The Deerslayer (1840)

Rated: B+
He uses the reason that God has given him, and he uses it with a fellin' of his being ordered to look at, and consider things as they are, and not as he wants them to be. It's easy enough to find them who call themselves just; but it's wonderfully oncommon to find them that are the very thing, in fact. (ChapterXII)

"God has been kind to me, and lifted a burden off my heart. Mother had many such burdens, she used to tell me, and she always took them off in this way. 'Tis the only way, sister, such things can be done. You may raise a stone, or a log, with your hands; but the heart must be lightened by prayer. (Chapter XXII) ( )

I will be one hundred and ten percent honest. I found this to be a tedious read. Maybe it's because of the subject matter. I am not a fifteen year old boy enthralled with Davey Crockett, Huckleberry Finn and the Lone Ranger. Adventure stories about scalping and woodsmen mayhem doesn't readily appeal to me. Aside from the beautiful illustrations The Deerslayer didn't hold my attention. The plot was pretty simple: Natty is a woodman who proves to be a respected an ally to the Mingo tribe. When that tribe is attacked by Natty's companions the tables are turned and the companions are taken hostage. There is a great deal made of how to get the companions back and a few people are accidentally murdered. Because Natty treats these killings with respect the Mingo tribe give him a nickname and build a tenuous relationship despite his choice of companions who insist on trying to scalp them. ( )

I wish that this would have been on the required reading list in high-school in the place of many of those that were. It is an interesting read, and a good example of mid 19th century American literature. That being said, there are many characteristics from that period that may detract for a modern reader.

Sexism and racism are prevelant, though they are presented in a way that fits the period that the story takes place in and when it was written. The writers literary flourishes are somewhat excessive, though this may be symptomatic of the time it was written. The book is longer than it needs to be in terms of work count, thought the pace of the story is not terribly affected. The author's interpretation of frontier speech can be troublesome, with enough apostrophies for several books of similar length. The story cannot be categories as a humor or a tragedy with the "everyone gets marries" or "everyone dies" rules. A historical romantic tragedy may be the most apt description. A thing that I found to be disconcerting was the continuing references to the books in the series that take place later chronologically, as this was written last but takes place first. The writer's asides are just extra words to get through that do not advance the story.

All that being said, this is a book that I would recommend. The descriptions of the setting and characters bring them to life and make the reader feel for the characters in the situations they find themselves in. The self-righteousness of some characters and pig-headedness of others lends itself to the audience taking sides and rooting for one character or another. The story is simple but compelling, driven by the characters, particulary the protagonist, known by Deerslayer, among other names.

This is a book with many flaws, but one that should be read none-the-less. ( )

I was slightly hesitant in reading this because I had previously read The Last of the Mohicans which was a little harder to decipher especially since I was only a freshman at the time. To my delight, this novel was a much easier read, and to my surprise, I finished it in no time at all. I can understand that a lot of contemporary readers would not enjoy this novel mainly because it was written for the readers of its time, but if you think about how the action helps move this story forward and ho...moreI was slightly hesitant in reading this because I had previously read The Last of the Mohicans which was a little harder to decipher especially since I was only a freshman at the time. To my delight, this novel was a much easier read, and to my surprise, I finished it in no time at all. I can understand that a lot of contemporary readers would not enjoy this novel mainly because it was written for the readers of its time, but if you think about how the action helps move this story forward and how the romance keeps the story somewhat interesting, it's not as bad as you may think. ( )

This is the first chronological story of Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales although the last of the five books published by Cooper. I've long intended to read this book and I was somewhat disappointed. It was hard to get past the racism, sexism, and ableism (the inordinate references to Hetty as "feeble-minded") even while making allowances for these attitudes being accepted at the time the story is set as well as when Cooper was writing. The excessive piety and preachiness of Deerslayer and Hetty get obnoxious as well.

That being said, I did enjoy the setting of the book in a New York when it was still a wilderness with warring parties of English & French, Huron, Iroquois & Deleware fighting for it's control. And for all the stereotypes, Cooper wryly shows how the native Indians and the simple woodsman Deerslayer can be more civilized than Europeans like Floating Tom and Hurry Harry.

Despite my disappointment, I would still like to give the next book (chronologically) in the series a chance -- The Last of the Mohicans -- as it has a good reputation. ( )