James Fenimore Cooper, 1826
Date read: 6/13/23
So, I am literally from where this movie is set. I currently live about 5 miles from Fort William Henry. I have seen Cooper's Cave many times, along with Fort Edward (town and the fort), Fort Tyconderoga, and of course, Albany.
I was excited to read this novel because this history is all around us all the time. The novel was set in 1757. I've always had a keen interest in the Revolution and that time period, ever since my neighbor showed me how to excavate arrow heads from our backyards. My dad once found where a tree had grown around a rifle from that time. The names of everything here remind us of those wars: Burgoyne St, Lac du Sant Sacremant (a boat, but once the name of Lake George), Horicon (a town, also once the name of Lake George), Ethan Allen St, etc etc etc
I was disappointed on reading the novel because I couldn't understand a lot of what he was saying. It is 197 years old. His antiquated writing was thick, for me.
Also, I was put off by the casual racism and misogyny, again, because it's like 2 centuries old.
In all, I was sickened by the cruelty and misery inflicted on innocents but thought the novel itself was okay, considering its antiquity.
I was really disappointed though when we watched the 1992 movie. I remember them filming bits and pieces of it here, and I was looking forward to finally watching it. You couldnt even say it is "inspired" by the novel. Essentially they took the character's names and that's it. There's maybe one scene that is from the novel. I was so disappointed.
Length: read on Kindle
Rereadability: I couldn't understand half of it the first time
Classic: like, I guess? If only because it is old and accurately depicted life at that time. But as far as amazing writing or whatever, he was overly verbose.
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