Rating: 
Summary: Terrific -- And Terrifying
Review: This review pertains to the Penguin Classic edition, which has a fascinating introductory essay by Professor Richard Slatkin. But I would save the essay for last; it's so pedagogic in nature, it almost strips Cooper's French & Indian War masterpiece of the fundamental magnetism that has drawn countless readers to it for over 150 years.For this reader, that "magnetism" is the sheer awe-inspiring beauty and terror of the North American primal forest. Slatkin's essay is rather bloodless, but I can assure you that this novel is not. And the idea of constantly running and hiding from an archetypical villain, like Magua, and his band of warrior Hurons, who feel quite comfortable with the act of cleaving one's skull with a hatchet, is quite unsettling. Of course, "The Last of the Mohicans" is not a depiction of Native Americans through the lens of 21st Century sensibilities. Unquestionably, the modern day reader should be at least a little horrified at the near extinction of the Native American population. But no matter how sensitive one is about their tragic, inexorable decline, it is still an unalterable fact that -- under the alliance they entered into with the French -- several Eastern tribes struck abject terror into the hearts of 18th Century British Colonials. (May I suggest a casual inquiry into the colonial history of Deerfield, Massachusetts? The hatchet marks can still be seen on the wooden doors.) The setting for "The Last of the Mohicans" is the great waterway formed by Lake Champlain, Lake George and the Hudson River. The last glacial retreat laid down a perfect invasion route for the French moving south from Quebec, or the British moving north from Albany. That is why the area is studded with old colonial forts at strategic choke points. It is on the way to Ft. William Henry that the heroines, Cora and Alice Munro, are betrayed by Magua, who was charged with guiding the defenseless daughters to their beloved father -- an old Scottish warhorse, who serves as commander of the fort. How the daughters are captured, escape, nearly massacred and recaptured occupy the first half of the book. Their eventual rescue forms the second half. Cooper's action-packed narrative is an artful blend of history and fiction. There was, indeed, a siege of Ft. William Henry by the French General, the Marquis de Montcalm. And there was some sort of trouble with Montcalm's Indian allies, but there is now serious doubt about a full-scale massacre of the fort's inhabitants. Indeed, Cooper has been criticized for botching numerous historical facts, but the "massacre myth" cannot be laid solely at his door. No less than the preeminent American historian, Francis Parkman, devoted several pages to the supposed incident. What is outright fiction is Cooper's heroic protagonist, Hawk-eye. He is the central character throughout Cooper's 5-book Leatherstocking Series of which "The Last of the Mohicans" is the second installment. Hawk-eye (better known as "Natty Bumppo" in the other 4 volumes) is one of the most enduring figures in all of American Literature. The honest-speaking, self-reliant, nature-loving, chaste woodsman/warrior is indelibly etched in our national psyche. It's no exaggeration to say he has influenced generations of Americans. Surely our military has taken to the man -- the Hawkeye missile is just one explicit manifestation. Juxtaposed to Hawk-eye is the Huron Chieftain, Magua, who wreaks havoc on everyone, including himself. Trust me -- he's not the sort of fellow you'd want over for a weekend barbecue. His descent into darkness began with a fondness for the bottle, which led to the expulsion from his own tribe. And his kidnapping of Colonel Munro's daughters stems from a humiliating whipping ordered by their father. Magua lives in the obscure half-world betwixt the tribe that abandoned him and the British Army that he betrayed. Cooper has seemingly placed Hawk-eye and Magua at opposite ends on the continuum of good and evil. But perhaps they are not quite that far apart. There's something a bit unsettling about the heroic Hawk-eye. Like Magua, he occupies a strange middle ground, shunning white civilization (into which he was born), but hardly embracing Native American culture (with the exception of his friendship with Chingachgook and his son, Uncas.) And while I would not lable Hawk-eye an outright racist, he does ridicule and dehumanize his Indian foes. And as for exterminating them, he has no scruple about that. He'd shoot every one of them given the chance. Say this for Magua -- he is no racist. He offers his wigwam (albeit in forced circumstances) to Colonel Munro's eldest daughter, Cora, whose dark hair and dusky complexion are traceable to her Caribbean slave ancestry. As Slatkin points out in his essay, the commingling of their blood would unite the three great races of our nation's history. Such an amalgamation is unthinkable to Hawk-eye. In the final scene of the book, Colonel Monroe asks Hawk-eye to translate for the Delaware maidens the hope that one day all of God's children, regardless of color, will assemble around his throne. What is Hawk-eye's response? "To tell them this, would be to tell them that the snows come not in winter..." Perhaps Hawk-eye's response is his cold calculus that our country could never become part white/part red, and that the latter must inevitably fade away. Magua understands this all too well. Native Americans are playing a losing hand, especially when they end up fighting one another. Afterall, notwithstanding the honor of saving Cora and Alice, what's really in it for Hawk-eye's Mohican allies in their battle with the Hurons? In a word, extinction. In some ways, Magua is spiritually akin to the real-life Pontiac, Chief of the Ottawa Nation, who asked his tribesmen if they knew what happened to the Great Narragansett? I'll tell the reader. More than one hundred years before Cooper's haunting tale, the Puritans exterminated the Rhode Island tribe, and the Iroquois hunted down the few ragged survivors.
Rating: 
Summary: Classic, yes. Great, no.
Review: Perhaps it is because I had such high expectations for this book, but I was extremely disappointed. Cooper demonstrates good charatcer development, but the characters themselves are unbelievable. The characters perform fantastic feats, such as tricking a hostile group of indians into thinking that one character is a bear, that we now recognize as being totally ridiculous. At the time it was written it was most likely commonplace for authors to prey upon the ignorance of their readers and I'm afraid Cooper did just that with this novel. The novel would be much more enjoyable if the reader had absolutely no knowledge of the eastern tribes of native americans or of the colonial lifestyle. In a nutshell, the good guys are too good and the bad guys are too bad, but it is still worth reading.
Rating: 
Summary: The Last of the Mohicans
Review: This book is a must read. Anyone who enjoys stories of the old days would love this novel. With romance and action tied into the story line perfectly this book is a riveting read. James Fenimore Cooper's great writing enchants anyone who has read this book. there werent really any gory scenes and the romance wasnt too thick.(actually it wasnt thick enough) Emotions are very deep and well put. Hawkeyes overly acurate aim, Chingachgook's native prescence, Uncas's daring ways and tender heart, Alice's innocence, Cora's strength, and Duncan's love for Alice all make the story exciting and eventful. But because of its complicated plot and length the book does seem to drag on a bit. Magua, the evil Huron warrior makes a great enemy. He will fight to the death to avenge his lost warriors. his unusual liking for Cora makes him even more eery. Maguas determination to destroy the last of the Mohicans is even more scary.
Rating:
Summary: Exciting rescue attempts of damsels in distress
Review: Cora and Alice are damsels in distress. They've had a hard day. Captured by Injuns, tied to stakes to be burned alive, set free only to be recaptured later. In the 18th Century they didn't have aspirin for headaches. This may not be the most realistic book on the shelf, nor the most psychologically deep, but it is a good enough adventure story to have me reading the last 150 pages in one day. The heroes are white hunter Hawkeye with supernatural accuracy using that rifle of his, Mohican Indian chief Chingachgook, and his son Uncas. You want these guys on your side if you ever get in trouble in a bar. I learned so much from this book. I learned that the Delaware Indians, also known as Lenni-Lenape and Mohican, are all noble and brave. I learned that the Mingo Indians, also known as Maqua or Iroquois, are all lying and treacherous. Oh-kay. My guess is that at the time the book was written, the Delawares had already been defeated and dislocated off the eastern seaboard, so it was safe to glorify them. The Iroquois were probably still a threat. The folly in leading Cora and Alice through Indian territory during time of war, behind a treacherous Indian guide named Le Renard Subtil, reminds me of the folly of Friar Lawrence in Romeo And Juliet, coming up with his foolish scheme of drugging Juliet into a zombie state instead of just coming clean and telling her parents that she was married to Romeo. Anyway, good book. Read it.
Rating:
Summary: a journey of the mind that you'll never forget...
Review: As a young reader who in the past had not been able to experience the glory of James Fenimore Cooper's writing, I was immensely impressed with his amazing depictions of the scenes. Armed with the biased view of the first inhabitants of this country developed through study in school, my view of the ancestors of this land changed dramatically with each page of this book. The character of Uncas, the young warrior of the Mohican race, captured my heart and I followed his tracks through the book breathlessly. I had endless confidence in the scout Hawkeye and the father of Uncas, Chingachgook. Duncan and David forever added to the flavor of the book. Every character will take on life and dance about the plot, thickening it and twirling through the words chosen by the great author Cooper. Each time I thought that I knew what would happen next, a twist would hit me unexpectedly and cause me to commend the author once again. The trials of the beautiful sisters, the fatal accuracy of "Killdeer," the calm resolution of Indian warriors, and the treachery of the Huron Magua will force you to continue reading. To miss out on the unforgettable journey James Fenimore Cooper takes you through in The Last of the Mohicans would only be your loss. This classic piece of literature will not fail to enthrall you and will take your mind through a torrent of emotions invoked by the unrivaled story-telling ability of one who is called the first great American author. Grounded in the resolution of nobility, the steadfastness of a warrior, and the basis of revenge, I guarantee that this book will take hold of your senses and not let go until you've read every last word. For your own sake, give yourself a treat and grant Cooper yet another reader.
Rating:
Summary: Not the greatest American lit, but good
Review: Extremely drawn out beyond its means, which Twain later took note of in a short essay, but it does hit on some very relevant, important themes in America and for humanity. A nice piece of literature, very few hints of didacticism, smooth narrative. Do not think for a moment that it is what we have come to know as 19th Century stiff prose for it has its very humorous moments and its own fool, a psalmist, who even learns a thing or two. Very action filled.
Rating:
Summary: In response to "see the movie--don't bother reading the book
Review: This book is wonderful. The movie is equally wonderful. This is one of the rare cases when a movie and a book are BOTH enjoyable. If you enjoyed the movie, then reading the book is a necessity. The movie portrays an entirely different main character than does the book, and it is important to understand that Old Leather Stockings is a man the age of 70. The Last of the Mohicans is the last story in a collection of tales, and if one loses sight of that, then all is lost. This story is a wonderful tale about love and war--two of human natures most powerful forces. We are led on a sad journey where a man's seed dies with him, and the impact that has on the psyche. I loved this book, and could not stop reading it. Perhaps it takes a more mature eye to understand and/or appreciate the meaning in this novel. I also am a major in English, and I feel that this book has more to offer than meets the eye, you need only have the key to open the treasure chest.
Rating:
Summary: Convoluted Prose--Contrived Plot--Classic Protagonists
Review: Cooper's Prose at times seems designed to hide his meaning from the reader. It is florid, overblown, and full of circumlocution. Some of the plot twists can only be described as bone-headed. Two examples: The protagonists engage in a song fest while trying to hide in woods crawling with hostile Indians. They search for a fort by following the rut plowed by a cannonball. Notwithstanding its flaws, "Mohicans" is an engaging tale about remarkable people whom the reader comes to care about. In the Leatherstocking Saga, Cooper anticipates Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan stories. Both Tarzan and Hawk-eye are noble men from "civilized" stock thriving in a wilderness among "savages." Cooper and Burroughs both do violence to the English language, both write contrived plots with improbable twists, but both nevertheless spin tales of wondrous adventure. One scarcely noted aspect of the story is the undercurrent of racism and tribalism that permeates the tale. Every Indian tribe seems to hate every other tribe; whites hate Indians; Indians hate whites; and so on ad nauseum. Magua tells Cora he hates her because she is white like the man who sold him whiskey and caused him to disgrace himself. Cora defends herself: "And am I answerable that thoughtless and unprincipled men exist, whose shade of countenance may resemble mine?" Ironically, Cora, on her mother's side, is "descended ... from that unfortunate class who are so basely enslaved to administer the wants of a luxurious people." When Munro accuses Heyward of preferring his (Munro's) daughter Alice to her half-sister Cora because of Cora's Black ancestry, Heyward replies: "Heaven protect me from a prejudice so unworthy of my reason!" No sooner does he express this noble sentiment than he shows great relief to learn that Alice's mother is Scottish on both sides of her family. Then there is the trans-racial partnership between Hawk-eye and Chingachgook, in which some critics see the prototype for the Mel Gibson/Danny Glover partnership in the "Lethal Weapon" series. And finally there is the trans-racial love between Cora and Uncas. The story, although a swashbuckling adventure, has a distinct subplot of racial prejudice. We see the characters nobly overcoming it at times but basely succumbing to it at others.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful book
Review: I read The Last of the Mohicans for my English class. I found the first few chapters difficult to read, but as the book progressed I became accustomed to the 1800s style of writing. Once used to Cooper's writing, I cruised through the book with keen interest. Survival in the forest with hostile Indians is the idea, fighting through a few skirmishes. I am impressed with the skills Cooper bestows his characters, and enjoy learning of the Indians. The characters become well-known as reading progresses, and near the end of the novel I knew I had chosen a good book. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys an interesting writing style and a good outdoor adventure. The only bad part in the book is in the end, which I wouldn't be mean enough to relate as of yet. Stick with the first few chapters, and surely you'll enjoy it!
Rating: 
Summary: Very flawed and over-rated?...
Review: Everyone knows the story of 'Last of the Mohicans', presumably from watching the Daniel Day-Lewis film. But what surprised me is how poor the novel by James Fenimore Cooper is. Two-dimensional characterisation (eg Duncan Heyward - gallant hero?) worsens a tale which seems to lack any proper structure apart from shoving in as many scenes of fighting and dramatic escape as possible. There are positive elements, such as the cunning but subtle personage of Magua and the basic premise of battles in the forested wilderness of North America. Perhaps that is why the recent film version is so much better - it takes all the good parts of the book, adds some new ideas and mixes them together.
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