James Fenimore Cooper: The Early Years

James Fenimore Cooper (1789–1851) invented the key forms of American fiction—the Western, the sea tale, the Revolutionary War romance. Furthermore, Cooper turned novel writing from a polite diversion into a paying career. He influenced Herman Melville, Richard Henry Dana, Jr., Francis Parkman, and even Mark Twain—who felt the need to flagellate Cooper for his “literary offenses.” His novels mark the starting point for any history of our environmental conscience. Far from complicit in the cleansings of Native Americans that characterized the era, Cooper’s fictions traced native losses to their economic sources.
Perhaps no other American writer stands in greater need of a major reevaluation than Cooper. This is the first treatment of Cooper’s life to be based on full access to his family papers. Cooper’s life, as Franklin relates it, is the story of how, in literature and countless other endeavors, Americans in his period sought to solidify their political and cultural economic independence from Britain and, as the Revolutionary generation died, stipulate what the maturing republic was to become. The first of two volumes, James Fenimore Cooper: The Early Years covers Cooper’s life from his boyhood up to 1826, when, at the age of thirty-six, he left with his wife and five children for Europe.

James Fenimore Cooper (1789–1851) invented the key forms of American fiction—the Western, the sea tale, the Revolutionary War romance. Furthermore, Cooper turned novel writing from a polite diversion into a paying career. He influenced Herman Melville, Richard Henry Dana, Jr., Francis Parkman, and even Mark Twain—who felt the need to flagellate Cooper for his “literary offenses.” His novels mark the starting point for any history of our environmental conscience. Far from complicit in the cleansings of Native Americans that characterized the era, Cooper’s fictions traced native losses to their economic sources.
Perhaps no other American writer stands in greater need of a major reevaluation than Cooper. This is the first treatment of Cooper’s life to be based on full access to his family papers. Cooper’s life, as Franklin relates it, is the story of how, in literature and countless other endeavors, Americans in his period sought to solidify their political and cultural economic independence from Britain and, as the Revolutionary generation died, stipulate what the maturing republic was to become. The first of two volumes, James Fenimore Cooper: The Early Years covers Cooper’s life from his boyhood up to 1826, when, at the age of thirty-six, he left with his wife and five children for Europe.

Charles C. Nash - Library Journal

Dulled since Mark Twain's literary lampoon, Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offenses, Cooper's once-glowing reputation is finally returned to luster with this magnificent study by Franklin (English & American studies, Univ. of Connecticut). In the first of a two-volume work, Franklin gives a terrifically detailed account of how Cooper ran afoul of a crew of duplicitous businessmen while embarking on his writing career and ends the volume in 1826, as the 36-year-old Cooper, having wrapped up his worrisome financial affairs and written some dozen chapters of his soon-to-be-fabulously successful The Last of the Mohicans, leaves America for a seven-year sojourn in Europe. Franklin's research-there are 152 pages of notes for this volume alone-is staggering. He is best when serving up the details of Cooper's life and circle of New York society. And though he includes, e.g., literary criticism of the "Leatherstocking Tales" series, Franklin never tries to stuff his overriding theses down readers' throats. Geared toward educated adults, this is also a good choice for those looking for an introduction to Cooper's life and work. Highly recommended.

Wayne Franklin is author of The New World of James Fenimore Cooper and coeditor of the Norton Anthology of American Literature.  His research on Cooper has had the financial support of the American Antiquarian Society, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Stanton W. and Elisabeth K. Davis Foundation, and the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation. He is professor of English and director of American studies at the University of Connecticut.