The Deerslayer

How did they sound--the people who, long ago, lived at or beyond the edge of the settled world? Raymond Todd answers this question as well as an audio performer can: by varying accents, pace, and inflection to convey both character types and individuals like Natty Bumpo and Chingachgook. The results are plausible and entertaining. Todd enlivens the outdated qualities of Cooper's novel, specifically, excessive soliloquizing on the part of all characters--especially Bumpo--and Cooper's oft-cited views on red and white "gifts." Nonetheless, the novel remains valuable in providing a glimpse of a long-vanished world. T.J.W. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine