My American Fiction to World War I class just started, but already I'm excited! We started reading this book by James Fenimore Cooper called THE DEERSLAYER(which by the way, is a really bad ass title). At first, I wasn't looking forward to it. My buddy Paul had already started reading it and he said it was slow...then I found out in class that Twain wrote this giant essay tearing the book to pieces (if Twain hated it, what hope did the book have with little 'ol me?).
Anyway, the book is AMAZING! I love it (though I must admit, I'm only 80 pages into it). I'm not a big "outdoors" type person, nor am I a "manly-man's-man" either...but for some reason this books speaks to me (at least, the part of me swimming in testosterone). The descriptions of the natural setting has been breathtaking--both in quality and quantity. Unlike say, a Tolkien who describes every leaf on every tree...Cooper resists the urge to over paint on his canvas. That said, unlike a Hemingway who only gives you the sparest details, when Cooper sees something worth looking at--he gives it to you. Oh boy does he give it to you. Check out the description of the lake in the third chapter...wonderful. I was a little concerned with the plot/action (or really, lack thereof) but the explosive end of chapter four changed my mind (come on--Indians jumping onto boats, gun fights, what's not to love about that?).
I'm not sure what happened, but recently I've been getting into Westerns. THE DEERSLAYER isn't a Western, but it has some of the basic ingredients of a Western (lawlessness, frontier-outpost living, desolation, Indians, etc.). I guess it's because Leah's dad likes them so much (he passed this love onto her). We sat and watched THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY the other night--it was fucking amazing. I saw A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS my last night on the job at Uni-Guard (it also blew me away). Sunday we went to the mall and I bought the third installment of Leone's "Man with no name" trilogy, FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE. Can't wait to watch it (hmm...homework's done, maybe tonight?).
I used to hate Westerns, now I find myself drawn to them. I'm not sure why. Maybe it has something to do with my recent push into the "real" world. Maybe I find comfort in them...or perhaps I like the way everyone in a Western has a place. Leone's films are great because the good guys are never too good, though. Maybe I like his flawed heroes because they make it okay for me to be flawed. I'm not a "bad guy" but I'm not Gary Cooper, either.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
Maybe it's the clear-cut morality: westerns have good guys and bad guys.
Yes! Things were much simpler way back when (or at least, it's depicted as being simpler).
I have to admit, I'm starting to agree with you about The Deerslayer. I'm only about 100 pages in, but I really am enjoying it a million times more than I thought I would. And I'm not into the whole action/adventure genre AT ALL, but I do find this book to be kind of a page-turner. And Twain's criticisms have peaked my interest even more. Oh, and by the way, of course I remember Mr. Belvedere and Charles in Charge! And who could forget Alf? Small Wonder was the worst though. Remember the girl robot? hehe
Yeah I was skeptical of the book at first too. I mean, how many different introductions did the thing have? Like four? And they all pretty much said the same thing (some I guess were for the book, others were for the whole series). But like you, the further I get into this thing, the more I like it. It's always nice when your homework is less "work" and more enjoyable.
As far as Twain goes, I can recall some pretty unbeliveable things happening in HUCK FINN (though I have to agree, Cooper's Indians are just plain dumb).
Alf ruled (back in the day). I wonder why they don't try to bring him back?
Twain got himself into a mess with the plot of Huck.
Some elements of his plot are as flimsly as Cooper's slightly moronic Indians...and I hate that at the end we learn that Jim has been "free the whole time!"
That's worse than the ending to THE USUAL SUSPECTS.
Post a Comment