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The Sketch Book

It consists of 34 sketches depicting both English and American life. The majority of the sketches are descriptions of rural England, the most famous being Stratford-on-Avon, Westminster A bbey, Rural Life in England. Yet, Irving's main merit lies in his creation of folk-tales of the Dutch colonial settlers of New York and sketches of the American Indians. They express the character, ways of thought, ideals and aspirations of the American simple people. The best known sketches of American life are Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

In his sketches Irving uses legends, fairy-tales and records of customs and characters which he had collected from personal talks with old folks and which, to his mind, created the genuine history of society. Irving also describes the charm of American countryside with their lakes, their majestic mountains, wild forests, fertile valleys and boundless plains.

The Sketch Book is more than a romantic fairy-tale about the past of America. It contains rather sharp social observations. Thus, when Rip awakes after his 20 years' sleep, he finds America unchanged though a very important event, the American Revolution has taken place. Irving describes Rip's return to his village during an electioneering campaign with much irony.

The Sketch Book established Irving as one of the creators of the genre of story in America. The style of Irving's writing is easy, natural and graceful. His style and colourful descriptions of landscapes make him Father of American prose.

2. JAMES FENIMORE COOPER (1789-1851)

James Fenimore Cooper was born in Burlington, New Jersey, in the family of a rich landowner.

This place now called Cooperstown, was a frontier town; beyond it was wooded wilderness. The future author grew up in Cooperstown where he saw the varied life on the border of wilderness. He heard many tales of adventures and learned to feel the mystery of the dark forest.

He studied at Yale for three yeas but most of their education he got from out-door life. When James was ten years old, he could ride on horseback, fish, swim, shoot with bow and arrow and skate.

In 1806 he joined the navy and for a year he served on a merchant ship as an ordinary sailor and then he was a midshipman in the United States Navy. In 1810 James Cooper married and settled down to a life of a farmer and country gentleman.

Cooper began writing at the age of thirty. In 1820 he produced his first novel Precaution. This novel on English manners was a failure but it succeeded in arousing persistence in the young writer. In 1821 he published his second book The Spy which dealt with events of the War of Independence. The book was an immediate success in England and America. Its success made him write another book The Pioneers, and later The Last or the Mohicans. He wrote six novels for five years, and they established his reputation as a writer.

In 1826 Cooper went to Europe for a tour. He had spent seven years (1826—1834) travelling in England, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. He worked all the time. He wrote seven novels, a lot of articles, essays and letters, Cooper left about 40 books belonging to various genres: 1) five romances of the American frontier The Leatherstocking Tales; 2) sea tales, the most famous among which are The Pilot (1823), Red Rover (1827), and The Two Admirals (1842); 3) historical novels, such as Lionel Lincoln (1825), The Bravo (1831), The Heidenmauer (1832) and The Headsman (1833); 4) a social satire The Monikins (1836).

According to their merits Cooper's works are very unequal and his views on various subjects are contradictory. In his historical novels on Europe Cooper showed the superiority of American democracy. Later, when he returned from the trip to Europe, he was disappointed in American life. In his novels Homeward Bound (1838), Home as Found (1838) and his essays A Latter to his Countrymen (1834) and The American Democrat (1838) Cooper criticized the bourgeoisie, its lack of culture and the corruption of the press. James Fenimore Cooper died at Cooperstown on September 14, 1851.