Jean M. Auel Message Board
john bradshaw posts on 6/26/2011 9:47:15 PM
Last point, and perhaps a way to make my feelings, more understandable, about what this series really is.
When I started reading them perhaps the late 80,s for me I think the "CLAN
OF THE CAVE BEAR" I,d read or perhaps into the "VALLEY OF THE HORSES" It was a long while back.
A friend of mine said , do you know they,ve made a movie out of this first book, I thought out of curiosity
I would look at it. My friend says
"Whatever you do DON,T go and see this ridiculous movie. Well I never have and never will. But the books ,all the books , are NOT ridiculous, my point is it is a reality in fiction, I hope someone sees what I mean. If not perhaps a read of some different type of book .
Mr Ken Follett writes brilliantly try his books. I am about to start on his latest series of books called "Fall of Giants".
Sabrina Walker posts on 6/26/2011 5:48:01 PM
Unfortunately, I think somebody TRIED to write like her and FINISHED (as in KILLED) the series. After reading the first few pages, I even committed to my d-i-l, "It doesn't read like her. It's as if somebody else wrote it."
I, too, would read and reread the books, waiting for the next book. No matter how many times I'd read it now, the ending would still taste as bad. I never should have read it. I liked MY ending better...
Sarah Chapman posts on 6/26/2011 2:01:23 AM
I have also been waiting in eager anticipation for the next book in the series. I refuse to say "conclusion" because I really hope there will be more - for instance what happens to Brukeval and Madroman? Will Ayla become "The First" and what will it cost her?
Of course, I would also wish for Ayla to be reunited with Durc if at all possible. It would also be great if "The Clan" and "The Others" met and understood each other.
Alas, that is not what would happen in real life! As Ms Auel explains, the species of human that are "The Clan" die out, they cannot cope with change,(such is evolution)and Ayla's species survives due to their innate talent for forward thinking and adaptation to a changing world.
I have enjoyed the series so much. With the first 4 books (Clan of The Cave Bear, Valley of Horses, Mammoth Hunters and Plains of Passage)you could almost use them as survival books in the wild they were so well researched. I almost felt that I could knap flint, make skin pots (porous so the seeping water stops the skin from burning), make soap from ashes and fat etc. The detail was wonderful and so intriguing. It made me realise that without those people who discovered those basic things (like Ayla watching Rydag string beads and turning an Awl into a Needle in the Mammoth Hunters)we wouldn't have the skills we have today - what they discovered we have just built on! (Not only that there was some great sex scenes too!).
"Shelters of Stone" and "The Land of Painted Caves" were perhaps more socially based, but isn't that the way "society" evolved? Larger groups of people equals more politics.
I must admit I preferred the earlier books but I think that was because of the insight it gave me into their way of living
I really hope that Ms Auel does continue the tale there is so much more to be told...
The whole series is so precious to me! Thank you Ms Auel!
jeanie posts on 6/26/2011 12:54:31 AM
I had just gotten this book and was very eager to devour it, like the previous books. Only to be so bored by the constant descriptions of the paintings and songs, etc. I ended up skipping most pages.
I was very disappointed. For one, the same thing happened as in the other book. Misunderstanding, leading to breach in relationship, Jondalar coming to rescue at end. And the whole thing with Marona was just wrong. His brother warned him that she would cause trouble and what does he do?.........And then, at end, Ayla tells him she doesn't want to couple w/ anyone else, but he can if wants to. What?! What's good for the goose should be good for gander.....thought society was female-centered
Bill K posts on 6/25/2011 11:17:17 PM
I posted on 5/16/2011 (31/40). How the book could have ended. I would add with a son on the way. I also posted a long long time ago I wish she would meet her real people. When I think of Ayla,I think of a Sweden woman like Agnetha Faltskog. When Agnetha was younger.
kracine posts on 6/25/2011 5:51:21 PM
To John Bradshaw...we are not expecting anything other that resolution on of the very story lines that Ms Auel has provided to us over the years. She is the one who dangled sub plots before our eyes in such a way that we hoped..or even expected some further explaination and or explorations down those sub plots would happen. As it is, she left us cold and bereft of things that made us hold on for 10 years at a time between books. We were all cheated. There is no better word than that.
Amber posts on 6/25/2011 10:47:16 AM
John Bradshaw, have you even read these books? Of course they are books of heroism! And Ayla is the heroin! The entire series is about Ayla's greatness and superiority. Until the last book her life is nothing but excitement and drama. The entire series has some aspect that has reached out to each reader separately and inspired them in some way. These are not historical novels, they are books of fiction. And we expected the same greatness from LOPC as we got from COTCB. You evidently don't get it.
john bradshaw posts on 6/25/2011 10:10:53 AM
People must realise that this lady writes about this time exactly how it would be.
There are no major super exiting things to develope.
This was life as it more than likely was , slow each day much the same . Travel and meeting with people and exploring religious things in caves and so on would be done by very few of the few that were in existance .
The flow of Ms Auels books is exactly how it is meant . We move in time with Ayla and Jondalar and all the people.
Exitement and fictional super situations aren,t real , The world was slow and learning and developing
and what happens in the books is how it would have been, normal and natural.
In fact Ayla,s life is a way for us to see how we as a species developed .
Her special circumstance made her what she was.
I guess if that hadn,t have happened in the ancient past we may have developed much more slowly.
Ayla had to look at all the painted caves and everything was just as it would have been.
These are not books of action and heroism , these are books of what probably happened to make us develope as we have as human beings, what I,m thinking is this is what probably happened, Ayla looks like a fantastic magical modern day super woman, of course she isn,t she is someone who had situations that made her have to develope her skills , if she hadn,t she would not have survived.
You cannot go looking for a romantic brilliant hollywood ending , that is not what would have been .
Ayla didn,t exist, but I,ll bet somebody just like her did.
Darwin posts on 6/23/2011 11:50:07 AM
I think the first three books, Clan of the Cave Bear, Valley of the Horses, and The Mammoth Hunters are the best of the series. From there the story line seems to decline to me. As a couple others have mentioned, I really do hope someone with good writting skills picks up the story and can carry us into Ayla's golden years. Because it is such a classic read and deserves a classic finish.
Doggy posts on 6/21/2011 8:10:01 PM
When I finished LOPC, I started the series again, to get the bad taste out of my mouth and heart.
I am almost done with mammoth hunters...
I will read through SOS and STOP...and create my own ending from there. I will retreat into my own imagination and watch as Ayla finds Durk (who will be the leader of his own clan, rich with full clan AND mixtures), See her find her original people, Get to know Jonayla and witness the birth of her little brother, Maybe even see Jondalar invent the wheel...wherever my imagination leads me, it's bound to be a darn sight more satisfying than where LOPC took me.
even better...........
Please...Please...Is there anyone out there with real talant who can give us some good satisfying fan fiction???
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