Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offences (Version 2) by TWAIN, Mark

This is Mark Twains vicious and amusing review of Fenimore Coopers literary art. It is still read widely in academic circles. Twains essay, Fenimore Coopers Literary Offenses (often spelled Offences) (1895), particularly criticized The Deerslayer and The Pathfinder. Twain wrote at the beginning of the essay: In one place in Deerslayer, and in the restricted space of two-thirds of a page, Cooper has scored 114 offenses against literary art out of a possible 115. It breaks the record. Twain listed 19 rules governing literary art in domain of romantic fiction, 18 of which Cooper violates in The Deerslayer. (Introduction by Wikipedia and John Greenman)