"Cooper takes us on an excursion and violent adventure through the early wilderness of our nation. Inspired by romance, justice, and revenge Natty Bumpo risks his life to save his love exact revenge for past attrocities. Though sometimes difficult account for the extreme superiority of the hero, Cooper blends character, setting, and plot in a fantastic web which captures the reader and involves him/her immediately. This is a must read for those who like a challenging read or love the early history of our nation."
nathan geer, Resident Scholar
"The Deerslayer is the first (in time-line, not in writing) of the Leatherstocking Tales of Cooper. While it is true that, as Twain said, Cooper was a bad writer because he was a bad observer, the stories are interesting and exciting. The characterizations are poor and unidimensional and the Deerslayer (Natty Bumppo) is simply too good to be true, but still, these novels marked the birth in the US of historical romance/fiction and are important in that respect."
Kelly Whiting, Resident Scholar
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Review Analysis of The Deerslayer
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book descript. of violence and chases - 10% Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20% How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 30%
Time/era of story:
- 18th century
War Thriller
Yes
Armed Forces:
- Army
Specific to
- Indian wars
Exploring into the wild
Yes
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Escape/rescue behind enemy lines?
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- trader
- explorer
Age:
- a teen
- 20's-30's
Has special powers?
Yes
Magical/mental powers of main character:
- is very quick
How much violence does he/she use?
- a significant amount
- a tremendous amount
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- bulging muscles
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
- an organization
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- politician/elected ruler
- explorer
Has special powers?
Yes
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- an average amount
- throughout most of the book.
Motive of antagonist
- power
The antagonists are:
- gangs
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Northeast
Forest?
Yes
Water?
Yes
Water:
- sail boat
- peddle boat
- swimming on
- drowning
Style
Part of a series?
Yes
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
How many deaths?
- 8 or more
Unusual forms of death
- drowned
- perforation--bullets
- perforation--swords/knives
- blunt clubbing (like seals)
Unusual form of death?
Yes
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
