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The Last of the Mohicans

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A Narrative of 1757.



Published in 1826, this is the second novel in Cooper's "Leatherstocking Tales" series. The other titles are: The Pioneers (1823), The Prairie (1827), The Pathfinder (1840), and The Deerslayer (1841).



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The Last of the Mohicans is complete in itself, but is tied to the other stories by Natty Bumppo, the central figure of the series. His character as the last uncorrupted white man who prefers the code of the Indian than the nature of the white settlers, who is loyal, courageous and a superb exponent of wood craft struck a chord with contemporary Americans that still finds an echo today. It is an adventure set in the forests of North America during the Seven Years War (1756-1763) between Great Britain and France. The plot revolves around the efforts of Alice and Cora Munro to join their father, who is the commander of Fort William Henry near Lake Champlain. Their course is blocked by Magua, the leader of a group of Huron Indians who are allied to the French. His schemes are frustrated by Uncas, the last of the Mohicans, his father Chingachgook, and Natty Bumppo. The book is characterized by a series of thrilling attacks, captures, flights and rescues.



This is a story about a great friendship between Hawkeye, the White Man, and Chingachook, the chief of the Mohicans. It is mainly about rescuing the Munro sisters from being caught, and returning them to safety with their father during the war between the French and the English. The English army are having a problem because there are no more reinforcements. General Webb is scared, and asks Colonel Munro to seek surrender. What happened next? Did Hawkeye and the Mohicans succeed or lose?--Submitted by Diyanah Harun.

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Recent Forum Posts on The Last of the Mohicans

Some thoughts

I just watched the movie. The movie was added in some love element to this American Romantic story. I think Hawkeye and Uncas are lots more enchanted by the natual and the earth they're stepping on than human affection. Their hearts are strong and full of brave, their spirit are pure and noble. In spite of the character, I see, through The Last of Mohicans, the inhumanity of the greediness and the cruelty of the war. The last of the Mohicans should be Uncas, the one who is young and with hope, but only his father Chingachgook alive and became the last Mohicans in the end of the book. Sigh.. Every parts of the book encourage me to respect and treasure what I already have and I don't have. Everything we see, we feel is so beautiful that we should cherish them instead of perish. This is why I'm so moved by the book.

any input appreciated :)

Hey, this book is amazing and the film is one of my favourites (despite a little over acting by Daniel Day Lewis under the waterfall). I am transforming this book into a screenplay for a new movie, one based in a moder day metropolis, the English and French represented as multinational buisness empires, the indians as street gangs and all the characters fitting into their respective places etc. Imagine the way that "Romeo Must Die" was taken from Romeo and Juliet, that sort of thing. I would appreciate any useful insights into the text, constuctive comments or ideas as to how the transformation might develop. Please reply to this or contact me at the hotmail address above, thanks :D

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By browsing through the reviews made on this particular J. F. Cooper novel, one gets the impression as if the critics making some of the comments have not actually read it very attentively, or just quickly brushed over it so as to fulfil their compulsory reading obligation set by the tutor. Hardly a starting point for making a worthy and valid comment.

I first read The Last of the Mohicans when I was about 10, (although in Hungarian translation) and was so fascinated with it that I was simply compelled to go on and read all 5 books in the series. Though it certainly owes much to the romantic style it had been written in, as a young boy I was getting so fascinated with the characters and events depicted in the book by the writer, my imagination set off by the plot in such a fashion that no movie or TV dramatisation can come even close to.

It is true, I may be biased and may still be one of those few holding a view that nothing can replace a mind's eye, favouring rather the power of conception as opposed to some passive viewing in the flicks or in front of a TV set.

The moral of this story and the other "Leatherstocking" novels runs deep in the frontiersman Natty Bumppo's frame of mind, his profound love of the wilderness and respect for all forms of life - be it a redskin or a whiteskin, an animal or a plant.
Hardly have I come across a writer depicting nature, the wilderness, the indigenous people and much else with such warmth and fascination. An environmentalist well ahead of his own time?!
Had more people read this book and taken heed of, perhaps a greater number of aboriginal people would be flourishing today instead of the few languishing as drunkards and misfits whose lives through generations have come undone in various indian reservations across the American continent.

A final thought. I am yet to see a film - in any category - that eclipses the original literary work it was based on.

Hero

Nathaniel being viewed as an American Romantic Hero

Last of the Mohicans

It is truly an American Classic, made all the better because I first read it while living in Gilbertsville, NY deep in the Leatherstocking Region of Updtate New York.

The writing style is typical of the period it was written and might be a bit of a struggle at first for the modern reader, but the story is timeless and exciting as any of today's action novels (as evidenced by how well the Movie did at the box office).

A Must read for anyone looking for a good book.

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I thought the book was excellent. I saw the movie first though and absolutely loved it, but after reading the book, I am very disappointed with the movie. It was nothing like the book. In the movie the characters were not even similar to those in the book. The movie barely skimmed the surface of the intricate issues and relationships that are the very heart of the Cooper's novel. I know that not every piece of a novel can be transformed into a screenplay, but this was a very sad attempt. I still like the movie, but I feel they should have given it a different name, because it does not bring the justice deserved to the book, The Last of the Mohicans.

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This was a fantastic book and movie i realy enjoyed them both
I love anything to do with indians and their culture
Thats why i have the nick name wolfie







Thanks Mrs Sabrina Johnson

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I hope that you guys have a book report about this novel so that everyone would be encouraged to read the novel or watch the movie.

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i was very excited to see this for the first time becasue i had heard so many good things about the book and about the movie. I was a little upset with the way the director changed things in the movie from the way they were in the book. Overall I would give the movie a very high rating.

Movie is nothing compared to book

I enjoyed both the book as well as the movie, but I personally found the book to be quite superior compared to the movie. Like others, I found the movie to be a sad attempt to copy the book. I was greatly disappointed when,after watching the movie, I read the book and found them to be a far cry from being anywhere close to the same thing. I would recommend reading the book first, especially since some people cannot read a book after seeing the movie based on it. I understand how people could find it to be a difficult read. I started reading it about 2 or 3 times before I finally read all of it; and sadly, the only reason for my reading all of it was because I used it for a book report and HAD to read all of it. I definitely found it worth reading though!

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