The Last of the Mohicans

[Kelly_Hunsaker_reads]

1 star

DNF.

I found this book to be dull drudgery. I couldn't get into the story at all.

[Diane]

Rating: 2.5 stars

This book is historical fiction set in upstate New York around the time of the French and Indian War. It is definitely dated in terms of viewpoint and writing style. It was groundbreaking during its time, however, and I don't really think it would be fair to compare it to a more modern version of the story. Let's face it, the same book written today probably wouldn't be very successful.

Overall, not the most engaging book, but nevertheless an important book and worthy of its spot on the list due to its influence on further (and better-written) works of fiction.

[Kristel]

The Last of the Mohicans - James Fenimore Cooper. American novel written during the Romantic period. I’ve read this book twice and it was even better the second time. The setting is the war between England and France and is in Canada and what is New York State now. The characters are Hawkeye who is a man raised by Mohicans, Duncan, Cora Munro (mother is part black), Uncas (a Mohican). The themes are interracial relations, nature, a new form of family, religion. Very good look at Native American culture. While the author used words that could be considered racist, you do need to place these within the time period (1700s) and take the whole in consideration. He was not racist though did consider interracial marriage to be fated to not go well, as it went with Cora and Uncas. Reportedly this book had great influence on future American novels. Rated it 4 stars.

[Amanda]

I listened to this one for my TBR, and ultimately gave it 3 stars. I really enjoyed that the book was about the North American theatre of the Seven Years War (a very interesting and often overlooked part of history), didn’t show the First Nations people in the area as a monolith, and had some interesting and dramatic scenes. But, I agree with some others here that the dated and dense writing style left me from being fully engaged with the book.

One of the scenes that I loved and stuck with me was the Bear costume scene- it’s such a weird lateral thinking concept- but totally novel, and it really amused me. I also loved that General Montcalm was in the book, and one the passages essentially says “he’ll be remembered as a hero someplace, but didn’t have the qualities that allowed him to become a truly great and successful leader”. Hilarious: Quebec, that place is Quebec lol. He died at the Plains of Abraham (in Quebec City) and lost to the English, even though his opponent General Wolfe also died in the same fight. It was the point at which French Canada had to surrender rule to the English, so he is a huge symbol of Quebecois patriotism, even though he lost French rule. Very accurate quote.

I also agree that the way the characters, author intro, and narration speak about the First Nations characters is ..well…pretty iffy by modern standards, but would have been seen as much more empathetic at the time. History is like that.

[Patrick]

Pre-2016 review:

***

Set in the midst of colonial North America during the Seven Year War, the novel retraces the mission given to a young British major to bring the two daughters of the general of Fort William Henry safely back to their father, while the fort is under siege from Montcalm's French forces and the environing forests are teeming with malevolent Indian warriors. Things get dicier when Magua, their guide, betrays them and sets an ambush with other Hurons; however, thanks to a shrewd scout and his two Mohican friends, they manage to thwart the snare and pursue towards their goal. A fairly fast-paced novel, although written in the heavier early 19th century style, which also focuses on the relationships between the French, the English and the Native American tribes, which already were verging on extinction in certain areas. Considering that this is somewhat part of my own history (I am French Canadian), I am surprised that it took me that long to read this. It made me want to revisit some of the old history books I perused during high school.