This novel is primarily a romance or what might be called an action romance I suppose. It has come in for some notable criticism (from names as well known as Mark Twain no less) BUT as it's been around since 1841 there is obviously something here.

I think the only things to really be aware of here...more

The Deerslayer by James Fenimore Cooper was written in 1841. I found the story interesting. The more formal writing typical of books written in the 1800s was fun to hear, but I discovered I kept wanting to push the story along as it seemed very slow. I thought it was a good idea to reread a classic

I picked up The Deerslayer in a used bookstore not too far from Upstate New York where the book is set. I get a kick out of reading books that take place in locations I am visiting and always enjoy catching a missed classic, so, for dual reasons, it became my next “currently reading”.

High melodrama

Ось і завершилася моя купероретроспектива. На початку цього року я вирішив перечитати Пенталогію про Шкіряну Панчоху, але не в хронологічному порядку, а в порядку написання, тобто Піонери, Останній з могікан, Прерія, Слідопит та Звіробій. І тепер можу сміливо казати: в цьому є сенс. Купер не мав ген

I think Cooper was paid by the word and repetition. The story in this novel could have easily been shared in a satisfactory way in one-third to one-half as many words. Several times I though I had accidentally jumped back in the book and was rereading a section. If you read this one, prepare for muc

If one can read books promiscuously, as I was reassured in graduate school that one could, I read all five of the books in this series like a complete whore, giving myself entirely over to the story - loved all five. A word of caution, however: They were written in a different order than the chronol

This book receives quite a bit of vitriolic language about how it's the "worst book ever written" and other predictably trite rantings of those who have different expectations than the book satisfies. I began this book with an open mind and with an interest in the writing style of an author I hadn't

Mark Twain: "Cooper’s art has some defects. In one place in ‘Deerslayer,’ and in the restricted space of two-thirds of a page, Cooper has scored 114 offences against literary art out of a possible 115. It breaks the record."

I'll refer you to Mark Twain's essay "Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offenses":

N

I chose to read this book because I had accepted to read the second in the series (The Last of the Mohicans) as part of a challenge, but I didn't want to jump in at the second book. This book also conveniently met the requirements for yet another challenge I'm completing; so, a win both ways!

I real

Note, Aug. 22, 2021: I've just edited this review to correct a couple of minor typos.

Though this book was the last of the Leatherstocking Tales series (which follows the life of backwoods hunter and scout Natty Bumpo --"Leatherstocking" and "Deerslayer" are two of the several nicknames he'll bear du