Scan barcode
glychee's review against another edition
2.0
MON DIEU que ce livre est embarrassant... Je ne m'attendais pas à ça après avoir lu le premier... Les descriptions des prouesses sexuelles de Jondalar sont parmi les passages les plus cringeworthy et phallocentrés qu'il m'ait été donné de lire. J'ai du écouter ces 24h de livre audio (!!!!!) en accéléré x2 tellement c'était chiant. Je n'ai qu'une seule chose à dire : Pourquoi??? La saga avait tellement bien commencé... 🚮🚮🚮
miszmuis's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
kmjkaren's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
strangenoquestion's review against another edition
5.0
The second book in the Clan series and Ayla has fallen in love finally and my heart is over the moon. I adore this series. I’m not much of a “review writer” (not much of a critic lol) but I truly recommend this series. The writing is engaging, the characters have so much depth it almost overwhems, and the books are filled with meticulous descriptions of culture, flora & fauna, tool-making, and so much more. This is the kind of book my mind craves, I foresee being devastated when I complete the series lol.
cutlet's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
hmgelo02's review against another edition
5.0
This book is the second in [a:Jean M Auel|861|Jean M. Auel|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1206470150p2/861.jpg]'s Earth Children series. This is, perhaps, my favorite of all her novels. I've read this book as many times as the first ([b:Clan of the Cave Bear|1295|The Clan of the Cave Bear|Jean M. Auel|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1158008569s/1295.jpg|1584694]), at least once a year since I was 12.
This is the continued story of Ayla, a young woman who grew up within a Neanderthal community, but who leaves her family in order to find people of her own. Much of this novel takes place with Ayla learning to live on her own in the great, wide world. Throughout the course of its pages, she learns not only to survive, but to thrive. She makes startling discoveries, and begins to carve out a life of her own. She sets the example of a young woman who needs no one else to get by, whose strength and tenacity are enough to support not only herself, but others as well. It is the story of strength, courage, and great love.
Note: although I began reading [b:The Valley of Horses|40493|The Valley of Horses|Jean M. Auel|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169436628s/40493.jpg|630903] at what now seems to be a very young age, this book, as well as its sequels, contains very graphic details of sexual acts. I would recommend this to any adult who wants to learn more about the emerging world of humans in the Ice Age; it's long, but it's worth it.
A further note: although each of these novels can be read on their own, the experience is far greater when reading them sequentially. Each novel builds upon the details on its predecessors; in this case, the sum is far greater than its parts.
This is the continued story of Ayla, a young woman who grew up within a Neanderthal community, but who leaves her family in order to find people of her own. Much of this novel takes place with Ayla learning to live on her own in the great, wide world. Throughout the course of its pages, she learns not only to survive, but to thrive. She makes startling discoveries, and begins to carve out a life of her own. She sets the example of a young woman who needs no one else to get by, whose strength and tenacity are enough to support not only herself, but others as well. It is the story of strength, courage, and great love.
Note: although I began reading [b:The Valley of Horses|40493|The Valley of Horses|Jean M. Auel|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169436628s/40493.jpg|630903] at what now seems to be a very young age, this book, as well as its sequels, contains very graphic details of sexual acts. I would recommend this to any adult who wants to learn more about the emerging world of humans in the Ice Age; it's long, but it's worth it.
A further note: although each of these novels can be read on their own, the experience is far greater when reading them sequentially. Each novel builds upon the details on its predecessors; in this case, the sum is far greater than its parts.
jillyrabb101's review against another edition
3.0
I adore historical fiction. At times, Auel can get too monotonous in describing the landscape.
ramossnr's review against another edition
3.0
In the second book of the Earth's Children series, we follow two narratives: Ayla, our protagonist from [b:The Clan of Cave Bear|40611463|The Clan of the Cave Bear (Earth's Children #1)|Jean M. Auel|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1529681430l/40611463._SY75_.jpg|1584694] sets out on her own after being banished from the only home she knows, and Jondalar, a man on a grand journey with his brother. Surprise, surprise, their narratives intersect about half way through the novel.
As some very humorous reviews describe, Ayla reflects on how babies are born a lot. She also becomes aroused by two horses mating. It's weird. But there's also lots of good!
We learn more about how Cro-Magnon people live through Jondalar's journey. There are certainly some creepy parts: Jondalar spends a lot of time ruminating on how some men are tempted by girls who haven't had their first periods and how he enjoys First Rites, a coming of age experience where a girl has sex for the first time. That's balanced with more deep descriptions of survival and plant lore I love. We also get to see how religion and customs vary across different peoples.
We get to see Ayla learn to survive on her own, and the trend of "Ayla created all that is good" begins here. I started keeping a list of things Ayla discovers - for [b:The Valley of the Horses|74341|The Clan of the Cave Bear, the Valley of Horses, the Mammoth Hunters, the Plains of Passage (Earth's Children, #1-4)|Jean M. Auel|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1235059058l/74341._SY75_.jpg|1686047] Ayla discovers (in no particular order and a non-exhaustive list): how to start fire with iron pyrite and flint, hair braiding, whistling, horse domestication, horseback riding, panniers, and stitches. Don't worry, she discovers more stuff in subsequent books.
There is a fair amount of repetition and clunky writing, which is why I gave it three stars, but I continue to find the content entrancing, even after multiple readings (I must be up to four or five reads).
As some very humorous reviews describe, Ayla reflects on how babies are born a lot. She also becomes aroused by two horses mating. It's weird. But there's also lots of good!
We learn more about how Cro-Magnon people live through Jondalar's journey. There are certainly some creepy parts: Jondalar spends a lot of time ruminating on how some men are tempted by girls who haven't had their first periods and how he enjoys First Rites, a coming of age experience where a girl has sex for the first time. That's balanced with more deep descriptions of survival and plant lore I love. We also get to see how religion and customs vary across different peoples.
We get to see Ayla learn to survive on her own, and the trend of "Ayla created all that is good" begins here. I started keeping a list of things Ayla discovers - for [b:The Valley of the Horses|74341|The Clan of the Cave Bear, the Valley of Horses, the Mammoth Hunters, the Plains of Passage (Earth's Children, #1-4)|Jean M. Auel|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1235059058l/74341._SY75_.jpg|1686047] Ayla discovers (in no particular order and a non-exhaustive list): how to start fire with iron pyrite and flint, hair braiding, whistling, horse domestication, horseback riding, panniers, and stitches. Don't worry, she discovers more stuff in subsequent books.
There is a fair amount of repetition and clunky writing, which is why I gave it three stars, but I continue to find the content entrancing, even after multiple readings (I must be up to four or five reads).