Description

Set in the pre-revolutionary days of the untamed American frontier, The Deerslayer (1841) is James Fenimore Cooper's tale of Natty Bumppo, a hardy man who maintains high ideals even amid the brutal facts of the world around him. The French and Indian war is raging as the novel begins. Natty is on a mission, with his Native American friend Chingachook, to save Chingachook's wife from the hands of kidnappers from the rival Iroquois tribe. As the story unfolds, the conflict between the Iroquois and the Delaware people figures prominently, with bloody confrontations taking their toll on friends and enemies alike. Natty and his English and Native American friends must face many challenges as they fend for themselves during this critical and dangerous period of American history, always in hope of making their dream of safety and freedom a reality.

About the Author

Although he was born shortly after the United States declared independence from Britain, James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851) was fascinated by early pre-colonial days in America. Born in New Jersey to a large family, Cooper was the son of Cooperstown founder and politician William Cooper. As a young man, Cooper briefly attended college, but left school to become a sailor, seeking a life of adventure. Cooper set out on a merchant ship and later joined the Navy, eventually returning to New York to raise a family and work on a farm. Cooper soon became a regular presence in New York City, writing many of his most famous novels of historical adventure during this stage of his life. To this day, Cooper is regarded as a key American author, known equally for the important nonfiction works that accompany his classic novels The Deerslayer and The Last of the Mohicans.

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Opening Lines (Experimental)

Chapter I.
There is a rapture on the lonely shore.
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
What I can ne'er express, yet cannot all conceal"
Childe Harold.
On the human imagination events produce the effects of time. Thus, he who has travelled far and seen much is apt to fancy ...