Li Sidong

I started this book with my student, but he got lost somewhere in the 19th century prose; by that time the plot had drawn me in and I finished alone. I especially enjoyed Cooper’s descriptions for creating a vivid sense of place; on the flip side, his dialogue often feels forced. The politically correct police may disagree, but though he uses some stereotypes, it is clear he researched and respected the native cultures.

James Fenimore Cooper’s classic story, The Last of the Mohicans is one of my all time favorite tales so I was a little disappointed to find this version held only 48 pages. I was, however, pleasantly surprised by this book as it not only retold the story very well, but also provided quite detailed information on the historical background of the French and Indian War, and the American Frontier at this time. There was also a section on the author’s life and times as well.

The story is told show more in comic strip style and covers most of the bases. One thing that constantly bothers me about many of the modern retellings of this tale is that Hawkeye and Cora are written as the romance while in the original is was Cora and Uncas who were drawn to each other. I was pleased that this version stuck to the original story. James Fenimore Cooper was a product of his time and even though he explained that the attraction between this Indian and the daughter of a British Colonel was because Cora’s mother had black blood in her background, he still killed these young people so that the romance did not have a change to continue.

I thought this graphic novel by Tom Ratliff did an admirable job of showcasing Cooper’s best-known novel, and helps to explain why the images of Hawkeye, Uncas and Chingachgook have become part of American folklore. show less