"Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offences" by Mark Twain is an essay published in July 1895. Written as biting satire, it ruthlessly attacks the novels of James Fenimore Cooper, particularly his Leatherstocking Tales. Twain lists eighteen literary rules he claims Cooper violates, pointing to specific examples of bloated prose and careless craft. The essay showcases Twain's signature derisive humor while declaring Romantic literature dead in post-Civil War America. Critics remain divided—some call it hilarious, others argue Twain deliberately misread Cooper's work. ... Read more
About this eBook
| Author | Twain, Mark, 1835-1910 |
|---|---|
| Title | Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offences |
| Note | Wikipedia page about this book: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenimore_Cooper%27s_Literary_Offenses |
| Credits | Produced by David Widger |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 68.7 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Criticism -- United States |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 3172 |
| Release Date | Sep 16, 2004 |
| Last Update | Jan 27, 2021 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 5353 downloads in the last 30 days. |
Original page: gutenberg.org/ebooks/3172