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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
OH MY GOD I wanted to punch the main characters for the majority of the book. They act like 20th century people and yet they can't have a simple conversation for 300 PAGES?
ARRRRRRRHHHHHHGGGDHFGHFHFHDFH
ARRRRRRRHHHHHHGGGDHFGHFHFHDFH
I recommended this series to a friend but warned her that this is the last really good book and they go downhill from here (with the last being... not good at all from my memory). Throughout most of this book I doubted myself, as this is not in the same league as Clan of the Cave Bear or Valley of the Horses. Then, very near the end, this book managed to drag itself up. It is not as good as the earlier books in the series, but it saved itself and it is actually not that bad.
Although I read this across two days, it took me most of those days to read this. Clan of the Cave Bear I read across two days as well, but in an evening then early morning read - maybe 6 hours (if that). This book took at least twice that. I'm not 100% sure why that was - the story is certainly intriguing as we see how well Ayla copes with The Others, and how well they adapt to her. This book also sees the introduction of one of my favourite characters (Wolf, got to love him! ), and it managed (this time at least I cannot recall from my first read 10ish years ago) to move me to tears (when Baby comes back for a final farewell and when the little boy passes on ).
So with a number of things I liked about this, why was I disappointed and almost bored reading this? Well, it is here that the repetitive nature of Auels' writing comes through (and if anyone doesn't mind it just an FYI but it is about 100% more obvious in the last book of the series). You may think I am exaggerating but I lost count of the amount of times we were retold about Ayla's history with The Clan, how she learned, what she learnt, how she made things, what was done to her, how she survived, how people passed on, how The Clan were structured... Jondalar was worse almost with his repeated pining sessions - each of which relived his previously violent history, how much he loves Ayla, how he detests himself, how much he adores Ayla, how women just adore him and he has never been turned down before, how much he wants and needs Ayla.
The misunderstandings between them make a lot of sense with both of their backgrounds, but it still reads like a chick-lit plot to me... and don't get me started on Ranec whose interactions raise serious questions about consent.
The mysticism first seen in Clan of the Cave Bear, and largely forgotten in Valley of the Horses, becomes greater in this book, and I think the increased emphasis on it makes it seem less realistic and more forced than before (again something that I think I recall being a major issue with the last book). I think if it were kept in the background, without the 'flash forwards' and things it would be okay - given how we believe various things came about (for example - vampirism as an explanation for (at the time) unknown causes/diseases striking entire families, or werewolves as an explanation for hypertrichosis) I could certainly understand how they would see Ayla as being 'blessed'. But the rest of it... it almost drags me out of the narrative.
Overall, this was still an enjoyable read and it doesn't (by the end of the book) detract from the story being told. It is by no means my favourite book in the series, but I doubt it will be my least favourite.
Although I read this across two days, it took me most of those days to read this. Clan of the Cave Bear I read across two days as well, but in an evening then early morning read - maybe 6 hours (if that). This book took at least twice that. I'm not 100% sure why that was - the story is certainly intriguing as we see how well Ayla copes with The Others, and how well they adapt to her. This book also sees the introduction of one of my favourite characters (
So with a number of things I liked about this, why was I disappointed and almost bored reading this? Well, it is here that the repetitive nature of Auels' writing comes through (and if anyone doesn't mind it just an FYI but it is about 100% more obvious in the last book of the series). You may think I am exaggerating but I lost count of the amount of times we were retold about Ayla's history with The Clan, how she learned, what she learnt, how she made things, what was done to her, how she survived, how people passed on, how The Clan were structured... Jondalar was worse almost with his repeated pining sessions - each of which relived his previously violent history, how much he loves Ayla, how he detests himself, how much he adores Ayla, how women just adore him and he has never been turned down before, how much he wants and needs Ayla.
The misunderstandings between them make a lot of sense with both of their backgrounds, but it still reads like a chick-lit plot to me... and don't get me started on Ranec whose interactions raise serious questions about consent.
The mysticism first seen in Clan of the Cave Bear, and largely forgotten in Valley of the Horses, becomes greater in this book, and I think the increased emphasis on it makes it seem less realistic and more forced than before (again something that I think I recall being a major issue with the last book). I think if it were kept in the background, without the 'flash forwards' and things it would be okay - given how we believe various things came about (for example - vampirism as an explanation for (at the time) unknown causes/diseases striking entire families, or werewolves as an explanation for hypertrichosis) I could certainly understand how they would see Ayla as being 'blessed'. But the rest of it... it almost drags me out of the narrative.
Overall, this was still an enjoyable read and it doesn't (by the end of the book) detract from the story being told. It is by no means my favourite book in the series, but I doubt it will be my least favourite.
Overall, a good story and good characters. I wasn't fond of the jealousy/love triangle - I found it kind of forced as a plot device, but I know that it was needed for the story. Overall enjoyable!
I really didn't like this one. It was decent, as all books in the series are, but this one was borderline romance novel...
4- I enjoyed reading about the Mamutoi and comparing that against the Clan traditions, and this book moved quicker than book 2. I did not enjoy the excessive angsty mess of the love triangle and the ending was rather abrupt.
The best one in the series so far. This one seemed to get the balance between anthropology/natural history and storyline much more balanced than some of the others.
This is the most awkward book of the series, and the most painful for me to read. It's not because of the (mild spoiler for later books) constant repetition of the introductions usually with full names, Ayla learning people's languages by recognizing similar words to the ones she knows, Wolf getting nervous then warming up to people, and so on that becomes a theme in the last three books, which I can at least skim over easily. It's because of Ayla, Jondalar, and Ranec.
Ayla and Jondalar spend the winter with a group of Mamutoi. Jondalar is kind of a whiny baby who's used to getting his own way and is ashamed of Ayla's past. When he sees Ayla being friendly to Ranec, who he perceives as competition, instead of discussing things like adults Jondalar just keeps pulling himself away from her. The bulk of the book is either Jondalar whining mentally about Ayla not wanting him anymore, or Ayla crying over Jondalar leaving her.
Ranec is also gross. He is totally obsessed with Ayla. If this were set in modern times, he would be a textbook stalker. He even thinks to himself at one point that "even an outright rejection wouldn't stop him" from pursuing Ayla's affections. Also, why did the literal only black character in the entire series have to be the stalker-slash-rapist? NO THANKS.
The worst part is that I know it only gets worse from here.
Ranec is also gross. He is totally obsessed with Ayla. If this were set in modern times, he would be a textbook stalker. He even thinks to himself at one point that "even an outright rejection wouldn't stop him" from pursuing Ayla's affections. Also, why did the literal only black character in the entire series have to be the stalker-slash-rapist? NO THANKS.
The worst part is that I know it only gets worse from here.
My parents had a copy of this in their van when I was a kid so I used to always read it on car trips.
I think these books and Judith Krantz's were my generation's main source of sex ed.
I think these books and Judith Krantz's were my generation's main source of sex ed.