The Pioneers: Background and Reading schedule

[Tracey]

November choice lead by Rosemarie

[Rosemarie]

Please post your comments and any background information here.

[Lori]

In the description it says it's the first in the series, but the title says "Leatherstocking Tales #4." Was it published later than the others but set earlier?

[Rosemarie]

He wrote the book in 1823, before the others in the series, but it is set at a later time period than the others, after the American War of Independence. The other books are set before that era.

[Rosemarie]

I have just received the book from the library and it is long. There are 41chapters, so we can read ten chapters a week, except for the last which will be 11.

[Rosemarie]

The Pioneers, published in 1823, is based on the Cooper family experience in Otsego, New York, and introduces Natty Bumppo, the Leatherstocking, and Chingachgook.
The book sold 3,500 copies by noon of the first day.
In his preface of 1823, Cooper talks about this and comments as follows:

The first book was written, because I was told that I could not write a grave tale; so, to prove that the world did not know me, I wrote one that was so grave nobody would read it. The second was written to see if I could not overcome this neglect of the reading world. .......The third has been written, exclusively, to please myself.

The second book he is referring is The Spy, published in 1821.

[Tracey]

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

[Rosemarie]

I am enjoying it so far.