and the brutal society of the white man against the civilization of the Mohican, Cooper, more than any author before or since, shaped the American sense of itself as a nation.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #159327 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-27
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 416 pages

Customer Reviews

Voice of the Wilderness
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 America's first novelist, 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.

An underestimated novel
An epic adventure...Although the language used throughout the text can at times be challenging, it is worth it, being possibly one of the greatest adventures ever written, and also the celebration of a magical culture.Natty Bumppo, the novels protagonist, is perfectly characterised alongside his Indian counterparts; Chingachgook and Uncas, who are then contrasted with the naive and unworldly English daughters; Cora and Alice, and Colonel Heyward. The novels antagonist; Magua is possibly the most cunning and evil character in the history of Literature!One note of warning to people who are wanting to read this after watching the film is that the film was an 'adaptation' of the novel. The film added in and skipped around parts of the novel which can be confusing at times.To summarise this novel the characters, culture and scenery that are described are utterly breathtaking and is a good and enduring read that time has not allowed to lose its message.

Cooper's Most Admired Novel
THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS is an adventure story set in the frontier wilderness of New York during the French and Indian War (1756-1763). The war is fought between the British and the French. The latter make alliances with several Native American tribes.

The main characters of the novel are Hawkeye, Magua, Duncan Heyward, Uncas, Cora Munro, Alice Munro, Colonel Munro and General Montcalm. Hawkeye is a scout and woodsman. Magua is a rogue member of the Huron tribe and the villain of the story. Duncan Heyward is a young major in the British Army. Uncas is the last member of the Mohican tribe and a protege of Hawkeye. Cora Munro is the daughter of Colonel Munro who is the commander of the British Army at Fort William Henry. Cora is partly of African descent. Alice Munro is Cora's younger half-sister. General Montcalm is a famous French general.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS is mostly a tale of adventure but it is also a love story which explores the challenges of interracial friendship and romance. The book's writing style is typical of an early nineteenth century novel and for that reason it is not always easy to understand. THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS is a classic which raises questions that still remain relevant today.