Book Review: "Deerslayer" by James Fenimore Cooper

Deerslayer (1841) by James Fenimore Cooper  This is one of my all-time favorite novels.  The author does a good job of developing the characters just enough to cause you to fall in love with them (or to hate them) but with enough mystery surrounding them to make them still seem like real people.  It is amazing how short a period of time such a large book fills, but this is accounted for by the extensive detail given to scenery and depictions of events as well as extensive conversations which take place for seemingly no reason except character development.  After reading this book you feel that you have spent the past week with the characters, just hanging out and getting to know them.  The themes that carry throughout the book are truth, natural gifts, race, and innocence.  All in all, I would highly recommend this book to anyone.