The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel

Set in prehistoric times, Jean M. Auel's EARTH'S CHILDREN series deals with the possible interaction between Neanderthals and our own species, among other things. They are renowned for their meticulously researched descriptions of prehistoric life as well as notorious for their sexual content and the Mary-Sue-like development of the main character. I've read the entire series and although I thought the books were entertaining, I do think the literary quality takes a nosedive after the first novel. The Clan of the Cave Bear is quite an interesting book, however, and the 2011 release of the sixth and final book in the series, The Land of Painted Caves, prompted a reread.

The Clan of the Cave Bear is set somewhere between 30,000 to 25,000 years before present, a time when temperatur... Read More

The Valley of Horses by Jean M. Auel

Jean M. Auel's Earth's Children is one of those series that people often say you should stop reading after the first book. I'm generally too curious about the sequel to follow that advice, so naturally I've read all six. Most of them are entertaining at some level but none of them are anywhere near as good as the first book. After the huge success of The Clan of The Cave Bear (1980), Auel produced two sequels relatively quickly, followed by three more which took her significantly longer to write. Apart from my recent reread of the first book and reading the recently published sixth novel The Land of Painted Caves, it has been many years since I've read the others. I thought it would be interesting to see how the second novel, The Valley of Horses, held up under a reread.

After being b... Read More

The Mammoth Hunters by Jean M. Auel

The Mammoth Hunters, the third book in Jean M. Auel's EARTH'S CHILDREN series, followed relatively quickly on the heels of The Valley of Horses. After this one, the gap between books increases. It would take Auel 26 years to get the last three published. I guess it was a good thing that Auel took more time for the fourth book. The Plains of Passage is not up to the standard of The Clan of the Cave Bear, but it certainly beats this third volume. Still, there is something very readable about these books. She never managed to get close to the level of the first book, but millions have devoured the other five anyway. Unfortunately, that still doesn't make The Mammoth Hunters a good book.

Ayla and Jondalar meet a group of Mamutoi, Mammoth Hunters o... Read More

The Plains of Passage by Jeane M. Auel

The literary quality of Auel's The Valley of the Horses and The Mammoth Hunters, the second and third volume in her EARTH'S CHILDREN series, left something to be desired to put it mildly, so I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue this series of reviews. I've always had a soft spot for The Plains of Passage, the fourth volume, and since I recently came across an English language version (this is one of the few novels I've read both in English and Dutch translation) I decided to go ahead and reread it. My recent read of Kim Stanley Robinson's Shaman may also have something to do with it. The novels share a setting during the ice age, if little else.

After a difficult year among the Mamutoi, the Mamm... Read More

The Shelters of Stone by Jean M. Auel

I suspect that Jean M. Auel disappointed quite a few readers with The Shelters of Stone, the fifth book her EARTH'S CHILDREN series. It appeared 12 years after The Plains of Passage and does little other than repeating all that has gone before. While I didn't think it was as dreadful as the final book, The Land of Painted Caves, it's most certainly not the highlight of my reading year.

After a year long trek across Europe, Alya and Jondalar finally arrive at the home of his people, where they plan to mate and settle. Ayla is apprehensive about meeting his people. She worries they may not accept her and wonders if it was a mistake to leave the Mamutoi who have adopted her. She quickly finds her place among the Zelandonii though. Her unusual background and talents gain her the attention of Zelandonii, the... Read More

The Land of Painted Caves by Jean M. Auel

The Land of Painted Caves is the sixth and final volume in Jean M. Auel's EARTH'S CHILDREN series. It has taken her more than three decades to complete the series. The previous volume, The Shelters of Stone, appeared in 2002. Auel has sold millions of books in the past thirty years, and The Land of Painted Caves was definitely one of the big releases of 2011. The publisher even pushed back the publication date so that it could be released in a number of different languages at the same time. Although her first novel, The Clan of the Cave Bear, is highly regarded, the rest of the series is not as well thought of. And with reason: Ayla's story is taken far beyond what could be considered realistic, with human technological and social development making huge jumps... Read More