The Last of the Mohicans [adapted - Great Illustrated Classics]
by James Fenimore Cooper
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In 1757, the third year of the French and Indian War, Hawkeye, a colonial scout, and his friends, Chingachkook, a chief of the Mohicans, and his son Uncas risk their lives to guide two English sisters through hostile territory and evade the evil Huron, Magua, who is determined to destroy them.Tags
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It's difficult to know whether to rate books like this based on the story or on the adaptation. I've never read the original book and only vaguely remember seeing the movie when I was younger (I remember my dad watching it a lot). The only thing I really remember is some romance and a cave behind a waterfall. Anyway, in an adaptation like this, it's no surprise to find a lot more telling than showing, as the adapter not only needs to shorten the story but also explain things in simple language. I think it gets the overall story across fine, though without the depth the original would have. And most likely without some emotion. In the end, I felt like the main thing that was lacking was a real connection between Hawkeye and Chingachgook, show more considering that the ending makes a big deal out of their friendship.
What is especially difficult about reviewing or recommending this book, though, is that it's meant for kids, yet it's full of violence and death. I'm sure the original is more so, of course. But I can only imagine the illustrator's remarks about some of the illustrations he/she was asked to draw: "You want him being shot?" "So the knife should be bloody in this one?" "How many will be lying dead on the ground in this scene?" "Oh, she's about to be scalped? Taken away to be forced to be his wife? Sure, no problem." So in the end, I think I'd recommend this book be read with your kids, so you can talk about the harsh reality of life during wartime. show less
What is especially difficult about reviewing or recommending this book, though, is that it's meant for kids, yet it's full of violence and death. I'm sure the original is more so, of course. But I can only imagine the illustrator's remarks about some of the illustrations he/she was asked to draw: "You want him being shot?" "So the knife should be bloody in this one?" "How many will be lying dead on the ground in this scene?" "Oh, she's about to be scalped? Taken away to be forced to be his wife? Sure, no problem." So in the end, I think I'd recommend this book be read with your kids, so you can talk about the harsh reality of life during wartime. show less
A Noble Friendship! Hawkeye, the colonial scout, and Chingachkook, the Mohican warrior are brought together by their love of the New World forests and their desire for peace between their races. Set against the exciting days of the French and Indian War, their story - heroically risking their lives to guide two English sisters through hostile territory battling the evil Le Renard Subtil - is a story of how trust and understanding can develop between people of two cultures.
A Noble Friendship! Hawkeye, the colonial scout, and Chingachkook, the Mohican warrior are brought together by their love of the New World forests and their desire for peace between their races. Set against the exciting days of the French and Indian War, their story - heroically risking their lives to guide two English sisters through hostile territory battling the evil Le Renard Subtil - is a story of how trust and understanding can develop between people of two cultures.
Since I never managed to actually read The Last of the Mohicans, I read this seriously abridged book instead. Like all the others in the series, it is a 4x5 inch paperback, the print is not small, and half the pages are illustrations. I now have a general idea of the plot of the book and an appreciation for the fact that in 19th century fiction, having African ancestry (no matter how white the skin or how genteel the upbringing) is pretty much the equivalent of wearing a red shirt on an away mission for the starship Enterprise. Poor Cora, she could never have been happy anyway, right? smh.
Hawkeye, the colonial scout, and Chingachkook, the Mohican Warrior are brought together by their love of the New World forests and their desire for peace between their races. Set against the exciting days of the French and Indian War.
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James Fenimore Cooper, acclaimed as one of the first American novelists, was born in Burlington, N.J., on September 15, 1789. When he was one year old, his family moved to Cooperstown, N.Y., which was founded by his father. Cooper attended various grammar schools in Burlington, Cooperstown, and Albany, and entered Yale University in 1803 at the show more age of 13. In 1806, Cooper was expelled from Yale for pushing a rag with gunpowder under a classmate's door, causing it to explode. He then spent some time as a merchant seaman and served as a midshipman in the U.S. Navy from 1808-1811. In 1811, Cooper married Susan De Lancey, and lived the life of a country gentleman until one day in 1820. Cooper and his wife were reading a book together. When Cooper told Susan that he could write a better book than the one they were reading, she challenged him to do so. Thus began his career as an author, with Precaution (first published anonymously). Cooper is known for writing more than 50 works under his own name, Jane Morgan, and Anonymous. His works included fiction, nonfiction, history, and travel sketches. He gained insight for his travel works while the Cooper family lived in Europe from 1826 to 1833. Cooper is best known for the novel The Last of The Mohicans, which has been made into several motion picture adaptations, the most recent starring Daniel Day-Lewis as Hawkeye. The Last of the Mohicans is part of The Leatherstocking Tales, which includes the other novels, The Pioneers, The Deerslayer, and The Pathfinder. Hawkeye, whose given name is Nathaniel Bumpo, is a recurring character in the series which accurately chronicles early American pioneering life and events during the French and Indian War. In 1851, Cooper developed a liver condition, dying on September 14th of that year, just one day before his 62nd birthday. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Is an abridged version of
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Last of the Mohicans [adapted - Great Illustrated Classics]
- Original title
- The Last of the Mohicans [adapted - Great Illustrated Classics]
- First words
- Our story opens on a hot July day in 1757.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)For years afterward, as these two sturdy woodsmen prowled the forest of the New World together, they never forgot the deep ties of brotherhood that had taken root on the grave of Uncas, the last of the Mohicans.
- Disambiguation notice
- The Great Illustrated Classics are abridged versions for young readers. Please do not combine with the major work. See http://en.w... (show all)ikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Illustrated_Classics. Please do not confuse them with the Illustrated Classics graphic novel adaptations, which are quite different. Thank you.
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- Reviews
- 5
- Rating
- (3.50)
- Languages
- English, French
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 4
- UPCs
- 1
- ASINs
- 7
