The Clan of the Cave Bear (Earth's Children, Book One) by Jean M. Auel
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Book Reviews of The Clan of the Cave Bear (Earth's Children, Book One)
Book Review: The Clan of the Cave Bear
Summary: 5 Stars
In preparation for the final book in the series coming out, I decided I would reread the books of the series again. I've read them many times and they continue to be one of my favorite collections of books that I've read. Of course its not the most perfect series ever written, but I find it so entertaining that I am able to forgive a lot of its problems.
Ayla is a young girl who has been left alone in the world after a horrible earthquake steals her family for her. She sets off alone at the tender age of five and after being attacked by a cave lion and collapsing, she is found by a tribe of Neanderthals who are searching for a new cave after their previous one collapsed in the earthquake. At first they aim to leave her behind, but the clan's medicine woman Iza finds some tenderness for the child and begs to bring her with them. Brun the clan leader decides that she may but feels (and will continue later) like he doesn't know if he has made the right choice or not. Since Ayla is of the "Others" she doesn't have concept of the Clan's language (which is mostly done through sign) and with Creb's (the clan's Mog-ur spiritual leader) help, Iza teaches her not on the language but how to be a proper clan woman as well. Ayla grows quickly and learns at the same pace and Iza decides that she will be a medicine woman as well and begins to teach her the art. In secret though, Ayla begins learning another skill that could put her in danger with the clan. She learns to hunt with a sling. Such things are forbidden to woman and clan woman would never think to hunt, nor to disobey or do anything that isn't of a domestic art, but Ayla is different and cannot abide by such restrictions. Her secret skills are not the only danger to her however; Broud, the proud son of Brun hates Ayla with a passion and will stop at nothing to make her miserable because of his jealousy. Between him and several other trying instances while she lives with the Clan, Ayla has yet to discover if she is truly in her proper place in the world.
The characters in this series are developed really well and every one is important to the story. They all evoke some emotion as well. For example, I can't stand Broud, respect Brun, have affection for Creb and feel that Iza is a motherly figure. Ayla, is a good mix of character and has actions and emotions that are both good and bad and keep her seeming real (this will change in other books of the series but for this one, is done well).
The writing is very descriptive but doesn't slow the story down. There is some violence and rape scenes and if this bothers you, you should probably not read this book. I'm sure there are discrepancies with some historical, botanical, etc. facts within this book, but as I don't know much about any of those subjects, it didn't make a difference in the enjoyment of the book for me.
Overall I highly recommend the series and even the worse of the books is still entertaining. This edition, Clan of the Cave Bear, especially is one of the better books of the series and a good read even if you don't plan on reading the rest.
Clan of the Cave Bear
Copyright 1980
468 pages
Review by M. Reynard 2011
Book Review: One of my Top Ten Favs...
Summary: 5 Stars
An old favorite, the series by Auel was just recently brought back to mind when I found it at the library and reread The Clan of the Cave Bear. I had the entire series up to The Shelters of Stone but unfortunately lost them in Katrina. Between that and my 1st edition collection of Harry Potter hardbacks I still swallow a sniffle. An epic tale, deeply rooted in historical fantasy, the series is a wonderful view of pre-historic man's (woman's) life and a series that I cherished for a long time. While the last book that I read The Shelters of Stone was a disappointment, the other books were highly enjoyable and up there as a Top Ten PJV Series Favorite.
REVIEW: The series focuses on a Cro-Magnun female named Ayla who loses her parents in an earthquake and is raised by Neanderthals. Being a member of a more evolved species than Neanderthal man, Ayla is distrusted by a lot of the Neanderthal clan, but loved by the woman Isa that adopted her, and her brother, the spiritual leader of the clan. The first book covers Ayla's life within the clan and the trials she must face as a child of the Others, never to fully be accepted by her adopted people.
In later books (you might want to stop reading here if you would like to avoid spoilers) Ayla travels from her life within the Neanderthal clan to find her own people. On the journey she finds out just how diverse her own people are and how even distrust runs through them when an unknown element is introduced. Ayla even finds something that she would have never found within the Clan. She finds love, the love of a man and with him she finally finds acceptance and home. Their journey is what plays out in the later books, always hinting at a final bloody conclusion that matches Clan with Other, the son she left within the Clan and the son she will bear with her new people.
The Shelters of Stone (Earth's Children)You can't pass up this series, I really recommend it. Auel spins a tale in a voice that will resonate through you. The research she put into writing these novels shows within every sentence. I felt as if I could be living within the cave walls with these people, instead of just reading about them. Ayla as a character took a place within my heart as few characters do, and I love to visit her every now and again to check in and see how life is treating her in the harsh Paleolithic world.
I enjoyed every book in this series, except for The Shelters of Stone (Earth's Children). I did read it through though, but it's poor plot and excessive repeating of back-story was a major disappointment and left me with a sour taste in my mouth regarding the series. But don't let that hold you back from reading the first four!
RECOMMENDATIONS: Fans of fantasy and early man historicals should enjoy. But I also recommend this to anyone that would enjoy a good epic adventure that has a bit of romance, a lot of action, along with a ton of information that just might school you along the way.
Book Review: New favorite
Summary: 5 Stars
Set 35,000 years ago this story takes you back in time effortlessly to a time of neanderthals and living in caves. When Ayla's parents are killed by an earthquake, the 5-year-old wanders through the forest completely alone. Cold, hungry, and badly injured by a cave lion, she is near death when the Clan of the Cave Bear finds her. This clan, left homeless by the same disaster, have little interest in the helpless girl who comes from the tribe they refer to as the "Others." Only their medicine woman sees in Ayla a fellow human, worthy of care. Ayla's strange ways challenge the clan who live by ancient beliefs and tradition passed down to them from their ancestors. Ayla,represents the physically modern Cro-Magnons. And as Ayla begins to grow and mature, her natural tendencies emerge, putting her in the middle of a brutal and dangerous power struggle.
I am in love with this author's style. At first I was thrown, because of the way she moves from head to head. But it works because much of the 'dialogue' in this book is nonverbal. I am in love with Iza and Ayla's characters and even nasty Broud is one of my favourites. It's not really that he's a bad guy, he's doing what centuries of evolution has told him is right. Man is the boss, woman is subservient. That Ayla's tribe is a group of humans further up the evolutionary chain than the clan makes for interesting conflict. I root for her, cringe at the caveman mentality of male/female relationships and sit back in awe at the author's amazing description of how our world was during the ice age. the research she must have done is phenomenal, every plant, rock, animal, and person is described in such detail that it comes alive one the pages.
My final verdict is that this is definitely worth reading. It is intimidating because it is such a long book and it is one you have to really get into and focus while reading or you miss a lot. I imagine I could read again and again and each time find a new detail or nuance in the writing. I am going to read her other books as well. Of course, I'll be spacing them out, its heavy reading for me. I don't often get quiet time.
So great book, amazing and talented author, and I highly recommend reading. I'm a fan.
Book Review: One of my favorites!
Summary: 5 Stars
Hands down, Clan of the Cave Bear was one of the best books I've ever read, and it changed the way I write and think about the world. Jean M. Auel's research into her subject is amazing, she actually describes ancient technology with such accuracy and detail that you could repeat the experiments yourself. Nothing is cheesed up or flowery, you feel like you could be looking through a hole in the fence that lets you peek into Ayla's world. Some may argue that long descriptions of making medicine, cooking or other aspects of daily life are boring, but it added to the realism for me.
Characters such as Creb, Ayla and Isa may have simple names, but they are in no way simple. Each is multi-layered and interesting, and it's impossible for me to pick a favorite to read about. Even Broud, the main antagonist, has his likeable moments, and he's one character that's easy to love to hate.
Auel manages to pull off a strong heroine without falling into the same trap so many other authors do in making their women Mary-Sues. Auel is realistic about Ayla's hardships and shortcomings, like the fact that, compared to the Clan, she is an incredibly slow learner, very ugly and taller than most men.
The world in which Ayla lives is so well fleshed out that it feels tangible. The rituals, the manner of choosing totems and the living arrangements of the Clan are interesting to read in of themselves, but the detail in which they are described paints a clear picture. Auel even describes the louse treatment the clan uses, and the ritual for marriage and mating.
In all, I'd recommend that everyone should read this book at least once in their lives. (That is, once you are old enough to get past the very blunt and graphic details that Auel portrays.)
Book Review: "Profound, Touching, Tender and Insightful Fiction."~JC Angelcraft
Summary: 5 Stars
When I told a friend that I was reading Clan of the Cave Bear, he retorted,"What!....that is practically a Feminist Manifesto!
Fortunately, his comments did not dissuade me from finishing this most important and ever life-changing book, which is the first in the Earth's Children Series.
Written by Jean Marie Auel, Clan of the Cave Bear is one of the most touching and insightful books on human nature I have ever read.
Jean Marie's effort is also an excellent exercise in anthological conjecture based on adequate research of known fossil remains and other anthropological research. She also explores the possible etiological origins of homeopathic and sympathetic magic with fiction that is touching, real, and tender.
What fascinated me most about Jean Marie's book is how she elaborated on the theory that two human species, namely modern-anatomical humans and Neanderthals, may have coexisted side by side at one time prehistorically.
In her writing, Jean Marie explores the nature of prejudice inferring its origins are natural and deeply rooted in our evolutionary past. She treats it however by demonstrating that through love & acceptance, common traits of humanity shared by many cultures, can help even those with great differences between them to overcome their prejudices and still find a way to get along and live together in harmony. Despite her treatise, the end of book one has an interesting twist.