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Though Satanstoe has been too much neglected by readers of Cooper's time and ours, it is one of his most interesting books, combining nostalgic autobiographical recollections, pictures of manners, action and adventure, and social philosophy in one of the author's happiest experiments in fiction. Ostensibly, it gives a comprehensive view of colonial life and society in New York State in the middle of the eighteenth century, blending all these elements with the narrative skill for which the author has always been famous.

The oddly diverse character of James Fenimore Cooper's writings and activities has led many critics to view his career as fragmentary. Stephen Railton takes a psychoanalytic approach to the novelist's most important works and the most significant events in his life. By showing how the aesthetic struggle to create reflected attempts to reconcile conflicting emotional needs, the author is able to provide a much-needed coherent interpretation of Cooper's achievement. Professor Railton's analysis shows that an awareness of the extent to which Cooper's father dominated his life is central to an understanding of his novels and his often contradictory behavior. Originally published in 1978. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Many are unfamiliar with James Fenimore Cooper, even though every American comes across his work in the class or on TV. Today he is best remembered as a novelist who wrote numerous sea-stories and the historical novels known as the Leatherstocking Tales, featuring frontiersman Natty Bumppo. Cooper's most famous novel is The Last of the Mohicans, which was one of the novels comprising The Leatherstocking Tales and was later made into a popular movie.