Lionel Lincoln: The Leaguer of Boston

by James Fenimore Cooper

Lionel Lincoln presented Cooper with the problems of writing a Revolutionary tale with a Loyalist American hero, and of two mentally disordered characters; as part of his intention for a Revolutionary series. The author himself was dissatisfied with his work. In his own opinion, a tale connected with the wonderful siege of Boston, and the memorable battle of Bunker Hill, should have presented some more striking character to the reader than that of Lionel Lincoln. James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851) was an American novelist, travel writer, and social critic, regarded as the first great American writer of fiction. He was famed for his action-packed plots and his vivid, if somewhat idealized, portrayal of American life in the forest and at sea.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Classics, American

444 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1825

About the author

James Fenimore Cooper was a popular and prolific American writer. He is best known for his historical novel The Last of the Mohicans, one of the Leatherstocking Tales stories, and he also wrote political fiction, maritime fiction, travelogues, and essays on the American politics of the time. His daughter Susan Fenimore Cooper was also a writer.

Series:
* The Leatherstocking Tales
* The Littlepage Manuscripts
* Afloat and Ashore
* Homeward Bound

Reviews

[Robert Tessmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

My least favorite Cooper novel so far.

Written to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the beginnings of the American Revolution, Lionel Lincoln was a radically new experiment in historical fiction. To recreate its events with the utmost accuracy, Cooper visited Boston in person in 1824 to study buildings and terrain, examine battlefields, read affidavits, consult records of the weather, and compare primary sources. George Bancroft declared in 1852 that Cooper had "described the battle of Bunker Hill better than it is described in any other work."

Announced as the first in a series of "Legends of the Thirteen Republics," Lionel was the only book of the series to be written, perhaps because it contained what Cooper wished to say at the time about the Revolution. Despite some improbable elements, it retains interest and pertinence today as an interpretation of the tensions--social, political, and military-- that erupted in 1775.

The information above came from the following website:

http://www.sunypress.edu/p-495-lionel...

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first total dud of Cooper I've read.

This was not well received back in 1825, and the general public was right. It's a charmless, meandering thing with dull or annoying characters. Lionel Lincoln and Cecil representing the dull, and Job Pray representing the annoying Jar Jar Binks sort of figure. Reportedly, Cooper did a good job depicting the battles of Lexington and Concord, and Bunker Hill, but he struggled to find a good overall plot for his novel. There's an aura of mystery surrounding what we assume are dark family secrets and sins throughout the novel, with all of the answers arbitrarily kept back until the final few chapters, and it's grating.

Once again though, Cooper shows that the American Revolution was a horrific tragedy that stupidly divided families and drove brothers and sisters to nasty, bloody violence.

[Ben Dutton · Rating 3 out of 5]

It starts off so well. Lionel Lincoln arrives in Boston, seeking a house and a person in particular. Before you know what hits you, it's the Battle of Bunker Hill, described in thrilling, thunderous tones, and then... it's like Fenimore Cooper peaked somewhere in the middle and didn't quite know where to go. This is often said to be Fenimore Cooper's worst: it isn't, and it is far from being bad; it's readable, very enjoyable at times, and yet it doesn't quite come together. I suspect he had Mohicans on his mind...