Books for the Bookwyrm - The Last of the Mohicans

Being a lifelong bookwyrm, I actively seek out old classics to read. This is one that has been on my list for a few decades now, so when The Last of the Mohicans was tucked into the bookcase I knew it would be one of the first to be read.

While there is no publishing date in the book, a quick online search shows that Alta Edition books were published by Porter & Coates, in Philadelphia, from 1870 through the 1890s. While literally labeled “First” editions they are in fact reprints, first only to the publishing company. Beginning in 1864 and changing names several times, Coates was in business until 1905, when it was purchased by The Winston Company.

Opening the cover the glue is vanillic, the paper is thick, powdery, heavily yellowed, and the spine crackles just a bit. The font is painfully small as well, even when using readers, so for these reasons I chose to find a digital version to read, preserving both the book and my poor crappy eyes. 

The second book of a trilogy allegedly able to be read separately, I had a hard time with this one. Given when this was written, I expected it to be grossly sexist and racist. Having read both Uncle Remus & Mark Twain, I felt properly prepared. Oh, how truly blissful was my ignorance! 

The story was slow to develop, and I couldn't connect with the characters. While the descriptions were amazingly - frequently painfully - detailed, (something I'm certain I've NEVER said before!) the Natives were the worst possible stereotypes, and there was just too much violence for me. My eyes were in danger of getting stuck from all the rolling they did as yet another "Huh!" was uttered from the otherwise nonverbal "Indians." And oh my goodness... just leave those stupid girls to their peril already! There are damsels in distress, and then there are twits that can't be trusted with a cup of tea, for danger of drowning. *sigh* These were embarrassing caricatures of the latter.

Some books don't age well. I have read hundreds, and will likely read hundreds more. I have heard that the movie is better, but no longer have an urge to even try. There is a critique of the entire trilogy, by none other than Mark Twain. Truly, the critique is infinitely more engaging than the book itself. I am crossing this "classic" off my must-read-before-you-die list, and moving on to greener pastures.

Glued within the flyleaf, are these related newspaper clippings of the "last" Mohican chief. THEY were somewhat interesting, and I love that someone took the time to save them here in the book.

This book was stamped on the first page, as belonging to W.T. Cole. Wilson Taylor Cole, my Great-Great Grandfather, was born on 13 December, 1862 in St. Thomas, Ontario; a Canadian by birth. Married on 2 March, 1887 in Palmyra, MO he became a US Citizen on 13 January, 1897.

His obituary says he was a Minneapolis printer and writer, and the owner of Cole Printing Company of Minneapolis – a business that eludes casual internet searches. I can say that a surprising number of the books in the bookcase are stamped as having belonged to him, and the Cole line has the largest amount of ephemera tucked within my archives so he WILL come up again. He died on 11 May, 1949, LONG before I was born, and long enough ago that even my father has no memories of him.

I can't wait to choose the next book for this little bookwyrm to read! It MUST be better!