James Fenimore Cooper: The Man Who Put the F in Fiction

Termed as ‘America’s first novelist’, James Fenimore Cooper was the perfect example of someone who made a career out of sheer frustration of those who refused to believe his puns were funny. Born in Burlington, New Jersey, in 1789, James Fenimore Cooper cherished a happy childhood, albeit filled with incessant and awful jokes.

In his early years, Cooper attempted to make his way as a sailor and was known for his proficiency in navigation. However, due to his tendency of making bad jokes in the most inappropriate of situations, Cooper was repeatedly dishonorably discharged from the navy, thrice in a year.

Cooper’s literary career spanned an astounding 33 years and included works ranging from historical fiction and travelogues to his personal favorite: crime-solving marine mammals. His best-known works include ‘The Last of the Mohicans’, ‘The Deerslayer’ and ‘The Pioneers’.

His stories were known for their lack of accuracy and vivid imagination. In fact, many critics even suggested Cooper had never actually left his hometown, which he vehemently denied, citing his misadventures during his sailing career as inspiration from his travels.

Despite his lack of factual accuracy, Cooper’s storytelling ability was undeniably strong, and his works captured the essence of the 19th-century America. As Mark Twain famously noted, “Cooper’s art has some defects. 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.”

Cooper was also known for his wit and love for practical jokes which landed him in many a scuffle. Once, he mistook a cow for a horse and attempted to ride it, earning him a black eye and a broken nose. Many of his contemporaries believed that his fondness for practical joking seeped into his books and contributed to its “humorous” flair and exaggerated characters.

James Fenimore Cooper passed away on September 14, 1851, in Cooperstown, New York, leaving behind a legacy that would continue to captivate readers and critics alike. Though many critics scoffed at his unconventional style of writing, it was Cooper’s humor and wit that set him apart from other authors of his time.

In conclusion, despite his tendency to tell bad jokes and inability to separate fact from fiction, James Fenimore Cooper remains an important figure in American literature; A true enigma, making us wonder not only how he managed to write such famous books, but also how on earth those puns elicited a chuckle.