The Last of the Mohicans vs The Pathfinder: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Natty Bumppo, Indians of North America, Frontier and pioneer life, Historical Fiction, History, Fiction
The Last of the Mohicans
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The classic tale of Hawkeye—Natty Bumppo—the frontier scout who turned his back on "civilization," and his friendship with a Mohican warrior as they escort two sisters through the dangerous wilderness of Indian country…
The Pathfinder
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Vigorous, self-reliant, amazingly resourceful, and moral, Natty Bumppo is the prototype of the Western hero. A faultless arbiter of wilderness justice, he hates middle-class hypocrisy. But he finds his love divided…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Last of the Mohicans is the quickest read — about 7 hours vs 11 for The Pathfinder.
- The Last of the Mohicans has the widest readership — 104057 ratings behind its score.
- The Last of the Mohicans reaches further in scholarship and criticism — cited 14 times.
- The Last of the Mohicans runs the darker storyline; The Pathfinder stays the lighter read.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| The Last of the Mohicans | The Pathfinder | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.7 (104057) | 3.9 (5045) |
| Hardcover | 3.2 (95) | 3.9 (9) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (29) | — |
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Reception
| The Last of the Mohicans | The Pathfinder | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 104057 | 5045 |
| Editions | 864 | 427 |
| Citations | 14 | 1 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 68326 | 4427 |
| Reading it now | 6265 | 254 |
| Written reviews | 3808 | 179 |
| Wikipedia attention | 92529 | 849 |
| Pages | 400 | 622 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The Last of the Mohicans or The Pathfinder?
The Pathfinder has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Pathfinder 3.9/5, The Last of the Mohicans 3.7/5).
Which is shorter to read: The Last of the Mohicans or The Pathfinder?
The Last of the Mohicans is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Last of the Mohicans (400 pages, ≈ 7 h 24 m); The Pathfinder (622 pages, ≈ 11 h 31 m).
Which is harder to read: The Last of the Mohicans or The Pathfinder?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Last of the Mohicans: Challenging; The Pathfinder: Demanding.