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Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offences
Mark Twain
Book Overview:
This is Mark Twain's vicious and amusing review of Fenimore Cooper's literary art. It is still read widely in academic circles. Twain's essay, Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offenses (often spelled "Offences"), particularly criticized The Deerslayer and The Pathfinder. Twain wrote at the beginning of the essay: 'In one place in Deerslayer, and in the restricted space of two-thirds of a page, Cooper has scored 114 offenses against literary art out of a possible 115. It breaks the record.' Twain listed 19 rules 'governing literary art in domain of romantic fiction', 18 of which Cooper violates in The Deerslayer.
This is Mark Twain's vicious and amusing review of Fenimore Cooper's literary art. It is still read widely in academic circles. Twain's essay, Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offenses (often spelled "Offences"), particularly criticized The Deerslayer and The Pathfinder. Twain wrote at the beginning of the essay: 'In one place in Deerslayer, and in the restricted space of two-thirds of a page, Cooper has scored 114 offenses against literary art out of a possible 115. It breaks the record.' Twain listed 19 rules 'governing literary art in domain of romantic fiction', 18 of which Cooper violates in The Deerslayer.
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9. They require that the personages of a tale shall confine themselves to possibilities and let miracles alone; or, if they venture a miracle, the author must so plausibly set it forth as to make it look possible and reasonable. But these rules are not respected in the Deerslayer tale.
10. They require that the author shall make the reader feel a deep interest in the personages of his tale and in their fate; and that he shall make the reader love the good people in the tale and hate the bad ones. But the reader of the Deerslayer tale dislikes the good people in it, is indifferent to the others, and wishes they would all get drowned together.
11. They require that the characters in a tale shall be so clearly defined that the rea. . . Read More
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Community Reviews
I laughed so hard I thought I would keel over and die. Just look at that introduction! Twain had me in stitches through the whole thing.
"The Pathfinder" and "The Deerslayer" stand at the head of Cooper's novels as artistic creations. There are others of his works which contain parts as perfect as a
Just a taste:
"1.That a tale shall accomplish something and arrive somewhere. But the Deerslayer tale accomplishes something and arrives in the air."
"4. They require that the personages in a tale, both dead and alive, shall exhibit a sufficient excuse for being there."
"13. Use the right word, not its
Oh my gosh, this was fabulous… and horrifying. Basically, it is a twenty-seven page review of Fenimore Cooper's writing.
This had me laughing out loud at several points because I could absolutely see what Mark Twain was complaining about, but still… I mean, it’s Fenimore Cooper, right? He’s, um, kind
I suppose most critics probably come across books that really irratate them. Sometimes so much that there is nothing to do except write a scathing review about it. As a reader of some of those scathing reviews I can say that review of this kind sometimes end up being nothing more than boring rants.