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ramossnr 's review for:
The Mammoth Hunters
by Jean M. Auel
On my latest read through the series, I've contemplated the necessity of Jondalar's character, as he becomes especially tiresome in this book. While he's Ayla's male counterpart, a man par excellence, The Mother's Gift to Women, his inability to communicate with Ayla is frustrating. I do not care about this man's growth in learning to love and getting over his Neanderthal bias. He's a mechanism for Ayla to find more people like herself and learn to speak verbal languages, but I don't think he's necessary for the narrative. Granted, the later books would be quite different without him, as he's the driving force behind the journeys told there. However, I think there is sufficient tension in Ayla learning how "her people" interact versus what she learned growing up with the Clan as well as seeing the new ways people survive in different climates. It could have been better.
Some people love Ranec - I found his desperation far outweighed his charm. He also objectifies Ayla - viewing her more as a goddess than an actual person. We never see them connecting on their shared experiences or values; the relationship is very surface-level. Perhaps this was a way of making the relationship with Jondalar more appealing, but it doesn't do Ranec or Ayla credit. The tension between the three characters rides mostly on the miscommunication and Jondalar's intense longing mixed with confusion. It could have been so much better.
What I enjoy about this entry in the Earth's Children series: it's a deep look into another Cro Magnon group's culture and religion. It's particularly nice how Auel connects the Mamutoi with the Clan through several characters. These connections ease Ayla's way into this new group and help her learn how she'll be welcomed across the speaking world in a kinder way.
The Mamutoi live on the periglacial steppes, an environment distinct from the forests where the Clan lives and the river/hills of the Sharamudoi. The extensive descriptions of how the different groups live in their environment keeps me engaged with this series. In particular, you learn a lot about how to establish and maintain a home without trees or wood in this novel. You also learn different leather treatments and a whole lot about every way people can use mammoths.
I've read this book several times, so there's obviously a comfort factor here. Is it the best written or structured story? Nope. But is it compelling and interesting? Yep, especially if you like learning about how people survived in the Stone Age.
Some people love Ranec - I found his desperation far outweighed his charm. He also objectifies Ayla - viewing her more as a goddess than an actual person. We never see them connecting on their shared experiences or values; the relationship is very surface-level. Perhaps this was a way of making the relationship with Jondalar more appealing, but it doesn't do Ranec or Ayla credit. The tension between the three characters rides mostly on the miscommunication and Jondalar's intense longing mixed with confusion. It could have been so much better.
What I enjoy about this entry in the Earth's Children series: it's a deep look into another Cro Magnon group's culture and religion. It's particularly nice how Auel connects the Mamutoi with the Clan through several characters. These connections ease Ayla's way into this new group and help her learn how she'll be welcomed across the speaking world in a kinder way.
The Mamutoi live on the periglacial steppes, an environment distinct from the forests where the Clan lives and the river/hills of the Sharamudoi. The extensive descriptions of how the different groups live in their environment keeps me engaged with this series. In particular, you learn a lot about how to establish and maintain a home without trees or wood in this novel. You also learn different leather treatments and a whole lot about every way people can use mammoths.
I've read this book several times, so there's obviously a comfort factor here. Is it the best written or structured story? Nope. But is it compelling and interesting? Yep, especially if you like learning about how people survived in the Stone Age.