James fenimore cooper
Fenimore Cooper was born in Burlington, New Jersey, the 15th September 1789 and he died 14th September 1851 en Cooperstown, New York. He was educated in Albany, New York, and at Yale, and his time in those places helped him to establish friendships and connect very well with various aristocratic families.
The first novel he wrote was titled Caution, which was a fracaso. But it was the following, The spy, which will define his later work and his style and he did obtain a <strong>success</strong> which was already uninterrupted. His most famous novel was The last Mohican (o The last of the mohicans as has also been translated). In it he shows us the themes that characterized him forever: the borders and the hard life in them, the pioneers and settlers of the vast North American country yet to be discovered, and its relations with Indians, the native inhabitants of those lands.
The last Mohican
This work already eclipsed the rest, but he wrote more than 30 novels of the genre. In his style, on the other hand, there is a great contrast between the violence that sometimes exists in the narrative and the slowness of its prose in some passages or descriptions. But the tromantic, evocative and nostalgic ono, no longer because of the topics covered by friendship, love, loyalty, bravery, honor or sacrifice, but for the setting of the narrative.
It was first published in February 1826. It is the second book of which it was a pentalogy call Leatherstocking Tales. These five books were written over eighteen years and are considered the most representative of what is known as North American heroic narrative.
The mix series the historical and adventure genres and focuses on the Franco-English struggles of the XNUMXth century. Its central character is Hawk Eye, an orphan taken in childhood by the Indians. The whole is made up of The pioneers, The last Mohican, The meadow, The Explorer y The deer Hunter.
The story that is told in The last Mohican takes place in 1757, during the Seven Years' War when France and Great Britain fought for control of the North American colonies. The French sought the help of Native American tribes to fight the more numerous British settlers.
It narrates the adventures of the hunter Hawkeye and his companions of the tribe of the Mohicans, Chingachgook and his son Uncas, who protect Alicia and Cora Munro, the daughters of the English officer in command of Fort Henry, besieged by the French troops of General Montcalm and his allies, the Huron Indians, led by the cruel warrior Magua.
Cinematic versions
For the laziest When it comes to reading, you can always get your hands on the movie versions based on Cooper's work.
There is a first and very old 1920, of the directors Maurice Tourneur and Clarence Brown, with Harry Lorraine and Wallace Beery. On 1936 George Seitz made another with Randolph scott in the lead role. And in 1977 a version was made for TV with Steve Forrest, the famous Lieutenant Harrelson of Harrelson's men, as the protagonist.
But without any doubt the best known was the one that was made in 1992Directed by Michael Mann. They starred in it Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe, Wes Studi, Patrice Chéreau and Pete Postlethwaite in the main roles.
5 phrases
- Few men exhibited greater abundance, or, to put it better, greater antithesis of character than the native North American warrior. In war he was defiant, boastful, cunning, ruthless, self-denying, but at the same time devoted to himself; in peace, he was just, generous, hospitable, vindictive, superstitious, modest, and ordinarily simple.
- Every path has its end and every calamity brings its lesson.
- I have heard that there are men who read books to convince themselves that there is a God. I do not know, but man can deform his works in the settlements, as to leave what is so clear in the desert as a matter of doubt among merchants and priests.
- Chingachgook grasped the hand that, in the warmth of feelings, the explorer had spread over the fresh earth, and in that attitude of friendship these intrepid woodcutters bowed their heads, while burning tears fell on his feet, watering Uncas's grave like raindrops.
- Not! Stay alive! Hold on, can you hear me? You are strong, survive. Stay alive, no matter what happens! I'll find you. No matter how long it takes, how far away you are, I will find you ...