The Last of the Mohicans review.

Title: The Last of the Mohicans.

Author: James Fenimore Cooper.

Synopsis: During the French and Indian War, Major Duncan Heyward has been entrusted to bring Cora and Alice Munro to their father, General Munro. Along the way, travelling in the woods, they run into Hawkeye, a white man gone Native, and his two Mohican Indian friends, Chingachgook and his son Uncus. As they travel through the woods, they run into danger and adventure - an an enemy tribe of Indians!

My rating: 7/10 stars.

Why I liked the story: The only reason that I rated this book a seven instead of a six is because of the style in which the author conveyed his story. Back in 1826 when he wrote the book, they didn't, of course, have television or even pictures to look at. Leaving your city was a huge trek - people didn't get around as easily as we do. Description was huge at this time, especially since it was the Romantic Era of writing.
Fenimore Cooper sure doesn't disappoint. His writing is extremely descriptive, to the point that you can almost hear the savage yells uttered in the action scenes.
I really liked the way Cooper wrote. I think description is an important part of writing - even though it can be boring at times!
Good, heavy description is definitely a gift now-a-days.
Another thing I liked about the book was the characters. They were all very available and fit the story well. And they actually seemed human!
One of the most human scenes I have ever read in any books took place between Cora and Magua (the bad guy). Magua says to Cora, "Come and marry me and live in my hut or I'll kill your sister," (or something like that, I don't remember exactly).
Cora is appalled at the thought of marrying and Indian and living the rest of her life in the woods and she refuses.
Now, most heroines would sacrifice their happiness for the lives of others (especially their sisters!), but not Cora. She doesn't want to marry Magua and that's that. Eventually they get away and they aren't killed and Cora isn't made to marry Magua.... So that part ends happy (the book doesn't).
I also liked Heyward, Hawkeye, and David Gamut. David Gamut was the comic relief of the story and that was his only job. He did a great job of it.
Also, Magua made an AMAZING bad guy! In the book it said that if Magua hadn't been evil, he would have made a good diplomat between Indians and Whites.
Magua was a very eloquent speaker and had both his allies and enemies under the spell of his words. He knew how to play his audience and get them on his side. As a bad guy, he did great.
At this time in the world, members of other races weren't seen as equal with whites (which wasn't and isn't right) but the author did a wonderful job as portraying the Indians as they were, just as smart as us, but with a different lifestyle.

Why I disliked the story: Too much gore.
While Cooper did a good job portraying the Indians as equals to us, they were overly bloodthirsty - which I believe was an exaggeration.
There was one chapter, which described a massacre of innocent women and children. Everyone except Cora, Alive, and David Gamut were killed. It was quite bloody and I never want to read that chapter again.
There were also many more skirmishes which involved fighting and gore.
Also, some of Cooper's facts were wrong. For example, the book is called "The LAST of the Mohicans" when really, the Mohican race is alive and well in Wisconsin.
There were some other discrepancies but I don't remember them.
Also, there were some concerning mentions of God... Though David Gamut, Cora, Alive, and Heyward are Christians, Hawkeye says several times, "Though we all call him by different names, we worship the same God" which is absolutely NOT correct. The Bible says there is ONE true God and he is called by that name.

Will I read it again? Maybe someday.

Do I recommend it? I think that some people would really enjoy this book, while others would find it a bore and a waste of time.

On a different note, I got Miss Jack's Short Story Collection!!

 

I am still awaiting the actual book... But it should be here soon. I can't wait to start reading it! I got really excited flipping through it tonight.

Live long and prosper!