The Pathfinder: (Annotated)Independently Published, 14. 6. 2020 - Počet stran: 430 This novel also has a stronger romantic (in the small-r sense) theme than most of those in the series, and even a kind of romantic triangle, unusual for Cooper. Readers averse to this kind of thing should consider themselves warned. (Of course, this is strictly clean romance, with nothing sexually suggestive about it!) But although I don't usually like a triangular plot element, it wasn't off-putting here; it just made for some psychological and dramatic tension, which is a good thing. Although the mystery genre as such didn't exist in 1840, Cooper makes effective use of a mystery element. (I suspected one aspect of the denouement of this, but nowhere near the whole of it.) The reading level, in terms of style and vocabulary, is definitely adult, or for teens/kids who can read at an adult level; it's not quick and easy-flowing, and if you don't like 19th-century diction elsewhere, you won't like it here. The speech of educated characters can sound stilted to our ears; but it's actually realistic for the way people of their class spoke in the 18th century, and Cooper does a good job of varying dialogue according to the backgrounds and speaking styles of the characters. He's also not averse to killing off characters you like; this happens in every Cooper novel I've read, so it's wise to be prepared for it. (Deathbed scenes are quite a staple in 19th-century literature; the one here has strong, and to me commendable, Christian gospel content.) Treatment of Indian characters is balanced and fair, and we have good examples of cross-cultural friendship. |