Early American Literature discussion
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The Wept of Wish-Ton-Wish, by James Fenimore Cooper
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Joanna
(last edited Sep 29, 2020 04:27PM)
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Sep 29, 2020 04:26PM
Discussion thread for our buddy read of The Wept of Wish-Ton-Wish: A Tale, by James Fenimore Cooper. If your comment contains spoilers, please remember to use the hide spoilers link. 😊
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I'm not going to sugarcoat it; I just started the second chapter and it's hard to stay focused. I've had to go back and forth in the first chapter in order to stay on top of what's going on. Part of it is that I need to get used to the way Cooper wrote; once his style becomes more familiar, this should go more smoothly.
I'm actually having the same problem. I think I'll definitely like it once I get into it, but I'm having a really hard time staying focused.
Lets blame Meg; she's not here, and as the moderator she's the blame magnet.
Al wrote: "Lets blame Meg; she's not here, and as the moderator she's the blame magnet."😲
https://jfcoopersociety.org/introduct...The link above is a good one from the JFC Society website on reading Cooper for pleasure. There's also a section on The Wept of Wish-Ton-Wish.
These two links below have some decent background to King Philip's War. I have an older book (1940's) that provides a more balanced examination of the period; as soon as I find it, I'll post the title.
https://connecticuthistory.org/americ...
https://historyofmassachusetts.org/wh...
Al wrote: "Lets blame Meg; she's not here, and as the moderator she's the blame magnet."Meg is an amazing moderator, one of the best I've seen, and it's not her fault that we are having a hard time getting into it. My apologies if you were just joking.
Cooper isn't easy reading. He's rather wordy at times and I've heard jokes that he never uses one word where ten will do! 😂 And yet, I love him! This is the eighth of his novels that I've read so far, so I am used to his writing style, but I find every time that the first couple of chapters feel a bit tedious. Once the story gets going though, I can't put his books down!
Yes, Emma, I was joking.☺ Nice to see you back, Meg!!
Al wrote: "https://jfcoopersociety.org/introduct...The link above is a good one from the JFC Society website on reading Cooper for pleasure. There's also a section on The Wept of Wish-Ton-Wish...."
Thanks for sharing these links, Al! Where is the page on 'The Wept of Wish-Ton-Wish? I was looking but could find it on the site.
Al wrote: "Oops. It's https://jfcoopersociety.org/DRAMA/wep...Sorry!"
Thank you! That was very interesting!
Just an observation; no spoilers..... I went back over the first couple of chapters because they contain a few interesting details. One point is how Mark Heathcote left the Bay colony for Connecticut, specifically the region of the Connecticut River. Now, someone leaving the Boston area, which was the Bay colony, would travel Route 2 or I-90 to get to the Connecticut River and I-91, then drive south into Connecticut and Hartford; perhaps a 4-5 hour drive. Cooper describes the trip as one by ship from Boston to the river entrance near what is now Old Lyme and Old Saybrook, Connecticut, and up river to Hartford. It would have been a brutal journey overland; by sea and then upriver, it took several days. Cooper as the narrator contrasts travel in the mid-seventeenth century to when he wrote the book in 1828/29, commenting on how much travel had improved, and I couldn't help but think that it didn't seem to have changed all that much.... Also, Cooper provides some great descriptive word pictures of the landscape, and how Heathcote and his family improved their land.
Al wrote: "Just an observation; no spoilers..... I went back over the first couple of chapters because they contain a few interesting details. One point is how Mark Heathcote left the Bay colony for Connectic..."Yes that occurred to me too! I've been through Boston and Hartford several times in the last couple of years (especially Boston!). So many historical associations come to mind but it's difficult to envision it in what those cities have become today.
I'm sorry I haven't been contributing much to the discussion yet. I am really enjoying this read and hope to have more to say soon!
Just so you know, Meg, I read some more of it today, and I'm starting to enjoy it more! 😄
Emma wrote: "Just so you know, Meg, I read some more of it today, and I'm starting to enjoy it more! 😄"😄 Yeah I saw your update! I'm glad you're starting to like it. 😊
Meg wrote: "Emma wrote: "Just so you know, Meg, I read some more of it today, and I'm starting to enjoy it more! 😄"😄 Yeah I saw your update! I'm glad you're starting to like it. 😊"
Me too! 🤣
I'm about halfway through the 6th chapter now and so far I think this is my favorite Cooper yet! (But then I say that every time I read one of his novels. 😄) I am really fascinated by the early Puritans in New England (Mr. Hawthorne started that!). I know they were far from perfect and often cruel, but still we would do well to imitate their strength of character! "The steadfast in faith weary not, though the road be long and the wayfaring grievous."
Well, I'm now almost a third of the way through the book, and there has been surprisingly little action so far, but plenty of forebodings that all is not right to keep me in suspense! I don't know why, but I found this line (from Chapter 8)to be so poetical even though (view spoiler)…
"But the sun is falling behind the hill, and the evening is coming in cool as winter; go to the postern, and look out upon the fields."
I also just discovered that there is another work by the same title! The Wept of Wish-Ton-Wish: An Indian Romance by Harris T. Dunbar. It's a poem, written in 1917 and dedicated to Cooper.
Meg wrote: "I also just discovered that there is another work by the same title! The Wept of Wish-Ton-Wish: An Indian Romance by Harris T. Dunbar. It's a poem, written in 1917..."That's really neat!
Meg wrote: "Well, I'm now almost a third of the way through the book, and there has been surprisingly little action so far, but plenty of forebodings that all is not right to keep me in suspense! I don't kno..."
Cooper's use of archaic words and his highly descriptive prose seems to generate this suspense, as when he describes how being outside the palisade at night generates such fear of the unknown, for example in chapter 4.
Al wrote: "Cooper's use of archaic words and his highly descriptive prose seems to generate this suspense, as when he describes how being outside the palisade at night generates such fear of the unknown, for example in chapter 4."I didn't think of it that way, but that makes sense...he definitely knows how to draw things out! So how are you enjoying it by now? Is it still pretty tedious?
I forgot to mention that I love the old Puritan names! Content, Submission...but Eben Dudley is my favorite!
It's not tedious at all, now. I'm trying not to rush through it to find out what happens! Once I got into chapter 3 and the part where the visitor showed up, it got a lot better. I think I'm getting used to his style, and I love the old names, as well; I also like his use of the old words. I've been looking them up and that's become quite fun, as well! I like this Cooper novel better than The Deerslayer. (I started The Antiquary now that I'm used to Cooper's descriptive prose; Scott is very similar.)
Al wrote: "It's not tedious at all, now. I'm trying not to rush through it to find out what happens! Once I got into chapter 3 and the part where the visitor showed up, it got a lot better. I think I'm gettin..."Oh good, I'm glad you're enjoying it! I should probably be looking up some words too. I can usually figure out the meaning of a new word from the context but sometimes I still couldn't define it to anyone else, if that makes any sense! 😂
I actually like to think of Cooper as the American Scott. Really Cooper did about the same thing in using American historical events for his novels as Scott did in the Waverly novels.
I like how Cooper weaves a thread on the English Civil War with an unknown visitor, along with some soldiers from the old country, and also with a thread on how the Puritan settlers viewed the influence of the supernatural. I agree with Meg above; the suspense is building.......☺
I've just finished chapter 13 and the action has begun in earnest! Every time I read one of Cooper's novels I'm just in awe at the courage of the early American settlers. The dangers they had to face are terrifying to think about, and Cooper really brings it to life.
Emma wrote: "Good to know...🤔💭"So hurry up...you don't know what you're missing! 😂
Meg wrote: "Emma wrote: "Good to know...🤔💭"So hurry up...you don't know what you're missing! 😂"
I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying! 😂 You're the one who doesn't know what you're missing!! 🤣
Emma wrote: "Meg wrote: "Emma wrote: "Good to know...🤔💭"So hurry up...you don't know what you're missing! 😂"
I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying! 😂 You're the one who doesn't know what you're missing!! 🤣"
🙄🤣
I couldn't put this down last night and ended up staying up till almost midnight! The stranger is quickly becoming one of my literary heroes. 😂
Meg wrote: "I couldn't put this down last night and ended up staying up till almost midnight! The stranger is quickly becoming one of my literary heroes. 😂"😳
Emma wrote: "Meg wrote: "I couldn't put this down last night and ended up staying up till almost midnight! The stranger is quickly becoming one of my literary heroes. 😂"😳"
What?!
Meg wrote: "Emma wrote: "Meg wrote: "I couldn't put this down last night and ended up staying up till almost midnight! The stranger is quickly becoming one of my literary heroes. 😂"😳"
What?!"
Midnight?!? 😳😴 No wonder you're always puddle-headed!! 🤣
Emma wrote: "Midnight?!? 😳😴 No wonder you're always puddle-headed!! 🤣"Hey, there was no way I could have slept when they were in that predicament! 🤣
Meg wrote: "Emma wrote: "Midnight?!? 😳😴 No wonder you're always puddle-headed!! 🤣"Hey, there was no way I could have slept when they were in that predicament! 🤣"
🤣 I guess I'll find that out soon...😂
Emma wrote: "Meg wrote: "Emma wrote: "Midnight?!? 😳😴 No wonder you're always puddle-headed!! 🤣"Hey, there was no way I could have slept when they were in that predicament! 🤣"
🤣 I guess I'll find that out soo..."
I'm trying my best to arouse your curiosity... 🤣
I'm trying my best to arouse your curiosity... 🤣Yeah, I figured...🤣 Well, I've got you on me to finish this, and Dorry on me to finish The Little White Horse!! 😵🤦🏻♀️🤣
EBEN DUDLEY!! I'm reading it right now and I just met him, Meg!! 🤣
Emma wrote: "EBEN DUDLEY!! I'm reading it right now and I just met him, Meg!! 🤣"Yay!! He's such a character! 🤭
Meg wrote: "Emma wrote: "EBEN DUDLEY!! I'm reading it right now and I just met him, Meg!! 🤣"Yay!! He's such a character! 🤭"
Uh oh...🤣
Emma wrote: "Meg wrote: "Emma wrote: "EBEN DUDLEY!! I'm reading it right now and I just met him, Meg!! 🤣"Yay!! He's such a character! 🤭"
Uh oh...🤣"
He's the one who sleeps with a tuneful nose. 🤣
Meg wrote: "Emma wrote: "Meg wrote: "Emma wrote: "EBEN DUDLEY!! I'm reading it right now and I just met him, Meg!! 🤣"Yay!! He's such a character! 🤭"
Uh oh...🤣"
He's the one who sleeps with a tuneful nose. 🤣"
🙄
Meg wrote: "Emma wrote: "Meg wrote: "Emma wrote: "EBEN DUDLEY!! I'm reading it right now and I just met him, Meg!! 🤣"Yay!! He's such a character! 🤭"
Uh oh...🤣"
He's the one who sleeps with a tuneful nose. 🤣"
🤨🧐🤔🤣
Al wrote: "🙄I actually thought this was one of Emma's comments at first and was looking for yours! 😂
Early American Literature
Books mentioned in this topic
The Wept of Wish-Ton-Wish: An Indian Romance (other topics)The Wept of Wish-Ton-Wish: An Indian Romance (other topics)
The Wept of Wish-Ton-Wish: A Tale (other topics)
Authors mentioned in this topic
Harris T. Dunbar (other topics)Harris T. Dunbar (other topics)
James Fenimore Cooper (other topics)
