The Deerslayer

The Deerslayer is the culmination of James Fenimore Cooper's
`Leather-Stocking' novels, featuring Natty Bumppo (the deer-slaying
young frontiersman) and the Mohican chief, Chingachgook. Cooper portrays
the hubris of the conquest of a vast territory.

The action takes place during the American wars of the 1740s. Natty and
his friend Harry attempt to save a trapper and two young women, whose
floating fort on Lake Glimmerglass is besieged by the ruthless Iroquois.
The tension steadily increases to the point at which a cruel outcome
seems inevitable.

The exciting action, the romantic potentialities and the knowledgeable
evocation of frontier life (with its moral and racial conflicts) have
made this novel a perennial favourite. The courageous Natty, with his
problematic values, has set the precedent for countless American heroes.
Culturally, The Deerslayer has proved to be a powerfully influential work.