Afloat and Ashore: A Sea Tale

Afloat and Ashore #1

by James Fenimore Cooper

The definitive edition of American writer Cooper's 1844 seafaring novel is supported by a 37-page historical introduction that places it in the contexts both of his writing career and the literary milieu of the middle 19th century, examines the style and strategy of the first-person narrative, and teases out some of the sources he used to make his account credible to his readers. Each volume contains one of the two parts Cooper originally intended the novel to appear in. For each part, explanatory and textual notes, emendations, rejected readings, and word-divisions are provided. The second part is also followed by textual commentary and a note on the manuscript and proof sheets. The two volumes are paged separately. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Genres: Classics, Historical Fiction, Fiction, American, Adventure

380 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1844

About the author

James Fenimore Cooper was a popular and prolific American writer. He is best known for his historical novel The Last of the Mohicans, one of the Leatherstocking Tales stories, and he also wrote political fiction, maritime fiction, travelogues, and essays on the American politics of the time. His daughter Susan Fenimore Cooper was also a writer.

Series:
* The Leatherstocking Tales
* The Littlepage Manuscripts
* Afloat and Ashore
* Homeward Bound

Reviews

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you have never read Cooper, start with this book. Unlike his other novels, this was written in the first person and the narrating hero Miles Wallingford immediately jumps into the action. This was a refreshing departure from Cooper's other tales which begin with at least three chapters of geographic description and political commentary. Afloat and Ashore showcases some of Cooper's most vivid writing. For example, when Miles Wallingford and friends are adrift in a storm and trying to catch the attention of a nearby ship:

"...but what was the human voice amid the music of the winds striking the various cords, and I may add chords, in the mazes of a square-rigged vessel's hamper, accompanied by the base of the roaring ocean!"

Of course, you should keep a dictionary handy while reading Afloat and Ashore as you would with any Cooper novel. You will encounter words that are familiar, but have never been used in such correct context: "Such is war and its concomitants!"

Cooper had been a sailor and writes convincingly of life at sea. The "Afloat" sections of the story are fast moving and fascinating. Wallingford leaves his estate on the Hudson to pursue the avocation of his grandfather and father -that of a sailor- and encounters pirates, privateers, storms, desert islands and a variety of engaging old salts. He even engineers the most elaborate escape from Indians ever told in a Cooper story. It is one that would put Natty Bumppo to shame. However, the social commentary, intrigues and tortured love stories of "Ashore" are weak.

Written late in his life, Cooper uses Wallingford, as his mouthpiece for his own personal complaints about New York society, and the irreligiousness of the New Republic. He is the old man of classic literature yelling at people to get off his lawn. In Afloat and Ashore Cooper revealed a terrible prejudice. While he was a champion of Indigenous People in the Leatherstocking Tales and Wyandotte, he does not display the same feelings toward African Americans. Myles Wallingford's faithful slave Neb is undoubtedly his best friend. Neb singlehandedly saves the ship from pirates and French privateers on two separate occasions, but is never recognized by the crew. Wallingford offers Neb his freedom, but, the man refuses. "I belong to you and you belong to me," was Neb's reply. This could be interpreted in three ways: a wonderful friendship; or the slave's actual mastery over the master; or Cooper simply wishes to keep the black man in his place. Further language confirms the latter. Several times Cooper describes the slaves as happy go lucky people who reveal rows of ivory that are visible from a distance when they smile. He describes Neb as having lips that would provide hefty steaks to a cannibal. The other whites, including Wallingford's guardian (who is an Episcopal priest!) freely call the slaves niggers. Curiously, Wallingford always places that term in quotations.

Unfortunately, Afloat and Ashore does not end so much as it just stops.

[Laura Lieberman · Rating 4 out of 5]

As this is one of Cooper's later books, it's interesting to see the frustrations with American society seep into his writing. Other than this commentary, it's a fun sea tale.

More complicated is the portrayal and commentary of slaves and other black people. Cooper appears to have viewed black people as actual humans who possess sentiments, thoughts and emotions, and one of the characters is strongly in favor of freeing his enslaved personal servant/able seaman/friend, but Cooper also had the same character espouse certain sentiments about slaves' mental prowess that are pretty terrible. And yes, the number of times the n-word is used is painfully high. But I guess one must remember that this was written in the 19th century, though Cooper makes it sound in one passage that he doesn't quite like the term either.

[Axslingin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The life and times of Miles Wallingford, part one, with the sequel literally picking up where this book leaves off-in the middle of an action sequence. It was a time before safe spaces, clap backs and micro-aggressions. In short, masculinity was the order of the day-at least for sea faring types, and it applied to boys as well as men. Miles was one of those boys, and later, became one of those men.

Every chapter, as with other Cooper novels, begins with a quote from some obscure (to me anyway) passage of literature, tenuously related to the coming chapter. The first chapter begins with Miles as a young boy, living off the fat of Clawbonny with his mother and father and sister. Tragedy strikes, as it does with us all at some point, and whether it had anything to do with Miles' decision to leave home and court the sea only he could surmise to tell you. But, being a boy, he may not have had the consciousness to detail what orchestrated his decision, but we have a few clues. His father was a sea faring man, well respected in the region, and Miles did want to emulate that which made him proud. That, combined with a penchant for boyhood adventure, perpetuated by his friend Rupert, Miles bucked what was pre-planned for him by his elders and ran off to sea. For Rupert, it was a dalliance that he soon tired of; for Miles, it was a life changing decision, a departure from the estate of Clawbonny and everything that he had ever known and loved. As expected, the ambivalent pangs of excitement and home sickness were apparent, which would be the case for anybody, but especially for a young boy, but like a Harry Chapin dream, Miles perservered and stayed with the sea.

Given that the time frames for Coopers' novels were set in the early 19th century, the racism of the day was woven throughout the story. No doubt it was not seen as racism at the time, as evidenced by the narrative, although anybody reading this book today will cringe at some of the passages. But again, that's not the way they saw it; in fact, Miles himself had slaves, and as far as he was concerned, he treated them well. For him, the paradox of well treated slaves did not exist, although he did see fit to offer freedom to his most devoted slave, Neb. And devoted he was, stowing away on the first ship Miles was assigned to. He made his bones though, and became quite the seaman himself, although intellectually...It was the 19th century.

As with most sailing stories, the nautical terminology used was frustrating for a lubber like me, as much as I love the idea of sailing the high seas. The shipwreck, the navigating harrowing straits, the maneuvering around pirates was most likely much more gripping than it appeared to me because of my ignorance of nautical terms. I use a website now that defines some of them, but stopping to look up things like taffrrail, and lee, and come to detracted from what are action scenes in the story. But Cooper is an excellent writer, and despite my being a novice with anything sailing the story flowed, with few slow areas, although there were some, especially where Cooper (or was it Miles) opined on the condition of society and the country, and even the press at that time.

Throughout the story, Miles slowly came to the realization that maybe-just maybe, he was falling for a girl he had known all his life. This realization was tested when he got out into the world and saw what it had to offer, but in the end-or was it the end? Miles, being he young as he was, was so imperious as to think that he could decide to choose between Lucy and the English gal, while they awaited his decision. Assuming they even wanted him-either one. Lucy certainly wasn't going to wait, and practically begged him to stay. But alas, he was a young man seeking adventure, and as admirable as that was, it has its consequences. Miles spent some time Monday morning quarterbacking his decisions in that sphere. Did he blow it? He thought he did, but then...well, no, it was too late, but...As for his lifelong friend Rupert, things change, or did adulthood just expose what was already there?

This book has it all, adventure, romance, deceit, regret, anger, fear, love, hate-in short, life, and this is how it unfolded for Miles Wallington. The end of this volume still has the story unfolding-literally, and you have to read the sequel to find out how it all ends for Miles. It appears that Cooper took a very long book, cut it in half and called it a day. But that's okay. If the sequel is as good as this was, I'll be quite happy with it.

[Amy Griffith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chose to read this book when I realized I'd never read anything by James Fenimore Cooper. Initially I was going to read The Last of the Mohicans or start the series that contains it, but when I realized he had a book centered on the sea, I went with that because I enjoy that type of book more. I was very glad I read this book. It was every bit as interesting as a Frederick Marryat book. It is a long book, but it doesn't drag at all.

I will mention that the end is a little maddening. It leaves a lot of loose ends undone. Still, it's an enjoyable read.

[Daniel Callister · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my least favorite of JFC's novels. It could have done without the "ashore" parts and been a much better book for my taste. It was a swashbuckling adventure one moment - a Jane Austen novel the next. Also, my edition gave me no indication I was reading only the first of two volumes and I was left with a very unsatisfying conclusion. I say conclusion because I doubt I will have the interest to ever read vol 2.

[Brom Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nifty story of a kid growing up in the Hudson River Valley, who becomes a clipper ship captain. A bit simplistic, consistent with the genre, but gives a look into the mindset of the times. Light reading.

[Xdw · Rating 2 out of 5]

typical cooper. lovers challenged - unite at end. GOOD sailing descriptions! Cooper's interesting views of New York and America.