h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Most if my life is behind me, so I'm trying to catch up on important things that I have yet to try, while I still have my health, what's left of it.

Six years ago, I started an ambitious reading project that was supposed to acquaint me with the books that *everyone* ought to have read. So, I may be late to the feast, but I will at least be able to discuss important stuff with people who know what they are talking. Hopefuloly, that is.

Recently, a column in "The Post", featured "The Pathfinder" by James Fennimore Cooper. I had heard of him, but had never read any of his books. Of course, the column in question focused of Cooper as an example of what not to do when you are writing a novel. mark Twain/Samuel Clemens* was quoted regarding the serious inadequacies of Cooper as a writer.

I borrowed a copy of "The pathfinder" so that I could see how the much-disparaged passage in question fits into the context of the novel as a whole.

I'm almost up to page 100 by now. I think the book would go well with a recent book called "Barkskins" by Annie Proulx. I expect that Proulx did extensive research to fathom hat the worldviews of people were during the times when the book was set. Mabel/Magnet is often referred to as delicate because she was a woman.The men around her are noble in their efforts to protect her from the non-Christian savages who happen to be Iroquois and other First nations people.

The leader of one tribe was called the "Sarpent."

People of that era didn't see the world the same way we do. Is our view of the world superior to theirs? I don't know. I know that it;s dfferent. remember, there are may ways to be diferently wrong....





*Using Twain as a standard of excellence makes almost as little sense as using Jonathan Swift, who was notorious for books that featured unreliable narrators. I gather that not many people have read his autobiography. I have done so. Twain can be read as a humorist who embellishes the truth outrageously at times. I love that about him, but I think it weakens his credibility. As it happens, what he said about Cooper was probably on the mark, given Cooper's tendency to write diatribes. I have trouble believing that anybody really liked Cooper. Twain just happened to be ready with a memorable zinger about the man,. Caveat elctor.