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2.92 AVERAGE
2.92 AVERAGE
thanks god that's over. Nothing but a rehashing of backstory and then when in the final part of the book, you think something might be happening it's essentially the exact same story as when they lived with the Mamutoi... I found it a struggle to get through this. If there's ever another book I'm pretty sure I'll give it a pass.
The one highlight was seeing a couple of the Mamutoi again.
I was hoping some of the information about the caves would be interesting but it's pretty basic and observatory - nothing compelling or exciting.
The one highlight was seeing a couple of the Mamutoi again.
I was hoping some of the information about the caves would be interesting but it's pretty basic and observatory - nothing compelling or exciting.
I was not disappointed with this book. The details of how people must have lived 10,000 are so fascinating, and the books are so fabulously researched. They tend to be a little repetitious, but because of their length and descriptions I am not sure this can be avoided. The cave explorations were many, and highly detailed, yet similar. The most valuable detail that I got is that no one really knows how or why the caves were painted, or what the meanings were, even during Ayla's time they were said to be done by Ancients. I read many reviews about this book, and I think they were mixed. Personally, I liked it a great deal. It is mostly Ayla's story and adventures into becoming Zelandoni; Jondalar and her daughter are not in the forefront, but are a big part of the book. Some of the reviews said that Ayla ignores her daughter and I did not find this to be true at all. I am very much glad to know more of Ayla' story. I think it does not end here; in fact, the ending was very much thought provoking.
I swear the first two hundred pages were written by another writer. The dialogue was so clunky. And all those big college words just jolted me right out of the story every time. Then I got about 200 pages in, Ayla was out gathering plants with her baby, and suddenly there was Auel. Back in full voice. And back to her old story telling. So was it really a different writer, or did it take the long for Auel to hit her stride? I don't know, but a good editor would have handed the manuscript back and had Auel fix it.
Personally I am a Clan of the Cave Bear fan. It's a compelling story, and one almost completely without dialog. I personally think Auel has trouble with dialog and all her books after Clan share that flaw.
There were things that made me want to scream. The clasping of hands while the repeated all their titles really made me want to slap someone. I can not imagine any group of humans doing that. Of course maybe they had more time back then.
As others have pointed out Ayla and Jondalar are the coolest kids in high school. Stories are about conflict and if you make you main character perfect they aren't going to experience many conflicts. So there really isn't much story here.
There were things that deeply troubled me. Their child was in diapers and not even saying mama. A few weeks latter she is standing up to a group of hunters, blocking them from the horses and explaining these are special horses. That girl grew up fast.
I blame this on her editor. A good editor should have pointed out these flaws and helped Auel to fix them. This had the potential to be a great book and it just misses the mark.
As always Auel's research is spot on. The book does improve after the first 200 pages, but how many people are going to make that kind of commitment? And frankly I would not have read it if a close friend hadn't insisted. I liked the first book, but the others just got worse and worse.
Personally I am a Clan of the Cave Bear fan. It's a compelling story, and one almost completely without dialog. I personally think Auel has trouble with dialog and all her books after Clan share that flaw.
There were things that made me want to scream. The clasping of hands while the repeated all their titles really made me want to slap someone. I can not imagine any group of humans doing that. Of course maybe they had more time back then.
As others have pointed out Ayla and Jondalar are the coolest kids in high school. Stories are about conflict and if you make you main character perfect they aren't going to experience many conflicts. So there really isn't much story here.
There were things that deeply troubled me. Their child was in diapers and not even saying mama. A few weeks latter she is standing up to a group of hunters, blocking them from the horses and explaining these are special horses. That girl grew up fast.
I blame this on her editor. A good editor should have pointed out these flaws and helped Auel to fix them. This had the potential to be a great book and it just misses the mark.
As always Auel's research is spot on. The book does improve after the first 200 pages, but how many people are going to make that kind of commitment? And frankly I would not have read it if a close friend hadn't insisted. I liked the first book, but the others just got worse and worse.
While assimilating into her mate’s tribe, the Zelandonii, in prehistoric France, Ayla divides her time between studying to become a full-fledged shaman and home and family life, and feeling some of the strain that 21st century women experience. So much to do, so little time while trying to balance between the demands of mate, child and calling.
Auel, on the other hand, proceeds with her epic at a leisurely pace, including many details of day to day prehistoric life and numerous flashbacks from previous volumes. Burr’s reading of the book, consistent with others in the series, captures the tone of the writing.
Auel, on the other hand, proceeds with her epic at a leisurely pace, including many details of day to day prehistoric life and numerous flashbacks from previous volumes. Burr’s reading of the book, consistent with others in the series, captures the tone of the writing.
What to say after all that? It was almost anticlimactic. I agree with several of the other reviewers of this series, and say that the first 3 or so books were good, then it started going down hill. I still think that Ayla's entirely too perfect. Her personality is flawless, her body is perfect and exotic, the skills she learned from surviving on her own in the wilderness are impressive, but being born with other superhuman skills just makes it too much. I would be more impressed by a quote unquote normal person going through the things she goes through, and thriving, instead of someone so extraordinary from the start.
I gave this book 3 stars because it does improve from the last one. It's still not as good as the first few books, but it is better. More happens, and it's not quite as repetitive. The constant repetition, though, does make the reading tedious. There's only so many times we need to hear about how the tools were made and how they are used. Hearing how beautiful and unique Ayla is over and over and over each time someone new sees her, and a few times in between, becomes annoying, instead of actually building the readers respect for her or the author. And if I hear one more comment about Ayla's accent...
Despite all the complaints about Auel's writing, however, the setting and culture of the series is still captivating. The characters and storyline are creative, yet realistic. I commend Auel for her careful and thorough research of the subjects she writes about. She does say somewhere in one of her books that she prefers writing nonfiction, and it shows in her writing. if the last two or three books had been written better, I would wish there was more. I'd like to know what happened after that. How that civilization started becoming more like the society we know today, and how the knowledge revealed at the end of this book changed their lives and customs.
If I could make two suggestions on how to improve on this series as a whole, they would be:
1. Auel should get a better editor. or,
2. Someone should publish an abridged version of the series.
A movie, or movies, of the books would be interesting.
I gave this book 3 stars because it does improve from the last one. It's still not as good as the first few books, but it is better. More happens, and it's not quite as repetitive. The constant repetition, though, does make the reading tedious. There's only so many times we need to hear about how the tools were made and how they are used. Hearing how beautiful and unique Ayla is over and over and over each time someone new sees her, and a few times in between, becomes annoying, instead of actually building the readers respect for her or the author. And if I hear one more comment about Ayla's accent...
Despite all the complaints about Auel's writing, however, the setting and culture of the series is still captivating. The characters and storyline are creative, yet realistic. I commend Auel for her careful and thorough research of the subjects she writes about. She does say somewhere in one of her books that she prefers writing nonfiction, and it shows in her writing. if the last two or three books had been written better, I would wish there was more. I'd like to know what happened after that. How that civilization started becoming more like the society we know today, and how the knowledge revealed at the end of this book changed their lives and customs.
If I could make two suggestions on how to improve on this series as a whole, they would be:
1. Auel should get a better editor. or,
2. Someone should publish an abridged version of the series.
A movie, or movies, of the books would be interesting.
I've been a devoted fan of this series since the beginning, although COTCB was not my favorite. This sixth book has Ayla settling into her extended family and her new vocation as a zelandoni.
The amount of repetition did not bother me as much as it did some readers, although i did skip the Mother's Song each time it was repeated. But I agree that the endless descriptions of the cave paintings got tiresome. At least in earlier books, the end papers usually had some of the cave figures reproduced. That's one reason why I bought the hardback book of Painted Caves, as well as the Kindle edition to read. That and the great maps. Well, imagine my chagrin when there were no drawings and very disappointing maps.
I also must admit I was disappointed by the book on the whole. In the middle I had to stop for a while, just when one of the interminable cave visits was about to start. I thought the whole donier journey section was gratuitous. It added nothing to the story, just gave Auel a way to describe several more painted caves.
Part III picked up a little again, and I'm glad I finished reading the book but like others, when I got to the end I thought, that's it? that's all? It really did feel like Auel was tired of the story or maybe tired of writing and wrote the easiest book she could just to get done with it. Sad.
The amount of repetition did not bother me as much as it did some readers, although i did skip the Mother's Song each time it was repeated. But I agree that the endless descriptions of the cave paintings got tiresome. At least in earlier books, the end papers usually had some of the cave figures reproduced. That's one reason why I bought the hardback book of Painted Caves, as well as the Kindle edition to read. That and the great maps. Well, imagine my chagrin when there were no drawings and very disappointing maps.
I also must admit I was disappointed by the book on the whole. In the middle I had to stop for a while, just when one of the interminable cave visits was about to start. I thought the whole donier journey section was gratuitous. It added nothing to the story, just gave Auel a way to describe several more painted caves.
Part III picked up a little again, and I'm glad I finished reading the book but like others, when I got to the end I thought, that's it? that's all? It really did feel like Auel was tired of the story or maybe tired of writing and wrote the easiest book she could just to get done with it. Sad.
I set this aside for 6 months... was just so sick of the echoing repetitiveness.
Bleh.
Finished it to say I did... I actually enjoyed most of the series (at least the nature/landscape/thoughts on ancient lifestyles), tho I read them years ago - most likely I'm a much different person now. But this one - I swear there was *nothing* new to it, was total re-hash ad nauseum.
Don't bother.
Bleh.
Finished it to say I did... I actually enjoyed most of the series (at least the nature/landscape/thoughts on ancient lifestyles), tho I read them years ago - most likely I'm a much different person now. But this one - I swear there was *nothing* new to it, was total re-hash ad nauseum.
Don't bother.
Demasiadas descrições de grutas e pinturas rupestres para quem não é arqueólogo!!
ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS?!
I was already dissapointed with the last book, but this made me angry and I lost my lost my will to read. To be honest, I had to stop midway through at my second attempt to read it (at my first attempt, I did not even finish the first part). I audiobooked it to finish it, because I had hoped the end would maybe calm my anger. I was wrong. I was so angry after I was finally finished, I actually wanted to burn this fucking book!
I won`t get into details, as I don`t want to repeat what others have written already (and most likely much better, than I ever could). What make me angry the most is that there was so much potential to turn this series around and end with an overall good feeling. I would have forgiven the rather dissapointing book 5, if the author had given the characters and the plot a little more thought and skipped most of the booooooooooooooring, useless descriptions of caves and all that shit.
To anyone, who started the series, stopp after book 4 and use your own imagination how Ayla adapts to her new home. You will be much happier, more satisfied and calmer.
I was already dissapointed with the last book, but this made me angry and I lost my lost my will to read. To be honest, I had to stop midway through at my second attempt to read it (at my first attempt, I did not even finish the first part). I audiobooked it to finish it, because I had hoped the end would maybe calm my anger. I was wrong. I was so angry after I was finally finished, I actually wanted to burn this fucking book!
I won`t get into details, as I don`t want to repeat what others have written already (and most likely much better, than I ever could). What make me angry the most is that there was so much potential to turn this series around and end with an overall good feeling. I would have forgiven the rather dissapointing book 5, if the author had given the characters and the plot a little more thought and skipped most of the booooooooooooooring, useless descriptions of caves and all that shit.
To anyone, who started the series, stopp after book 4 and use your own imagination how Ayla adapts to her new home. You will be much happier, more satisfied and calmer.