The Prairie (Leatherstocking Tales, #5) (2024)

Taking place in the then trackless expanses of the Louisiana Purchase territory, somewhere about 500 miles west of the Mississippi, in 1805, this novel is actually set in Cooper's own lifetime, as was The Pioneers. (In 1805, the author would have been in his teens.) I've classified it, somewhat loosely and inaccurately, as "historical fiction" in order to keep the series together on my shelves. At the opening of the book, series protagonist Natty Bumpo is now 87 years old, frailer and less keen eyed than he used to be, and reduced to trapping rather than hunting. He's still independent and self-reliant, though, and has come out onto the Great Plains, forsaking his beloved forests, to escape the inroads and depredations of dubiously-"civilized" settlement. But his tranquil solitude, which already has to be shared with not-necessarily-friendly Indians, is rudely disturbed at the outset by the arrival in his neighborhood of Ishmael Bush and his redneck clan, driven out of Kentucky for squatting on land to which they had no claim, and looking for more land where they can do the same. Other newcomers follow in their train, setting up a tale that involves kidnapping, murder, Indian warfare, and some chaste romance.

Published in 1827, this novel has more affinity, stylistically and in terms of craftsmanship, with other early Cooper works, especially The Last of the Mohicans, than with the more mature works of the early 1840s, The Deerslayer and The Pathfinder. It's not as polished, and the tendency towards dialogue that's unrealistically ornate and wordy, which is so marked in The Last of the Mohicans, is really noticeable here too. (Though again, as in the latter book, the character with the most ridiculously pompous dialogue is intended as comic relief; would-be naturalist Obed Bat --okay, we'll humor him and say "Dr. Battius," though his doctorate is most likely self-awarded!-- functions here like his predecessor David Gamut.) Likewise, there are plotting problems: the motivation for one key plot contrivance is unclear, and maybe dubious; the logistics of Paul Hover's wild honey trade, in this situation, don't ring true; and Capt. Duncan Uncas Middleton (grandson of Duncan Heyward!) would probably not have been permitted by his superiors to have left his command and taken some men to chase off into the prairies, regardless of his personal incentive. Coincidence is used implausibly in a couple of places; and I felt that some of Ellen Wades' actions were out of character or contradictory. (It's true that many real-life people in this era, unlike today, actually took giving their word or swearing an oath seriously, even if it subsequently proved inconvenient; and there are other 19th-century novels that also extol this --correctly, IMO!-- as a virtue. But I don't think a commitment exacted forcibly has the same moral status, especially if it's against the interests of an innocent.) A few of the characterizations are not particularly sharp (though some of them are, not least Natty's).

That said, though, I still liked the novel. Cooper's literary vision, here and in the other novels of the series, is very much of a piece. The storytelling is vivid, full of incident, and in many places genuinely suspenseful. (Exciting action is one of the author's strengths.) He deserves credit here for a portrayal of Native Americans which is realistic and balanced, not a racist hatchet job; their warlike attitudes and sometimes grisly accompanying behaviors, male chauvinism and use of duplicity as an (in their view) legitimate tactic of war are recognized, but so are the more laudable aspects of their culture, and individuals of the race display the full gamut of moral possibilities, from contemptible to very admirable. (We also have, in the person of Inez, a Roman Catholic character who's sympathetic rather than demonized; and while Cooper is himself clearly a Protestant, he doesn't treat Catholicism invidiously, in the way that many Protestants in the much less ecumenical 1820s undoubtedly would have.) For much of the novel, I was inclined to fault him for having some characters know something they apparently couldn't have; but this is actually not the case, as is explained to good effect near the end. Finally, there are some scenes here that are extremely moving, in one way or another, ranking in emotional power among the author's best.

Analyze the sh*t outta any of these classics & you're bound to discover the golden nugget that someone somewhere sometime once found and classified as such. Not the case with this, the last of the Leatherstocking tales. It's not for modern readers. At all.

Campfire philosophy is perhaps the least interesting aspect of this tale (the opposite case of, say, the superlative "Lonesome Dove") which is about 200 years old… & by setting all players on leveled, even ground (Shakespeare’s plays are often quoted), insipid insights are often found in the form of stagnant, pedantic, unrealistic dialogue. While the actions of all the characters seem to occur in slow motion, dialogue is also the device used to slow down the pace of the narrative.

The emigrants meet up with the over-the-hill character (Natty Bumppo, alias “the trapper”) from The Last of the Mohicans and they unite to stand against the Tetons. Natty Bumppo then becomes part of the human drama he has so evidently avoided in the past, paralleling his distaste for the sound of ax chopping wood. Does Fenimore Cooper say that woods-people, deer slayers, trappers, hunters, all easily assimilate to newly forming societies? Is it really that easy to speak to your own skin-type, when there’s absolutely nobody else around? There is a pervasive type of hesitation throughout the tale, in the manner the characters expose themselves, in the way the narrative is overabundant with words and extraneously extended descriptions. I loathed having to read it for class, spending time with it was as futile as, gasp, having to spend time with anything by the likes of Ayn Rand. Inviting headaches, it's an infuriating experience. Droll & dull.

Продовжуючи читати улюблений цикл дитинства, я не мав особливих очікувань щодо цього роману. І чверть століття тому Прерія була нудною до неможливості. Але... Оскільки я перечитую в порядку написання, то в мене жевріла слабка надія, що все не так погано. Врешті-решт, Піонери виявилися сильним і яскравим твором, хоча раніше вони сприймалися як поступове згасання циклу.
Я зрозумів, що помилився в усьому. Я навіть маю сумніви, чи те, що я побачив в попередніх романах Купера, він дійсно мав на увазі... Але давайте поступово.
Квінтесенція жахливого стилю Купера. Якщо в Піонерах та Останньому з могікан Купер не вмів будувати сюжет, то тут він перевершив себе. Врешті-решт, Піонери "виїжджають" на типажах і другорядних персонажах, а Останній з могікан - на постійному нагромадженні подій (так, це не сюжет), а також на дуже сильному антиколоніальному посланні.
В Прерії нема нічого. Тут повністю відсутні другорядні персонажі (слабка риса ще з "Останнього з могікан"), тут відсутній динамічний перебіг подій. Герої по-колу переходять з рук одних "негідників" до інших: то головні герої в полоні сіу, то в полоні скваттерів, то знову сіу, то знову скваттери. Всі ці хаотичні переміщення не супроводжуються жодною інтригою. Спершу нам натякають на таємничий фургон, але вже після третини роману ми знаємо, в чому його таємниця, а сама проблема швидко вирішується. Потім нам "закидають" наживку у формі вбивства одного з синів скваттера, але... Це не детектив. Ця тема з'явиться, потім зникне, і знову "випірне" наприкінці роману. Щонайгірше, попри те, що підозрюваним є Натті, його виправдовують дуже легко. Умовно кажучи, фразою "Та він не винен!", хоча всі докази були проти нього. Присутність пауні взагалі ніяк не пояснюється, як і їхнє втручання в боротьбу між головними героями, сіу та скваттерами, причому на боці головних героїв.
Купер відомий слабкими сюжетами, тому це не мало б бути сюрпризом, але тут він починає копіювати сам себе. Наприклад, протиставлення "хороші делавари - погані гурони / мінги / ірокези" зберігається, тільки тепер "хороші пауні - погані сіу / дакота". Причому в Останньому з могікан цей поділ був в голові Натті Бампо, а не рисою самих племен. Але чому він відтворюється - і як об'єктивний! - в преріях?
Як і в Останньому з могікан, тут бракує другорядних персонажів. А ті, що є, так само клішовані. Пам'ятаєте псалміста? Тут він є, хоч і названий вченим. Але поведінка та ж, як і осел, на якому він їздить. Скваттер ще має хоч якісь риси характеру, як і його дружина. Сини? Просто сім (а їх точно сім?) синів - без обличь. Їх можна переплутати. Але я не плутав, бо не запам'ятовував. Просто "колективний син" - з сімома користувачами / інтерфейсами. Сіу? Вождь більш-менш запам'ятовується, але це він і близько не підійшов до Магуа з Останнього з могікан. Вождь пауні? Ні, просто фігура. Серед сіу запам'ятовується хіба один п'яничка.
Таке враження, що Купер залишив всі слабкі сторони свого стилю, а сильними не скористався.

Жодного притомного послання від Купера. Якщо "Останній з могікан" "витягує" остання частина - похорон Кори та Ункаса, пісня Чингачгука, а також ідеї, які стоять за цими подіями, то тут Купер "стріляє сам собі в ногу". Так, вождь сіу говорить правильні речі вождю пауні про білих, які будуть забирати землі в корінних мешканців Америки. Але це один-два абзаци. І ще один чи два рази Натті нарікає на захланність білих (дивовижний прогрес, порівняно з Останнім з могікан). Але цього мало. І це слабко. Не вражає. Купер трохи додає нових ідей. Внук Дункана і Еліс з Останнього з могікан закохується в дівчину, яка є католичкою, дворянкою і іспанського походження. Гучнішого ляпаса ідеї WASP не зробити. Але Купер цю ідею не розвиває.

Є цікаве протиставлення Натті скваттерам. Натті в Піонерах обурювався на закони, бо це придумка міщан, щоб заплутувати простих людей. А от проста і щира людина може жити без законів - в гармонії з природою. Купер раптом починає дискутувати сам із собою. Скваттери в Прерії також зневажають закони, але в гармонії з природою не живуть. Навпаки, вони її нищать: вже на перших сторінках вирубують гайок, який дивом виріс серед прерії. Натті з цього приводу сприкрений, але в ході дискусії з скваттерами розуміє, що формально вони на однакових позиціях "закони - зло, бо ніхто не має права обмежувати свободу людини". Натті розуміє, що його позиція не така вже й абсолютно правильна.

Але ця цікава полеміка із самим собою, як і символічне повернення скваттерів в лоно цивілізації наприкінці твору (через вбивство сина, яке я згадував раніше. Дуже символічно: скваттери визнають, що закони таки потрібні, бо без нема захисту від недобросовісних людей) повністю нівелюються сценою смерті та похорону Натті. Якщо в попередніх романах індіанці зображені максимально суб'єктними, то тут все плем'я схиляє коліна перед білим Натті. Пауні, які до того його не знали взагалі, раптом сприймають його як свого символічного батька. WTF??? Друзі Натті - це також білі, перед якими мають схилятися пауні. Добрі білі в дії... Цим Купер перекреслює всю свою критику колоніалізму - не лише зроблену в Прерії, але й в попередніх романах. І саме через це така низька оцінка. В романі немає нічого, що було б цікавим чи вартим перечитування.

Чи варто читати цей роман третім, а не п'ятим? На мою думку, так. По-перше, доволі сумне враження завершувати цикл саме цим романом. Він слабкий, нудний і колонізаторський. По-друге, стає зрозумілим, чому в цьому романі з'являються внук Дункана та Еліс. В хронологічному порядку виглядає дуже дивно: персонажі з 2-ої книги вигулькують аж в 5-ій книзі. Якщо читати в порядку написання - все йде послідовно та узгоджено.
І тут з'являється фірмова суперечність Купера. В Піонерах Натті 68 років, дія Прерії відбувається через 12 років, але йому... 90 років, хоча мало б бути 80. Навіщо було так плутати з віком? Не знаю, але враження дещо кумедне.

Після цього роману беру паузу з циклом, але Слідопита та Звіробоя дочитаю, бо маю відчуття, що вони зовсім в іншому стилі. Цікавіші. І в них більше Натті та лісів. А саме за ліси я свого часу і полюбив цей цикл.

I take it Fenimore was not so familiar with this landscape as his descriptions of the prairie, to me, didn't convince. Natty, now a very old man, is the fittest 80/90 year old man in existence. Still, it was a good story and for me quite emotional at the end as our hero has become "my friend" over all the five books of the leather-stocking series. Very corny in places and sometimes predictable but I shall miss reading about his adventures. I have really enjoyed this series of books, at times they have been difficult to read but I have persevered as I believe there is no harm in trying to read "old English", (a bit like reading Shakespeare). I was left in the end like I had lost a dear friend and I suppose that's the quality of the writer and his writing. In all the two months it took me to read the whole five books I have been drawn away into a world that no longer exists and have a sympathy for the Indians and early pioneers that were trying to get away from it all. Fenimore had he lived till now would be horrified to see what we have done to this planet. I loved these books and don't regret for one minute picking up the first one.

I have now read the entire Leatherstocking Tales and regret to say that I rank The Prairie next to last on the good book scale for that series. ( The Pathfinder scored lowest for me, but I will give it another chance and read it again because I really didn’t pay much attention to it the first time. ) My disappointment with The Prairie lay in the plot itself, not the message. Cooper unabashedly criticized western expansion at a time when the nation believed it had a divine right to displace the original inhabitants of this land to fulfill its own destiny.

Unfortuately, the story is weak and the characters are for the most part uninspiring. Although

Natty is his usual sage and eloquent self but none of the other characters in

Too often Cooper creates a natural or man- made structure around which the action occurs and devotes too many pages to the minutiae of its description. He does so again in

Also, it wouldn’t be a Cooper tale without a daring escape. However, in

I read the 1984 paperback edition of

The only other one of the Leatherstocking Tales that I have read is Last of the Mohicans, which is much more famous than The Prairie, but to my mind not nearly as good. I found the old Natty Bumppo to be a more believable and interesting character than his younger self. He is the same wise man with a deep knowledge of nature and life on the frontier, but here we see him with his faculties weakened by age and deeply aware of his own mortality. As an older man he is less willing to fight both because of the stupidity and horror of violence, which he sees more clearly as an older man, and because the weakness of age makes him less able to hold his own in a physical struggle. There is never a doubt that Natty's values are the true ones that we are to admire and follow, but he isn't always perfect. Sometimes his caution goes a bit too far, and he has a tendency to rattle on at length, and sometimes his lack of education makes him unable to understand or respond intelligently to things that the other characters say. But his imperfections have their charms and ultimately make him a more completely drawn character.

I also enjoyed the other characters, particularly the less likeable ones, Ishmael Bush the squatter and Mahtoree the Sioux chief, and although others have criticized the plot as being slight, I found it to be totally sufficient as a vehicle for a portrait of an interesting group of characters in the wild frontier before the arrival of any but a few white men.

I did ultimately enjoy this, the last of the five in the Tales regarding Hawk-Eye in fictional chronology, though the 3rd written by Cooper. I felt that it took longer to "get there" than the others; however, it does transport the setting finally to the wild prairie and includes some memorable characters. The ending, particularly the last 100 pages, as is typical of Cooper, is thrilling and pulse pounding, and the very end is very final for Hawk-Eye. Overall, despite its age, Cooper has thrills in store for the open minded. In particular, he has an axe to grind with mindless settling of the prairie frontier. And how did he know how to survive getting caught in a prairie wildfire?

Even for a Cooper novel, The Prairie can be pretty rough going most of the time: the narrative is often barren or contrived, a passel of useless characters trail the reader around, and the writing expresses nothing in fewer words that could not be obscured with more. These are literary offenses. I do have to rank it below the preceding novels The Pioneers and The Last of the Mohicans. So, the following is not meant to oversell:
The book's subject, setting, and characters, however, are perhaps the most intriguing of the first three Leatherstocking Tales. Firstly, Cooper's "prairie" is a flat, dead expanse inhabited by cruel beasts, dispossessed natives, and scrabbling loners and emigrants -- rather than being a realistic depiction of the former Louisiana Purchase around 1805, it opens up the imagined "West" for American fiction. Secondly, and even beyond the fairly touching and sensitive presence of an elderly Natty Bumpo, Ishmael Bush -- a brutal, indolent, and secretive man followed by his brood of obedient sons -- emerges as one of Cooper's most powerful and opaque characters with clear Biblical inspiration. Thirdly, the ideas that Cooper explores in his depiction of America's sudden westward expansion (perhaps because, unlike the period he set his previous two novels in, it had not yet fully settled) are nuanced and lofty. If I could sum up the novel's aims, it'd be in a question: what does God will?
When all of these elements come together -- like in the scene where the Bushes discover Asa, or where Abiram meets his fate -- it's fiction writing Cormac McCarthy could envy.

Останній роман серії. Вже дуже старий Натаніель Бампо допомагає поселенцям у складних ситуаціях...

Somewhere within the illimitless plains of the prairie lies a tale of human valor.

This is the third in the five-volume series known as The Leatherstocking Tales. Here we catch up with Natty Bumppo (known here simply as 'the trapper') 10 years after the close of The Pioneers, as the end of his life approaches. He's left behind civilization of any kind, and seems to just want to be left alone, to live out his final days in peace and harmony. Not so fast, though, Bumppo! Along comes the family if Ishmael Bush, among whose troubles the trapper quickly gets entangled. From rescuing fair damsels in distress to facing down angry Indians, the ensuing adventure, while hardly seeming to ruffle the feathers of the unflappable Bumppo, is of the most-serious nature, with life and death on the line, and many depending on his skill and cunning.

To me, this book stands out as having some of the best supporting cast of any of the Leatherstocking tales. Paul Hover, Ellen Wade, Captain Middleton, Dr. Battius, Esther, Ishmael, Abiram White, and Hard-Heart are all strong and colorful characters that give this book some much-needed flavor. While they're not overly-developed (to say the least), as Cooper allows the readers' imagination to fill in many gaps about appearance and personalities, by the end of this book you'll really feel like you've got a handle on who these people really are, and what drives each and every one. Even Asinus and Hector come to be much-adored by the end of this book. To me, it is the characters that make this book a success, elevating it above some of Cooper's other work.

Like all of Cooper's novels, this one could have used a bit of aggressive editing, being longer than necessary, and at times downright boring. Of course, this mostly stems from his overly-pedantic writing, where he (as the narrator) and his characters (in their dialogue) talk in some of the most flowery and round-about manners to get across rather simple ideas. Almost as if Cooper was trying to prove something to his European critics, but maybe just a symptom of the Romanticist times. Either way, it makes this book fairly slow going, and will unfortunately discourage many readers. Really, the only one of his books that doesn't have excessively wordy descriptions is The Last of the Mohicans, and there is no surprise why that one has been the most popular.

I enjoyed THE PRAIRIE. Much better than THE PIONEERS, but not as good as THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. Recommended for fans of the classics.

This is one of those books that I thought would make me a more sophisticated reader, tackling something that my English teachers probably fawned over while the rest of the class rolled their eyes and couldn't wait for the bell. I've read classics that I've enjoyed, but this is not one of them. Did people seriously ever talk like this in the United States of America?

The story is at least twice as long as it needs to be, and I'll be honest...Unless I wanted to re-read every sentence five times in order to digest what the author was trying to tell me, I was resigned to finishing it without a complete grasp of the story's events. I'll rely on Wikipedia for that. After reading this, I know that run-on sentences were not harped on in Cooper's time like they are today. Oh, and he overuses commas, big time, so much, so that they are sometimes, placed where it doesn't, seem like they should be, in the midst of, a sentence that is already a run-on, and you've already forgot what the hell he was talking about, so your mind, begins to wander as, the words pass by your, already weary eyes...

The only thing that propelled me through to the end was applying the score from the film adaptation of Last of the Mohicans. And if my inability to enjoy this thing simply means I'm not that "sophisticated" reader I set out to be when I opened this thing, then so be it. I'll gladly settle for a literary bum if being otherwise subjects me to writing like this.

I actually might have rated this a 3.75 if you could give quarter stars.

I didn't think this book was as bad as some of the others in this Leather Stocking Series. Usually Natty goes off on tangents about Faith, Race and other things, but I found him somewhat subdued in this book. He does go off on how he's an old man, a Chritian and not so educated but again, it's quite mild in comparison to some of the other books.

I found it interesting and exciting here and there too. So almost 4 starts just not quite.

Not being able to stomach civilization and all it's "perversions", Natty finds himself surviving in the prairies between the Sioux and Pawnee Indian tribes. He comes across a small wagon train of settlers with a cargo that is precious and illegal. Of course rescue is needed and wars with natives pursue with "the old trapper" (Natty) being wise and beloved by almost all.

Alas the great Dearslayer's, Hawkeye's, Long Gun's, Old Trapper's or what ever other pet names acquired through this series...trails must come to an end, and done so with quite the pomp and ceremony. Goodbye.

This 1830 novel reads reasonably well today, and in fact, is quite contemporary in its reflection on how civilization is changing the landscape (and not for the better), and how the settlers disrespected and mistreated the original native inhabitants.

I kept stopping myself and asking: "When was this written, because the language and issues are so pertinent".

The use of the word "parachute" really surprised me because I thought of it as a modern word, in relation to airplanes and flying. I wasn't far off, however. The word was invented about 1780 in France by the ballooning enthusiasts who thought that an umbrella like device could be used in the event of a ballooning problem. The connection to Cooper is probably from his time in Europe when he moved to Paris for a period of time around 1826 and immersed himself in French life and culture.

This read took me a while because I had to constantly go back and reread many paragraphs over to fully understand what was occurring. The content was written in a very flowery and archaic form of prose, which was at times difficult, for me, to comprehend the complete picture. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the plot and the characters though completely predictable. If written in a more modern style at least half the book would have been unneeded. I am a western and historical romantic at heart and so enjoyed the other Leather Stocking Tale that I've read."Deer Slayer" being the other. When I was a boy I dreamed of this type of woodsy adventurous life and when I read some of this stuff it kind of takes me back to those forgotten days.

Pēc sarakstīšanas gada šī ir trešā no piecām grāmatām par Netiju Bumpo, pazīstamu arī kā Takuzini, Vanagaci, Ādzeķi un droši vien vēl kaut kā. Sižetiski šis ir noslēgums viņa dēkām, kas beidzas ar sirmā klejotāja nāvi jau ļoti cienījamā vecumā, un ar šo darbu arī es beidzot esmu sēriju pabeigusi.
Godīgi sakot, šis, manuprāt, ir vājākais ķēdes posms, kas noteikti nepatiks spraigu sižetu alkstošajiem, bet arī citādi neizceļas (kā piemēram, "Pionieri", kas patika ar savu rietumu iekarotāju sadzīves tēlojumu). Notikumu pavērsieni viens otram seko kaut kā šā tā, bez iekšējas loģikas. Mazliet samocīts stāsts, gana spilgti varoņi. Izlasīt ir vērts, jo noslēdz ciklu.

The first book I read by Cooper and I certainly took things out of order. It took a while for me to get into Cooper's stride. But the book is deep and rich, though parts are haunting. I must read some of his other books. I consider his work some that any "well read" person should have purused!

Of all the Leatherstocking Tales, I found this one particularly compelling. The protagonist is no longer young and vigorous; he is in the final years of his life, yet his intrepid spirit and level head remain in play.

Natty Bumppo is now a very old man, but still eschews the settlements of the young United States, so finds himself in the newly acquired prairielands west of the Mississippi. There he gets entangled in the affairs of two enemy Native American tribes, a "squatter" family that is hiding a secret, a bee hunter, an army officer and a "naturalist" in search of new treasures. After many misunderstandings, suspicions, fights, temporary truces, and new allies and new enemies, Deerslayer/Hawkeye/Pathfinder/Old Trapper eventually finds peace and a final rest.

Again, Mr. Cooper focuses a story on things that we "know" would have been happening or make sense to have been happening, but don't frequently feature in historical fiction and feature people that are mostly overlooked which gives you "Huh. Well, sure, why wouldn't there have been?" moments but can also be frustrating. There are many tedious talking sections (mostly when Natty and the Doc are going at it), with quite a bit of catch and release and features what I think is Cooper's biggest weakness, Omnipotent antagonists. The bad guys always have the best luck (in all The Leatherstocking Tales) well, until they die, which is never soon enough, which would be forgivable if they were especially skilled or more knowledgeable than our protagonists, but they AREN'T! Natty's got like 50 years experience on all of them! A few lucky breaks (to help Natty show off his skills) would be forgivable, but the consistent reversals is frustrating. On the bright side, I did like bringing in the grandson of one of Natty's old buddies (see The Pathfinder characters), and in fact mostly liked the "friends club" (you'll know who they are pretty quickly). Probably the last third of the book was my favorite; the heartbreaking scene with Tachechana her story conclusion was a relief!; and Natty's satisfying closure (I half expected it to end with them dropping him off and him disappearing into the Prairie, which would have been dramatic, but this does give us an unescapable, permanent, and honestly much needed end for this character).

Content notes: No language issues, it is mentioned that characters swear but not what they say. A LOT of perilous situations for the women; one of the company is a lady of unusual beauty and nearly ever guy wants her to become his wife/mistress (against her wishes, as she is already married) and tries to force their plans by kidnapping her; another woman is also casually told she is to become the wife of men she doesn't care for; lastly, a married woman is told her husband (who she loves) means to "divorce" her and give her to a different man, just because. Boarder-lands style warfare, wildfire/bow and arrow/tomahawk/rifle injuries and/or deaths though I'm pretty sure this is the lowest "good guy" death count in any of the books!.

Ця книга завершує розповідь про пригоди мисливця Натаніеля Бампо. Він вже не звіробій і не воїн , а вісімдесятилітній звіролов (він ловить звірів капканом ).
Події роману відбуваються в період приєднання Луізіани до США. Переселенець, Ішмаел Буше разом зі своїми сімома синами, дружиною Естер, братом дружини Ебірамом, племінницею Елен Уейд, та лікарем і природознавцем Овідом Батціусом йде на захід, тому що він незаконно заволодів землею і уряд США призначив винагороду за його голову. Ебірам торгує чорношкірими людьми, і як приманку, використовує полонену Інес де Сертавольос. В прерії він зустрічає Трапера. Той, показує йому місце для ночівлі, де Ішмаел, розташовується табором, а трапер іде в прерію. Наступного дня він зустрів Елен Уейд, її коханого Поля Ховера і Овіда Батціуса. Несподівано, на них ��апало плем’я червоношкірих Індіанців Сіу. Воїни Сіу зв’язали полонених і привели їх до вождя Маторі. Вождь з воїнами племені напав на табір Ішмаела і викрав худобу, поки його сім’я спала. Трапер з друзями втекли, під покровом ночі. Наступного дня мандрівники зустріли капітана Дункана Ункаса Мідлтона, який з загоном солдатів освоював нові землі.Також він шукав свою дружину Інес де Сертавольос, яка таємниче зникла. Трапер розповів йому, що його дружину утримує Ішмаел Буше. І вони напали на табір і визволили Інес. (Ішмаела в той час не було в таборі, бо він пішов шукати зниклого сина і він знайшов окровавлене тіло Ейзи в прерії). В той час Сіу вирушили на пошуки Ішмаела і трапера з його друзями. Щоб збити Сіу з сліду трапер і його друзі переправилися через річку з допомогою вождя племені Вовки Пауні, яке ворогувало з племенем Сіу. Сіу побачили своїх ворогів і між племенами виникла сутичка Племя Сіу взяло в полон вождя Тверде Серце і його супутників. Воїни Сіу вважали Овіда Батціуса чарівником, бо дуже боялися ревіння його осла. Раптом Тверде Серце вбив воїна, який охороняв його і втік у прерію.Всі воїни Сіу кинулися ловити полоненого, а трапер розв’язав своїх друзів і хотів втекти. Однак, Ішмаел Буше, який був спільником Племені Сіу, знову зв’язав трапера і його друзів і привіз до свого табору.
Капітан Мідлтон сказав Ішмаелеві, що забуде про його участь у викраденні Інес і захисить його на суді, якщо він відпустить його друзів. Ішмаел відпустив всіх, крім трапера, бо вважав його вбивцею свого сина.. Однак, трапер бачив, як Ебірам вбив Ейзу. Трапер сказав про це Ішмаелеві і той відпустив його, а Ебірама повісив на скелі. Трапер, Поль Ховер, Мідлтон, Інес та Елен пішли в селище Вовків Пауні, де їх гостинно прийняли. Трапер залишився там і незабаром помер, а Поль Ховер, Елен Уейд, Дункан Мідлтон, Інес Сертавольос та Овід Батціус щасливо повернулися до США. І дон Аугустин, батько Інес дя��ував богові за щасливе повернення доньки. Поль І Елен незабаром одружилися і він почав працювати в законодавчому органі штату Луізіана.

This book would easily be a 5-star if not for the heavy, over-burdensome wording. The complex, multi-comma'd sentences make for a pretty tough slog all the way through.

The story, however, is great. These are the early days of the plains, when Indians still held the upper hand there. The trapper is averse to towns and villages (what would he think of today's mega-cities?) and prefers open land and a good, honest struggle to life. If one were to calculate the time lapse since the first story in this series, he would see that things don't add up. The same person could not have been alive when Natty Bumpoo was roaming the forests of the east with Chingachgook, and still be breathing for this story. There are about 60 years missing in there, somewhere. But it hardly matters and can be easily ignored.

"Tis the gift of youth to be rash and heady," the trapper calmly retorted. "The day has been, boy, when my blood was like your own, too swift and too hot to run quietly in my veins. But what will it profit to talk of silly risks and foolish acts at this time of life? A gray head should cover a brain of reason, and not the tongue of a boaster."

"I have heard that there are men among my people who study their great medicines until they believe themselves to be gods, and who laugh at all faith except in their own vanities. It may be true. It IS true; for I have seen them. When man is shut up in towns and schools with his own follies, it may be easy to believe himself greater than the Master of Life; but a warrior who lives in a house with the clouds for its roof, where he can at any moment look both at the heavens and at the earth, and who daily sees the power of the Great Spirit, should be more humble. A Dahcotah chieftain ought to be too wise to laugh at justice."

"Settlements, boy! It is long sin' I took my leave of the wasted and wickedness of the settlements and the villages. If I live in a clearing, here, it is one of the Lord's making, and I have no hard thoughts on the matter; but never again shall I be seen running willfully into the danger of immoralities."

This concludes the "Leatherstocking Series" but I will pursue more Cooper. "The Pilot" comes to mind...

When I was a sophom*ore or freshman in high school, I became acquainted with the character of Natty Bumpo through “The Deerslayer.” (Thank you Wanda Vickers!) I also learned that James Fennimore Cooper had written a series of books called The Leather Stocking Tales and thought it would be cool to read the series. By accident, I came across and read “The Last of the Mohicans” two years later. All that to say it took me 40-plus years to finish the task but I’ve now read the complete series. Oddly enough, I visited upstate New York—where the first books in the series are set—earlier this year and it sparked my desire to finish the series. The earlier books—DEERSLAYER, MOHICANS and PATHFINDER—rank by far as my favorites and they are set in the earlier years of Leather Stocking’s life. “The Prairie” is the final installment in the series and covers the last part of his life. It’s by far my least favorite of the five books. So little of the book seems to focus on Natty Bumpo and his character seems harmed more than invigorated by his isolated lifestyle—far removed from the noble and cheerfully optimistic guy I read about in The Deerslayer. It seems
Telling that my favorite part of this particular book was Natty’s death scene. It was definitive to lay a good thing to rest. Although THE PRAIRIE was disappointing, I’m glad to say I’ve read the entire series. Feels like an accomplishment!

Skvotterid tulid preeriasse pakku röövitud naisterahvaga. Tee viib neid kokku trapperiga. Siuud röövivad skvotteritelt karja. Viimased arvavad, et selle riuka taga on vana trapper. Kartes uut rünnakut kindlustavad skvotterid oma uue asupaiga kenasti ära. Nelly-le, kes on asunike pundis, järgnes preeriasse mesilaste püüdja Paul, kes trehvab trapperit ja nad hoiavad laagri lähedal kokku. Viimaste juurde satub juhuslikult üks ohvitser kes otsib oma röövitud pruuti. Trapperi juhtimisel minnakse pruuti vabastama. Samal ajal tapetakse Skvotteri vanin poeg. Süü aetakse trapperi kaela. Trapperi punt satub vangi siuude kätte, nad põgenevad. Selle peale siuud ja skvotterid liituvad ja hakkavad neid koos taga ajama. Kätte nad ka trapperi pundi saavad kes vahepeal olid leidnud poonide pealiku ja koos satutakse siuude vangi. Poonid tulevad oma pealikku vabastama, samal ajal skvotterid võtavad vangi trapperi pundi (trapper, Paul, Nelly, ohvitser, röövitud pruut ja loodusuurija). Siuud saavad lüüa ja põgenevad, skvotter peab kohut vangide üle. Kõik vabastatakse ja ka ilmneb tõde, et trapper ei olegi mõrtsukas vaid Abirami oma naise vend oli ta poja selja tagant maha lasknud. Teda karistatakse selle eest surmaga. Ülejäänud seltskond saab sõbraks poonidega ja läheb tagasi taivilisatsiooni. Trapper heidab aga raamatu lõpus hinge. Tegevus toimub Ameerika asustamata preerias umbes aastal 1700.

Note: Review written for compendium of all five Leatherstocking Tales and Mark Twain's criticism.

Having seen Michael Mann's 1992 film 'The Last of the Mohecans' several times as a child, finding that it was based on a novel, which was part of a collection, and that the whole collection (including an introduction and essays) was only 50p in the Kobo store, I was very excited. I thoroughly enjoyed each story, as they presented a new world to me (pardon the pun) - the UK doesn't have the same expansive wildernesses as old North America and I grew up a long time after Cow-Boy Westerns went out of fashion - and are full of simple adventure. Yes, there are many technical aspects that don't qualify any of the stories for more than 3 stars (see Mark Twain's ' Fenimore Coopers Literary Offences', appended to the end of the collection) but, if you aren't a natural critic, then there's still every reason to read one.

When I was a teenager, I read a German edition (I'm European) for teens of "Leatherstocking" which was much shorter than the original Edition and I appreciated it. But 2 months ago, I found an original edition which contents over 3000 pages. It was a pleasure to read this story again.
It describes how the Europeans took possession of North America in the 18th century. It tells a lot of Indian's life and there are plenty of descriptions of forests, lakes, rivers and country.
In the early 19th century, when Leatherstocking was a very old man, the white men started their conquest of Indian territory.
Unfortunately, at the end of this conquest, a lot of the Indians were exterminated in the second part of the 19th century.

I consider this to be the least interesting of all of The Leatherstocking Tales. The charm of the previous books was lacking in this one: the setting of the woods, and the personality of Natty Bumppo. I feel that Natty's character was underdeveloped in this book, and none of the other characters interested me enough to hold my attention. It was hard to read about Natty's end, I've grown so attached to him, but I think it was a good end.

I will not read this book again, but otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed this series. I was spellbound by Natty's character and the life that he led in the woods. I will certainly read some of these again in the future.

If you’re writing for an audience, I suppose a little pandering is inevitable. Still, Cooper might have been less obvious, especially given his clear intention to expand the value of American Letters. The educational dialogues feel stilted, and he doesn’t do much to accommodate the individual voice or POV of his supporting characters. For example, he has Ellen say, “May I know the reason why you have run so great a risk of flying from this place, without wings, and at the certain expense of your neck?” While this completes his Leatherstocking series, other volumes, written as infill, and from a greater perspective, are more representative of Cooper’s deserved reputation.

I always kind of put off reading these books (as I work my way through the ginormous collection I have in one huge heavy volume). I don't even know why. Because once I start I am absolutely captivated and can't wait to get back to it. This one is rather bittersweet because the hero is old and weary of endlessly fleeing the encroach of civilization and the destruction of the forests he loved so, but it is a rollicking good adventure tale and everyone - Indians, settlers, squatters etc. - are portrayed three dimensionally and the setting is absorbing.

Not really my genre, but a good dose of American literature once in a while is healthy. I decided to read this instead of Last of the Mohicans because I knew that film so well...''twas a bit unsettling to learn how much of the film was complete fabrication. And yet, I like the film better than the real story, alas.

Read years ago in college. I really like to character of Natty Bumppo, but Cooper’s writing is so ploddingly descriptive and pedantic that paper cutting myself to death would be a more enjoyable experience than reading page after page of description of minuscule objects. Mark Twain was a harsh critic of Cooper’s penchant for over indulging in descriptive details. It like death by description.