THE PIONEERS by James Fenimore Cooper

Welcome to Page 18 of I Read That Book! On each Page, I’ll tell you a little about a book I read, often in a fun and informal manner, with the hope that you also may become interested enough to read it – or perhaps read it again if you’ve already enjoyed it once. The books I’ll be featuring come from a variety of genres at differing stages of my life, so whether you prefer history, literature, science fiction, or horror, there’s a good chance you’ll get some interesting ideas for your personal “To Be Read” list. Thank you for joining me on this journey as we flip through the pages of some of my favorite books. But before you start reading below, I invite you to grab a cup of your favorite beverage (coffee for me!) and find a comfortable place to sit, then turn to Page 18.

THE PIONEERS by James Fenimore Cooper

Publication Date: 1823

I’d avoided James Fenimore Cooper’s novels for most of my life, the most likely reason being that people said his work was boring and not worth the trouble. Yet somewhere in my pioneering soul a voice rang out, imploring me that I needed to learn about Natty Bumppo…Hawk-eye…Leather-Stocking.

And I had another reason to crack open the book: Library of America sent me Volumes I and II of The Leatherstocking Tales, and if it was good enough for them, it was certainly good enough for Gosneys (a phrase I came up with several years ago and is now our family motto).

I’m a big fan of The Library of America subscription editions. I love the look, the feel, the slipcases to store them in (not pictured, but you can see them if you go to the Forward of this blog), the sewn-in ribbon markers, and even the thin pages, which allows them to pack in plenty of pages. At some point in life, you come to the realization that your expiration date will be arriving – probably sooner than you expect – and you don’t want to leave all those wonderful books on your shelves unread.

With this thought in mind, I decided to start reading the adventures of Nathaniel Bumppo and his great friend, Chingachgook, in publication order. THE PIONEERS, or The Sources of the Susquehanna; a Descriptive Tale, is the fourth chronological story, but the first novel written in the series. The entire title is quite a mouthful, so it’s no wonder it’s just referred to as THE PIONEERS. In the image below from the book’s interior, you can see that this volume contains the first three novels, and the titles get progressively shorter.

Natty is past his prime in THE PIONEERS, which takes place from December 1793 to the fall of 1794. I’m guessing that a good number of people know the character from the film version of THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS, which takes place 37 years before THE PIONEERS. But regardless of his age, Natty is still resourceful and confident of his skills, yet he’s an introspective man of nature who reveres God and loves his dog.

“…that dog is more to be trusted than many a Christian man; for he never forgets a friend, and loves the hand that gives him bread.” ~Natty Bumppo

Hawk-eye is facing change all around him, and with the country expanding and people looking for ways to make their mark in this new world, whether by means honest or not, the pioneer hero has his thoughts on the subject.

“I trouble no man; why can’t the law leave me to myself? Go back—go back, and tell your Judge that he may keep his bounty; but I won’t have his wasty ways brought into my hut.” ~Natty Bumppo

THE PIONEERS may not appeal to many readers today, but I quickly became enmeshed in Cooper’s world of New York from a distant past, and have read all five Leatherstocking Tales.

Before we turn the page, did you know that there was a short-lived TV series named Hawkeye? It takes place in 1755, a couple years before THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. Though I have yet to watch it, you can view it via a couple different streaming channels. I’ve included the opening credits below.

And don’t forget to join us here again when I flip to the next Page!

Note: The first 32 pages of I Read This Book! originally appeared on Substack.

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