Tracey’s Comments (group member since Jul 17, 2016)

Tracey’s comments from the Sir Walter Scott Appreciation group.

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The book has a double title and alerts the reader to both an individual and a moment in time.

I am now reading along. Some thoughts from the introduction of my copy:
1. Why has this novel long been credited with the development of the European novel and Western fiction more generally?
2. Why does this novel still matter?

Maybe we can answer these at the end of our reading?

Rosemarie wrote: "Tracey, regarding leaders' reading choices, I wonder how many of them actually read for pleasure or education. It would be interesting to know which authors they like.
Our problem in Toronto is no..."

If we allow those who do things just for short-term monetary gain to make decisions then the outcome is always going to be the same. Unfortunately the 'love of money is the root of all evil' is an eternal truth. If we had leaders who loved the people they serve and thought of those to come after us, we would have better government. I feel questioning a person's reading may be one way of defining character and intent. What we read by choice does define us.

Rosemarie wrote: "Tracey, I agree that Cooper had foresight regarding the environment. We lived in St. Albert Alta in the 80's and at one point we could smell the smoke of a forest fire a few hundred kilometers away..."

Tracey wrote: "Cooper's description of the mountain fire had a not at the bottom in my addition how he believed such fires could occur because of the way man left behind debris from chopping down the trees that w..."
I worked in St Albert. A nice place when not in the midst of man's destructive behaviour. Alberta is suffering a lot because of oil refining/production and fires/drought. Not expecting any changes any time soon looking at the world leaders we have.

Rosemarie wrote: "Tracey, I agree that Cooper had foresight regarding the environment. We lived in St. Albert Alta in the 80's and at one point we could smell the smoke of a forest fire a few hundred kilometers away..."

If we don't learn from history we are doomed to keep repeating it. I am beginning to wonder if at the next elections I should ask the candidates what their reading choices are and how many works they have read that are more than a hundred years old.

Cooper's description of the mountain fire had a not at the bottom in my addition how he believed such fires could occur because of the way man left behind debris from chopping down the trees that was combustible. The recent fires in North America prove his prophetic words. Just this a whole town was nearly totally destroyed here in Alberta (Fort Macmurray) by the forests around being consumed by a raging fire. I think just for it's environmental warnings alone this book should be more read in schools and discussed.

Lori wrote: "I read Last of the Mohicans in another group last year. I think I liked The Pioneers better, much better. Pioneers goes deeper into social issues than LotM. LotM has more adventure but, without giv..."

I too agree with your comments and think you discussed the issues in the book well. I loved the book and enjoyed reading it and am glad I did.
I found Cooper was best at writing about nature and scenery than about people's actions and motives; there seemed to be a lot of quick changes in behaviour: one moment a person was against hunting/killing game and the next wrapped up in it as if they had forgotten their own principles. Elizabeth especially was described as having very changeable behaviour that wasn't realistic. But apart from this I loved his writing.
I felt Chingagook's view of heaven was a Christian view even though Cooper stated that Christian readers would not see it that way, but then he could not have possibly imagined a Christian English woman reading the book 200 years later.
Definitely telling of the time it was written that Elizabeth and Oliver would not have married if Oliver had 'biological' Indian blood rather than spiritually adopted blood. Yes Louisa was a pale character compared to Elizabeth and I would like to have seen her character better developed (and maybe if one was to write a sequel I would write about the Grant's move to Canada and there they meet up with Leatherstocking again...what do you think? Would this be a good modern day sequel? Louisa this time does find love and the man is of Indian heritage and a true worthy noble and husband.

I have just read chapter 21 and found it to be one of the best chapters; in the description of how Judge Temple saw the wilderness for the first time and his struggles to help the people colonize it.
When the party gets home from the ride snow is covering everything. This is amusing to me as just this very day I look out my window and I see the same :)

I am enjoying the book so far but I am a little surprised by the way the males of the community celebrate Christmas Eve and Day. Getting drunk and then target practice at basically a 'sitting-duck' (or turkey in this case).

I was wondering if Oliver is a son/relation of the man whose land Temple now has; Edward Effingham. Temple bought the land cheaply as Effingham was a royalist and the land was taken from him after the War of Independence.

Who should use the land and it's resources and how is definitely a main theme and one that continues because humanity doesn't change much. Right now there is a major debate/disagreement as to who owns the Artic now it has been found that there is oil there. Canada (who had it previously because the Inuit live there an no one else wanted it), the US or Russia?

Rosemarie wrote: "I have caught up with the reading and am enjoying the book a lot. That Christmas dinner sounds like a huge meal. They used to call a table laden with food "the groaning board." If they had helpings..."

Thanks for letting us know about the German pronunciation.

I read a review of the book and it stated that this book is based very much on Cooper's own experiences. For the character of the Judge he used his father. Cooper was concerned at how quickly the area he grew up in was being changed and wondered if it was all good. Chopping down trees that may have taken a generation to grow was a concern also. Killing more game than a man could want was also an abuse that was occurring.
Because this book is based on reminiscences this made it a pleasure to write and was a big success.
The followers of William Penn did not usually keep slaves and keeping a 'black' was for a set period of about 7 years and then they were free.

My book has arrived so I will start reading it. Looking forward to it

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I am hoping mine will ne at my library this week and look forward to reading it.

I have just received the book and will start reading again this weekend.

There are 72 chapters in the book so if we divide that by 8 for the weeks in November and December that makes 9 chapters a week. Sound good? Over to you Rosemarie.