James Fenimore Cooper: 1789-1851.

Irving’s contemporary, James Fenimore Cooper, suddenly appeared in the field of letters to share in the distinction and the honor of widely recognized literary success. The first notable writer of fiction, Cooper stands rather as the originator of the novel of adventure in our literature, and is frequently termed "the American Scott."

It is remarkable that many of the best English novelists have begun their careers as professional storytellers almost by accident.

James Fenimore Cooper was thirty years old when he began to write. “The Spy” was his first work – a tale of the Revolution. This famous novel had some foundation in historical fact. Cooper had heard from John Jay, years before, an account of a patriot spy who had been in his service during the war; this was the germ of the narrative. The story was vivid and impressive; it was full of local color; it appealed to the patriotism of readers. In many ways it was the best piece of fiction that had been produced in this country. Its success was immediate and unprecedented at home, while in England its success was relatively as great. It was translated into French and then into other European languages. It was dramatized and long remained popular on the stage.

Between 1820 and 1830, Cooper produced eleven novels. “The Pioneers” (1823) was the first of the famous series by reason of which Cooper holds his rank among the novelists. It was a labor of love -- this attempt to interpret the picturesque life of the frontier, and with the final completion of the “Leather Stocking Tales” he had fairly performed the task. This great series, however, was not produced consecutively or in regular order. Cooper's fourth narrative was “The Pilot”, the first of his sea tales; and this appeared in January, 1824. “The Pilot” was, like “The Spy”, an experiment; for the real romance of the sea had not been attempted. Scott's novel “The Pirate” had been published near the close of 1821, and as the author's identity was still concealed, the apparent familiarity with nautical terms displayed in that narrative occasioned much conjecture. It was declared that it must be the work of a seafaring man. Cooper maintained otherwise and asserted that the author's ignorance of maritime affairs was betrayed by the book. He went further and determined to write a sea story to prove his argument. The success of “The Pilot” was almost as brilliant as that of “The Spy”. For the first time, a genuine sea novel had been written; and in spite of some obvious defects, “The Pilot” remains to this day one of the best novels of its class. The principal characters, Colonel Howard, the American with tory sympathies, Captain Borroughcliffe, the British officer, Captain Manual of the Marines, the midshipman, Merry, Boltrope, the quartermaster, and, above all, Long Tom Coffin, the typical American sailor, are most happily drawn. The "female" characters, as Cooper would have designated the heroine and her companion, are -- as is always the case in his narratives -- inane and unreal. On the other hand, the actual hero of the story, John Paul Jones, who appears in disguise and is known only as the Pilot, is presented with considerable success; the character certainly maintains the impressiveness of the traditional hero of romance and presents as commanding a figure as any produced in more recent attempts to portray this imposing personality of Revolutionary days.

Cooper's Novels.

Thus was James Fenimore Cooper fairly launched on his career as a novelist. He wrote prolifically, becoming the author of some thirty works of fiction, of which perhaps a dozen may be called great novels. Besides those already named, the following are included in the list: “Lionel Lincoln” (1825), “The Last of the Mohicans” (1826), “The Prairie” (1827), “The Red Rover” (1828), “The Wept of Wish-ton-Wish” (1829), “The Water-Witch” (1830), “The Bravo” (1831), “The Pathfinder” (1840), “The Two Admirals” (1842), “Afloat and Ashore” (1844), “The Redskins” (1846), “Jack Tier” (1848), “The Oak Openings” (1848), “The Sea Lions” (1849), and “The Ways of the Hour” (1850). In addition to these narratives, Cooper was also the author of a “History of the United States Navy” (1839).

Cooper's literary work was interrupted variously. Owing to an abnormal sensitiveness to criticism and lack of self-control in the vigorous expression of his opinions, he established a reputation, not wholly merited, for unreasonableness, intolerance, and pugnacity. His unfortunate irascibility of temper precipitated quarrels. Several of his novels were written in the spirit of satire solely as expressions of his censure; these are, naturally, his poorest works. He was bitterly criticised in the public press. And yet, with it all, Cooper was at heart a sincere, earnest, pure-hearted, truth-loving man of honor, a fearless and devoted patriot.

Of undisputed power are the novels which comprise the famous “Leather Stocking group”; and it is mainly upon the merits of this remarkable series that Cooper's claim to distinction rests both at home and abroad. The character of the hero, Natty Bumppo, or Leather Stocking, portrayed from youth to old age, is unique in literature. Professor Lounsbury, the biographer of Cooper, declares it to be "perhaps the only great original character that American fiction has added to the literature of the world." It is a fact worthy of note that these Indian tales have been translated into nearly all, if not all, the languages of the civilized globe.

Merits as a Novelist.

No master of style in the large sense, Cooper did possess the one essential gift of a great novelist. He had a story to tell and told it in such fashion as to make it real. In narrative and description, he was eminently successful. His word pictures of forest and prairie, of land fights and sea fights, of storm and wreck are superb. Cooper was prolix, he moralized to excess on commonplace themes. His characters are often described as conventional rather than living personalities. He is fertile in incident, good in arousing suspense, and not too technical to be clear. The reader who to-day takes up the volumes of the Leather Stocking Series in their proper order – “The Deerslayer”, “The Last of the Mohicans”, “The Pathfinder”, “The Pioneers”, and “The Prairie” -- will not be disposed to question the preeminence of these tales in the field of native historical romance. If he adds to these an equal number of the sea tales, including “The Pilot”, “The Red Rover”, “The Water-Witch”, “The Two Admirals”, “Wing-and-Wing”, he will find that the genius of Cooper does not suffer when brought in comparison with later story-tellers who -- many of them his imitators -- are cultivating the romance of nautical adventure to-day.

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