James Fenimore Cooper. Born September 15, 1789 in Burlington, USA - died September 14, 1851 in Cooperstown, USA. American novelist and satirist. A classic of adventure literature.

Soon after Fenimore's birth, his father, Judge William Cooper, a fairly wealthy landowner, moved to New York State and founded the village of Cooperstown there, which turned into a town. Having received his initial education at a local school, Cooper went to Yale University, but without completing the course, he entered the naval service (1806-1811) and was assigned to the construction of a warship on Lake Ontario.

To this circumstance we owe the remarkable descriptions of Ontario found in his famous novel “The Pathfinder, or On the Shores of Ontario.”

In 1811, Cooper married a Frenchwoman, Susan Augusta Delancey, who came from a family that sympathized with England during the Revolutionary War; its influence explains those relatively mild reviews of the English and the English government that are found in Cooper's early novels. Chance made him a writer. Once reading a novel aloud to his wife, Cooper noticed that it was not difficult to write better. His wife took him at his word, and in order not to seem like a braggart, he wrote his first novel, Precaution (1820), in a few weeks.

Assuming that, due to the already begun competition between English and American authors, English criticism would react unfavorably to his work, Cooper did not sign his name for the first novel, “Precaution” (1820), and transferred the action of this novel to England. The latter circumstance could only harm the book, which revealed the author’s poor acquaintance with English life and which caused very unfavorable reviews from English critics.

Cooper’s second novel, already from American life, was the famous “The Spy, or the Tale of the Neutral Ground” (1821), which had enormous success not only in America, but also in Europe.

Then Cooper wrote a whole series of novels from American life (“The Pioneers, or At the Sources of the Susquehanna,” 1823; “The Last of the Mohicans,” 1826; “The Barrens,” otherwise “The Prairie,” 1827; “The Discoverer of Trace,” otherwise “The Pathfinder,” 1840; “The Deer Hunter,” otherwise known as “The Deerslayer, or the First Warpath,” 1841), where he depicted the wars of the European aliens among themselves, in which they involved the American Indians, forcing the tribes to fight against each other. The hero of these novels is the hunter Natti (Nathanael) Bumpo, who performs under different names(Deerslayer, Pathfinder, Hawkeye, Leather Stocking, Long Carbine), energetic and handsome, soon became a favorite of the European public. Idealized, although with subtle humor and satire, usually accessible only to an adult reader, Cooper’s works are not only this representative European civilization, but also some of the Indians (Chingachgook, Uncas).

The success of this series of novels was so great that even English criticism had to recognize Cooper's talent and called him American. In 1826 Cooper went to Europe, where he spent seven years. The fruit of this journey was several novels - "Bravo, or in Venice", "The Headsman", "Mercedes of Castile", - set in Europe.

The mastery of the story and its ever-increasing interest, the vividness of the descriptions of nature, which emanate the primeval freshness of the virgin forests of America, the relief in the depiction of characters who stand before the reader as if alive - these are Cooper’s advantages as a novelist. He also wrote maritime novels “The Pilot, or a Maritime Story” (1823), “The Red Corsair” (1827).

Upon his return from Europe, Cooper wrote the political allegory "Monikins" (1835), five volumes travel notes(1836-1838), several novels from American life (“Satanstowe”; 1845 and others), the pamphlet “The American Democrat” (1838). In addition, he also wrote “History of the United States Navy”, 1839. The desire for complete impartiality revealed in this work did not satisfy either his compatriots or the British; the controversy it caused poisoned last years Cooper's life

In the early 1840s, Cooper's novels were very popular in Russia. The first translations into Russian were made by children's writer A. O. Ishimova. In particular, the novel “The Pathfinder” (Russian translation of 1841), published in the journal Otechestvennye Zapiski, aroused great public interest, which was described as a Shakespearean drama in the form of a novel.

The adventure novels of James Fenimore Cooper were very popular in the USSR; their author was quickly recognized by his second, rare name, Fenimore. For example, in the film “The Mystery of Fenimore,” the third episode of the children’s television mini-series “Three Merry Shifts” of 1977 based on the stories of Yu. Yakovlev, it tells about a mysterious stranger named Fenimore, who in a pioneer camp comes to the boys’ ward at night and tells amazing stories about Indians and aliens.

Bibliography of Fenimore Cooper:

1820 - “Precaution”
1821 - The Spy: A Tale of the Neutral Ground
1823 - short stories (Tales for Fifteen: or Imagination and Heart)
1823 - The Pilot: A Tale of the Sea
1825 - “Lionel Lincoln, or The Siege of Boston” (Lionel Lincoln, or The leaguer of Boston)
1826 - “The Last of the Mohicans”
1827 - “The Steppes”, otherwise “The Prairie” (The Prairie)
1827 - “The Red Corsair” (The Red Rover)
1828 - Notions of the Americans: Picked up by a Traveling Bachelor
1829 - “The valley of Wish-ton-Wish” (The wept of Wish-ton-Wish)
1830 - “The Water-Witch: or the Skimmer of the Seas”
1830 - Letter to General Lafayette politics
1831 - “Bravo, or in Venice” (The bravo)
1832 - “The Heidenmauer: or, The Benedictines, A Legend of the Rhine”
1832 - short stories (No Steamboats)
1833 - “The headsman, or The Abbaye des vignerons”
1834 - A Letter to His Countrymen
1835 - “The Monikins”
1836 - memoirs (The Eclipse)
1836 - Gleanings in Europe: Switzerland (Sketches of Switzerland)
1836 - Gleanings in Europe: The Rhine
1836 - A Residence in France: With an Excursion Up the Rhine, and a Second Visit to Switzerland
1837 - Gleanings in Europe: France travel
1837 - Gleanings in Europe: England travel
1838 - pamphlet “The American Democrat” (The American Democrat: or Hints on the Social and Civic Relations of the United States of America)
1838 - Gleanings in Europe: Italy travel
1838 - The Chronicles of Cooperstown
1838 - Hommeward Bound: or The Chase: A Tale of the Sea
1838 - Home as Found: Sequel to Homeward Bound
1839 - The History of the Navy of the United States of America
1839 - Old Ironsides
1840 - “The Pathfinder, or The inland sea”
1840 - “Mercedes of Castile: or, The Voyage to Cathay”
1841 - “The Deerslayer: or The First Warpath”
1842 - “The two admirals”
1842 - “Will-o’-the-wisp” (Wing-and-Wing, or Le feu-follet)
1843 - “Wyandotté: or The Hutted Knoll. A Tale”
1843 - Richard Dale
1843 - biography (Ned Myers: or Life before the Mast) (Autobiography of a Pocket-Handkerchief or Le Mouchoir: An Autobiographical Romance or The French Governess: or The Embroidered Handkerchief or Die franzosischer Erzieheren: oder das gestickte Taschentuch)
1844 - “On Sea and on Land” (Afloat and Ashore: or The Adventures of Miles Wallingford. A Sea Tale)
1844 - Miles Wallingford: Sequel to Afloat and Ashore
1844 - Proceedings of the Naval Court-Martial in the Case of Alexander Slidell Mackenzie, &c
1845 - “Satanstoe” (Satanstoe: or The Littlepage Manuscripts, a Tale of the Colony)
1845 - “The Land Surveyor” (The Chainbearer; or, The Littlepage Manuscripts)
1846 - “The Redskins; or, Indian and Injin: Being the Conclusion of the Littlepage Manuscripts”
1846 - Lives of Distinguished American Naval Officers biography
1847 - “The Crater; or, Vulcan’s Peak: A Tale of the Pacific”
1848 - “The Oak Grove” or “Gleades in the Oak Groves, or the Bee-Hunter” (The Oak Openings: or the Bee-Hunter)
1848 - “Jack Tier: or the Florida Reefs”
1849 - The Sea Lions: The Lost Sealers
1850 - “New Trends” (The ways of the hour)
1850 - play (Upside Down: or Philosophy in Petticoats), satirization of socialism
1851 - short story The Lake Gun
1851 - New York: or The Towns of Manhattan (unfinished work on the history of New York City)

Famous American writer early 19th century, author of adventure novels about early settlers and Indians. His most famous work is the novel " Last of the Magicans».

James Fenimore Cooper/ James Fenimore Cooper was born on September 15, 1789 in Burlington, New Jersey, the son of a US congressman William Cooper/William Cooper and Elizabeth Fenimore/ Elizabeth Fenimore. He was the eleventh of twelve children. One of his ancestors came to New World from the English town of Straitford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of Shakespeare. Soon after James was born, the family moved to Cooperstown, a town founded by his father on the shores of Lake Otsego.

At the age of 13 James Fenimore Cooper entered Yale, but was expelled three years later due to a prank by a fellow student.

In 1806, 17-year-old Cooper decided to become a sailor and signed up on a merchant ship. During his voyage, he managed to visit the coasts of England and Spain. By 1811 he had become a midshipman in the fledgling US Navy. Order to assign him officer rank was signed by future US President Thomas Jefferson. After several campaigns, Cooper returned to his native state of New York, where he participated in the construction of a schooner intended for the war with England. IN free time James Fenimore Cooper often wandered through the forests and explored the surroundings of the lake where the Indians lived.

At the age of 20 James Fenimore Cooper received an inheritance from his father.

In 1820, his wife bet Cooper whether he could write a better book than the one she was reading. In reply James Fenimore Cooper wrote a novel " Precaution” and published it under a pseudonym. In 1823 he wrote " Pioneers", where the Delaware leader Chingachgook first appeared. In 1826 he became the protagonist of James Fenimore Cooper's most famous novel, The Last of the Mohicans" It was one of the most popular novels in 19th century America.

That same year, Cooper moved with his family to Europe, where he hoped to earn more income from books and give his children a good education. During this period, he began to write novels on a maritime theme: “ Red Corsair" And " Sea sorceress" In Paris, he also wrote articles on political topics for French magazines, in which he defended his homeland. European history inspired him to create the novel " Bravo, or in Venice».

In 1833, the Coopers returned to the United States and restored the estate in Cooperstown, built by the writer's father.

In 1839 James Fenimore Cooper finished his work “History of the US Navy,” for which he collected materials for 14 years.

In 1840 Cooper returned to the adventure genre and wrote the novel Pathfinder, or On the Shores of Ontario" A year later, another famous novel was published James Fenimore Cooper « St. John's wort, or the first warpath».

In 1847 he wrote the utopia " Crater"about US history. His last book « New trends"was published in 1850.

Personal life of James Fenimore Cooper / James Fenimore Cooper

In 1811 James Fenimore Cooper married a wealthy heiress Susan Auguste de Lancie/ Susan Augusta de Lancey. The couple had seven children, two of whom died in infancy.

James's daughter Susan Fenimore Cooper became a writer and active suffragist. The writer and his great-great-grandson Paul Fenimore Cooper/ Paul Fenimore Cooper.

Death of James Fenimore Cooper / James Fenimore Cooper

The writer died on September 14, 1851 from dropsy, on the eve of his 62nd birthday. His wife survived him by several months.

In 1992, a film was made based on the novel by James Fenimore Cooper "The Last of the Magicans" with Daniel Day-Lewis / in leading role. The film won an Oscar for Best Sound and grossed over $75 million at the box office.

James Fenimore Cooper - American novelist, the first writer of the New World, whose work was recognized by the Old World and became a powerful incentive for further development American novel.

His homeland was Burlington (New Jersey), where he was born on September 15, 1789 into a family whose head was a judge, congressman, and large landowner. He became the founder of the village of Cooperstown in New York State, which quickly grew into a small town. There, James Fenimore was educated at a local school, and, as a 14-year-old teenager, became a student at Yale University. Higher education Could not get it because Cooper was expelled from his alma mater for violations of discipline.

During 1806-1811. the future writer served in the merchant navy, and later in the navy. In particular, he had the opportunity to participate in the construction of a warship on Lake Ontario. The knowledge and impressions he gained subsequently helped him delight the public with excellent descriptions of the lake in his works.

In 1811, Cooper became a family man; his wife was the Frenchwoman Delana. It was thanks to a chance argument with her, as legend has it, that James Fenimore tried himself as a writer. The reason was allegedly a phrase he dropped while reading someone’s novel aloud, about how it’s not difficult to write better. As a result, just a few weeks later, the novel “Precaution” was written, set in England. This happened in 1820. The debut remained unnoticed by the public. But already in 1821, “The Spy, or the Tale of Neutral Territory” was published, romanticizing the period of the American Revolution and the struggle for national independence, and the author became famous not only in his homeland, but also in European countries.

Written in subsequent years, the series of novels “Pioneers, or the Origins of Sasquianna” (1823), “The Last of the Mohicans” (1826), “The Prairie” (1827), “Pathfinder, or Lake-Sea” (1840), “St. John’s Wort, or the First Warpath" (1841), dedicated to the American Indians and their relations with Europeans, made James Fenimore Cooper famous throughout the world. A somewhat idealized image of the hunter Natty Bumppo, no less interesting images Chingachgook and some other “children of nature” quickly aroused universal sympathy. The success of the series of novels was enormous, and even harsh British critics were forced to admit it, calling him the American Walter Scott.

Even after becoming famous writer, J.F. Cooper did not focus exclusively on literature. In 1826-1833 his biography is connected with a large-scale journey across the European continent as the American consul in French Lyon (the position was rather nominal than requiring active work). Cooper visited not only France, but also Germany, England, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy.

Gained fame, etc. maritime novels, in particular, “The Pilot” (1823), “The Red Corsair” (1828), “The Sea Sorceress” (1830), “Mercedes of Castile” (1840). Available in creative heritage J.F. Cooper works of a historical, political, journalistic nature. The History of the American Navy, published by him in 1839, characterized by its desire for impartiality, turned both the Americans and the British against him. In particular, the residents of Cooperstown decided to remove all books of the famous fellow countryman from the local library. Litigation with them, with the journalistic fraternity, Cooper took a lot of strength and health in the last years of his life. He died on September 14, 1851; the cause of death was given as cirrhosis of the liver.

Fenimore Cooper short biography And Interesting Facts from the life of an American novelist are presented in this article e.

Fenimore Cooper short biography

The future American writer was born in 1879 in the city of Burlington (New Jersey) in the family of a farmer. Since his parents had financial means, they were able to give their son a decent education: first he studied at a local school, then he was sent to Yale College.

But studying at college was not very to the liking of young Cooper, and at the age of 17 he entered the naval service. James first served as a sailor on a merchant ship, then on a military ship. Future writer sailed on the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean. During his travels, Fenimore discovered the world, gained life experience. In 1810, James's father died, and the young man ended his naval career, inheriting a decent fortune at that time. A year later, Fenimore Cooper marries and begins to lead a sedentary life, settling in the town of Scarsdale. In 1821 he wrote his first work, "Precaution".

Continuing literary activity, the writer wrote a patriotic novel, The Spy, in which he expressed interest in the Revolutionary War taking place in America. His books quickly became popular all over the world. James went on a “literary tour” of Europe in 1826. Long time he lived in France and Italy, interested in the Old and New Worlds. In Europe, a novelist wrote novels in marine theme- “The Sea Sorceress”, “The Red Corsair”, as well as the fascinating medieval trilogy “The Executioner”, “Heidenmauer”, “Bravo”.

After 7 years spent in Europe, Fenimore Cooper returns to America and observes the following picture: the industrial revolution destroyed patriarchal relations in society, and money became the main priority in people's thinking. The writer called this phenomenon a moral eclipse and tried to call on fellow citizens to fight against distorted morality. But the American bourgeoisie accused Cooper of personal arrogance, lack of patriotism and literary talent.

After such a fiasco, the writer retired to the village of Cooperstown, continuing to write historical and journalistic novels about the city of New York and the US Navy. Great writer died in September 1851.

The most famous works Fenimore Cooper- “Pioneers”, “Deerslayer”, “Pathfinder”, “The Last of the Mohicans”, “Prairie”.

Fenimore Cooper interesting facts

• In 1811, Cooper married a Frenchwoman, Delana. She loved to read books. According to legend, James read the novel out loud to his wife and said that he could write just as well himself. Delana argued with her husband about this. And Fenimore wrote a novel a few weeks later called “Precaution.”
• James Cooper's parents were financially secure people and had high position in society. They lived in big house with the name Otsego Hall. Therefore, they gave their son the best education.
• The author's first novel, Precaution, was published anonymously.
• He was 11 of 12 children in the family. However, most of them died in childhood. Cooper himself had 7 children, 2 of whom died at an early age.
• In 1826, James took the double surname Fenimore-Cooper in honor of his maternal relatives. Over time, the hyphen disappeared from the surname.
• The novel "The Last of the Mohicans" is considered a masterpiece.
• At age 13, the author was enrolled at Yale University. In his third year, Cooper was expelled due to some stunts. He blew up one student's door and tied a donkey in the reading room.

Years of life: from 09/15/1789 to 09/14/1851

Famous American historian and adventure novelist, author of the Leatherstocking series - Natty Bumppo

Born in Burlington (New Jersey). He spent his childhood in frontier Cooperstown, founded by his father, W. Cooper. He received his education at Yale University, but did not graduate. From 1806 to 1811 Cooper served in the navy. Having married a Frenchwoman, Delana, in 1811, he devoted himself to his family and the agricultural and socio-political interests of Cooperstown. In 1820 he composed a traditional novel of morals, Precaution, for his daughters. Cooper's next novel, The Spy (1821), received international recognition, and Cooper moved with his family to New York, where he soon became a prominent literary figure and leader of writers who advocated for the national identity of American literature.

Then Cooper wrote a whole series of novels from American life ("Pioneers", 1823; "The Last of the Mohicans", 1826; "The Barrens", otherwise "Prairie", 1827; "The Discoverer of Trace", otherwise "Pathfinder", 1840; "The Hunter for deer", otherwise "St. John's wort, or the First Warpath", 1841), in which he depicted the struggle of European aliens with American Indians. The series was such a success that even English critics were forced to recognize Cooper’s talent and called him “the American Walter Scott.”

In 1826 Cooper went to Europe, where he spent seven years.

The writer spent the last twelve years of his life, the most mature and fruitful in his work, in Cooperstown.

Information about the works:

In the early 1840s, Cooper's novels were very popular in Russia. In particular, the one published in “ Domestic notes""Discoverer of Trails" ("Pathfinder, or On the Shores of Ontario", "The Pathfinder", Russian translation 1841), about which V. G. Belinsky said that this is a Shakespearean drama in the form of a novel.

Bibliography

Precaution (1820)
(1821)
(1823)
(1823)
Lionel Lincoln (Siege of Boston) (1825)
(1826)
(1827)
(1828)
(1829)
(1830)
(1831)
Heidenmauer, or Benedictines (1832)
The Executioner, or The Abbey of the Winegrowers (1833)
Monikins (1836)
Memoirs (1836)
Gleanings in Europe: Switzerland (1836)
Gleanings in Europe: The Rhine (1836)
A Residence in France: With an Excursion Up the Rhine, and a Second Visit to Switzerland (1836)
Gleanings in Europe: France travel (1837)
Gleanings in Europe: England travel (1837)
American Democrat (1838)
Gleanings in Europe: Italy travel (1838)
The Chronicles of Cooperstown (1838)
Hommeward Bound: or The Chase: A Tale of the Sea (1838)
Home as Found: Sequel to Homeward Bound (1838)
History of the American Navy (1839)
Old Ironsides (1839)
(Lake-Sea, Discoverer of Trace) (1840)
(1840)
(1841)
(1842)
(1842)
(1843)
(1844)
(1844)
Proceedings of the Naval Court-Martial in the Case of Alexander Slidell Mackenzie, &c. (1844)
Satanstowe (1845)
Surveyor (1845)
Redskins (1846)
1847 - Late Cooper's pessimism is expressed in the utopia Crater, an allegorical history of the United States.
(1848)
Jack Tier: or the Florida Reefs (1848)
Sea Lions (1849)
New trends (1850)
Upside Down: or Philosophy in Petticoats (1850)
The Lake Gun (1851)
New York: or The Towns of Manhattan (an unfinished work on the history of New York City) (1851)

Film adaptations of works, theatrical performances

1967 - Chingachgook - Big Snake
1987 - Pathfinder
1992 - The Last of the Mohicans