*** 3.65 ***

Human evolution is a matter of great interest to me, which is why a book that gives an insight into the lives of the first people and the Neanderthals is appealing to me, especially in the last few years when important discoveries have been made in this field. Of course my objection to this book was the fact that it is quite old, written at a time when there were different scientific perceptions about this issue. By reading as expected I have found that scientific theories that are considered outdated in our time are depicted but, surprising, there are also things that went against what the scientists considered fact then but today they have been proven right beyond any doubt.

The author tells the story of Ayla, a little girl who loses her mother and wandering ends up with a group of Neanderthals who reluctantly adopt her. The differences of her species, in terms of both appearance and intelligence, are becoming more and more obvious and make her acceptance a very difficult thing. That is why she makes every effort to adapt to their society, learning the complicated rules of conduct that were set thousands of years before. A very interesting story that takes us to such a distant past and tells a lot about things that still concern us today, such as the need for acceptance and the fear of many people against change. But what made me the strongest impression in this book and made me appreciate it is the fact that the author taking elements from many different real cultures and adding many of her own creates a very complex culture for Neanderthals, with their habits, their customs, their religious beliefs and, in general, the way they perceived the world through their less complex minds.

Η ανθρώπινη εξέλιξη είναι ένα θέμα που με ενδιαφέρει πολύ, για αυτό ένα βιβλίο που δίνει μία εικόνα της ζωής των πρώτων ανθρώπων και των Νεάντερταλ αναμενόμενα μου είναι ελκυστικό, ειδικά τα τελευταία χρόνια που σε αυτόν τον τομέα έχουν γίνει σημαντικές ανακαλύψεις. Βέβαια η ένστασή μου για αυτό το βιβλίο ήταν το γεγονός ότι είναι αρκετά παλιό, γραμμένο δηλαδή σε μία εποχή όπου υπήρχαν διαφορετικές επιστημονικές αντιλήψεις για αυτό το θέμα. Διαβάζοντας το αναμενόμενα διαπίστωσα ότι αποτυπώνονται σε αυτό επιστημονικές θεωρίες που στην εποχή μας θεωρούνται ξεπερασμένες, περιέργως, όμως, υπάρχουν και πράγματα που πήγαιναν κόντρα σε αυτά που τότε οι επιστήμονες θεωρούσαν δεδομένα αλλά σήμερα έχουν αποδειχθεί σωστά πέρα από κάθε αμφιβολία.

Η συγγραφέας μας αφηγείται την ιστορία της Ayla, ενός μικρού κοριτσιού που χάνει τη μητέρα της και περιπλανώμενη καταλήγει σε μία ομάδα Νεάντερταλ που διστακτικά την υιοθετεί. Οι διαφορές του είδους της, όσο στο θέμα της εμφάνισης, όσο και της νοημοσύνης, όμως, γίνονται όλο και περισσότερο εμφανείς και κάνουν την αποδοχή της μία πολύ δύσκολη υπόθεση. Για αυτό καταβάλλει κάθε δυνατή προσπάθεια να προσαρμοστεί στην κοινωνία τους, μαθαίνοντας τους περίπλοκους κανόνες συμπεριφοράς που την καθορίζουν χιλιάδες χρόνια. Μία πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα ιστορία που μας μεταφέρει τη ζωή σε ένα τόσο μακρινό παρελθόν και λέει πολλά για πράγματα που μας απασχολούν ακόμα και σήμερα όπως την ανάγκη για αποδοχή και το φόβο πολλών ανθρώπων απέναντι στην αλλαγή. Αυτό, όμως, που μου έκανε μεγαλύτερη εντύπωση σε αυτό το βιβλίο και με έκανε να το εκτιμήσω είναι το γεγονός ότι η συγγραφέας παίρνοντας στοιχεία από πολλές διαφορετικές πραγματικές κουλτούρες και προσθέτοντας πολλά δικά της δημιουργεί μία ιδιαίτερα περίπλοκη κουλτούρα για τους Νεάντερταλ, με τον τρόπο ζωής τους, τις συνήθειές τους, τα έθιμά τους, τις θρησκευτικές τους πεποιθήσεις και γενικότερα τον τρόπο που αντιλαμβάνονταν τον κόσμο μέσα από το λιγότερο περίπλοκο μυαλό τους.

The story begins with an earthquake in the first few pages of the book that leaves a 5 year old girl alone, orphaned and wandering, on the brink of death. Luckily for her, the same quake destroyed the cave of a clan of cavemen, and they are also wandering, in search of a new home. A pregnant woman comes across the unconcious body of the girl, and despite her physical differences asks, and receives permission, to carry and tend to the girl.

As ugly and strange to the clan as the girl seems, she brings them luck and they very soon find a new cave, even better than their last. Iza, the woman who found her is allowed to adopt her. Iza has been left a widow by the quake, but is a very powerful medicine woman, so is provided for by Creb, the highly esteemed Mogur, or magician, of the clan who also happens to be her sibling. It's very fortunate for Ayla that these are the kind people she ends up with. Not everyone of the clan accepts, trusts, or even likes her, simply because she IS so different and so worthy of fear and distrust.

As Ayla grows and learns the customs, language and ways of the clan, her life is hard. She is almost a different species than them. She is much farther up the evolutionary ladder, so finds it very hard to fit into the mold they consider appropriate for women. She is proud, strong, very intelligent, and able to make leaps of logic that often get her into trouble with her adopted people. She secretly learns to hunt which is strictly forbidden to women. This is just one more infraction, in a long list of them, that fuels the hatred Broud, the leader's son, feels for Ayla. She is punished for this, but later is allowed to continue hunting. Through her differences, Ayla becomes a self-sufficient woman, able to take care of herself. This is a foreign concept to the clan, as their skills are firmly divided by sex, with females being no more able to learn male tasks than they are to learn the female's. Ayla can do both.

As the years pass, Ayla is trained By Iza, alongside her daughter, to become a medicine woman. Ayla is not only a quick learner, but an inuitive one. She can not only recall what she has been taught, but devise new treatments and medicines that would never occur to Iza. Ayla has a child, but is left unmated. The story ends, wide open for book two, with Broud, the new clan leader, cursing Ayla to death. Fortunately, we know she will survive, even without the help and comfort of the clan. Ayla can take care of herself.

It's amazing how much information Auel is able to fit into this book without it coming across as a list of plants, animals and customs. Tons of information is imparted, and we are given a vivid look at what life would have looked like in Ayla's time. The long descriptions never come across as dry or boring, but instead leave me with more questions. This is one of those rare books that leave me looking things up, poring over encyclopedias, scouring Wikipedia, anything for just a little more detail.

There are many fortunate coincidences, leaps of logic and just plain lucky happenings that are a bit far-fetched, but I was able to overlook these because they advanced the story and made it possible for Auel to give us such a rich look at what life may have been like. So much happens in such a few short years, but it needs to, so that the foundation is laid for the rest of the series.

I read this and the next 2 in the series when I was in high school in the 80’s. It was pure guilty pleasure. I was fascinated by this world Auel had created. And I was singularly moved by the scene at the end when a frustrated Ayla communicates in the sign language of the Clan to those who don’t understand their intelligence and their language’s beauty. Who don’t understand that they have language at all. That scene and that feeling are still with me after 36 years.

After 20 years I am reading this book again, but with different eyes. I still like the story, but found it violent at times. Still a great read and I want to read the other books again.

No, this book is not perfect, and perhaps it might seem a bit immature in places to some readers, but in the long run, this will turn out to be one of the books that you may end up thinking of as a classic.

There are 6 books in the series:

☛The Clan of the Cave Bear, 1980
☛The Valley of Horses, 1982
☛The Mammoth Hunters, 1985
☛The Plains of Passage, 1990
☛The Shelters of Stone, 2002
☛The Land of Painted Caves, 2011

While every book seems to go a bit downhill from this first one (at least the last 3 books seem to, in my opinion), they actually provide a platform in which Ayla, our main character, grows.

This first book truly shows how the author had researched the Ice Age ( Europe during the Upper Paleolithic Age) to write this, and you can tell that she did her own physical research too.

The story is an interesting one, beginning with an earthquake that finds our main character, a Cro-Magnon child lost at about 5 years old. After being mauled by a cave lion, she is found by a group of Neanderthals, and her life is saved.

She now grows up in a very difficult situation which ends up sort of - modern man vs. prehistoric man. If you read this book, toward the end, you will see why I say it like that.

The growth of the character Ayla shows very dramatically in this first novel, especially if you consider she was only about 11 or so when she had her first child. Throughout the series, you will see her growing more and more as she goes off to find "her own people".

Most people felt that the last book n  nwas a cop-out, but I happened to find it a gentle conclusion after so many long years of waiting. I hadn't been happy with the last several books, so the last one did not surprise me at all.

I am now off to re-read the entire series!

Happy Reading

In this review I will only discuss the historical value of this novel (for my global review, see my general account on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...). Jean M. Auel really did her utmost to reconstruct the world of the Neanderthals, given what was known around 1980. The extensive descriptions of the physiognomy of this nephew of the Homo Sapiens, of the making of stone tools, of hunting techniques, the diet and the flora and fauna in the then habitat (approx. 30,000 Before Present): you can notice that she has studied everything in detail. But inevitably, she has filled in many other features of the Neanderthals' world through reasoned fantasy and guesswork, giving it narrative coherence and some dramatization.

40 years after the publication of the book some of those elements turn out to be curiously correct. Chief among these is her intuition that Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens have interbred; this was disputed by paleontologists for years, but it was not until 2010 that genetic research unequivocally showed that both human species did indeed produce progeny: on average, about 2% of the genetic material in non-African people of today can be traced back to Neanderthal origins. Perhaps Auel’s guess was just a creative find to give her story enough dramatic content, but it was a very successful one.

Unfortunately, I have to be much less enthusiastic about other creative elements. For example, she portrays the clan as a small group that leads a relatively sedentary existence, in a spacious cave with demarcated family areas; that absolutely does not correspond to the archaeological finds. There also is limited scientific support for the totemism that she gives a lot of attention to; there is even talk of "gods" now and then, and that is a very clear anachronism. Auel gives the relations within the clan a strong hierarchical character, with a clear leader; this goes against the prevailing opinion in the scientific world that the itinerant Neanderthals had a rather egalitarian form of society. I have the impression that both elements, the totemism and the strict hierarchy within her Neanderthal group, were inspired by the culture of the Native Americans. She also pays a lot of attention to the man-woman relationship, unambiguously underlining the dependency of women; this is also an assumption of Auel that cannot be deduced from the archaeological record at all; and the relative monogamy outlined in the book is also her own interpretation, based on nothing.

Downright disturbing are the narrator's continuous interventions in which she clearly explains how limited Neanderthals were in their physical and mental abilities, and how that would lead to their downfall. Repeatedly she emphasizes how superior the Sapiens ("the Others") were: “She was one of the Others; a newer, younger breed, more vital, more dynamic, not controlled by hidebound traditions from a brain that was nearly all memory. Her brain followed different paths; her full, high forehead that housed forward-thinking frontal lobes gave her an understanding from a different view. She could accept the new, shape it to her will, forge it into ideas undreamed of by the Clan, and, in nature's way, her kind was destined to supplant the ancient, dying race”. I suspect that, here, Auel has given in to the educator in her, but it is needlessly explanatory, and clearly derogatory about the abilities of Neanderthals.

In short, this book should certainly not be seen as an introduction to the world of an extinct human species: too many fantasy elements have been included for that. But as a dramatic story, in a very creative setting, this work certainly is worthwhile!

My #7 Favorite read of 2013

A Unique and Entrancing 5 Stars

When I am rating a book, I am internally comparing that book to other similar books in the genre and asking myself if it is on par with the best I have read. For me, when it comes to rating what I deem to be Historical Fiction, 5 stars are a rarity. It is my favorite genre and there is always a masterpiece to which it can be compared. That said, The Clan of the Cave Bear has no peers. For me, this story explores a time that I have never explored or read and I have basis for comparison. In general, as historical fiction, it meets all my requirements. There is a sense of realism, the sense the author has researched the time period, a sense that the characters belong in the time period and ability of the author to help of live history instead of reciting it.

As far as historical fiction in concerned, The Clan of the Cave Bear is likely far more Fiction than historical. The setting is prehistoric times and what we know or claim to know of these early days is no more than our best guesses. Regardless, Jean Auel clearly researched the available material and provide and interesting look into prehistoric life.




Plot summary

After an earthquake kills the family of Ayla, a "Cro-Magnon" girl, she is adopted into the clan of Neanderthals. The child is different from her adoptive clan. She does not have the shared memories and the instinctual ways of the life as the Neanderthals. She is an inquisitive, logical tall and blond while her new family is survival oriented, ingrained, short and squat. She struggles to be considered part of a clan in which she should not be accepted. The story watches this outsider come of age and explores how her logical and creative mind allows her to integrate herself with a different people

The Good

The book contains a minimal amount of dialogue. The Clan vocalized little more than names and communication is a series of the complicated hand signals. While this may seems like a recipe for disaster, the author integrates it seamlessly. The minimal dialogue feels natural and comfortable. The story does an amazing job of integrating theories of early man. The ideas of the shared and instinctual memory was fascinating as it gave the Neanderthals both a human and animalistic feel. While both race of people considered themselves human it was interesting to see people separated by something other than race, color or language but separated by fundamental difference in biological construction.

The Bad

I have very little to say that is negative. From time to time the conversation felt too modern. Given that the author was using words to express non verbal communication, I can't hold it against her. Generally, I am not at a loss when it comes to finding fault. The majority of the issues that I may have had with the book were petty and not worth mentioning.


Content Advisories

It is difficult to find commentary on the sex/violence/language content of book if you are interested. I make an effort to give you the information so you can make an informed decision before reading. *Disclaimer* I do not take note or count the occurrences of adult language as I read. I am simply giving approximations.

Scale 1 - Lowest 5 - Highest

Sex - 2.5

There is discussion of the sexual intercourse. Family lived in caves without wall or rooms and sex was not hidden and was a daily and open reality. This is discussed on several occasions. Over the course of one chapter there is discussion of a series of rapes. The descriptions are not graphic but some readers will be disturbed by the portrayal.

Language - 1

There was not use of adult language.

Violence - 3

There is violence as noted under "sex". Some readers may find the depictions of woman to be disturbing and several character engaging in physical assaults on women. There is one serious assault and several instance of single punches or hits. Again, the depictions are not graphic. There is some minor gore in hunting scene and one results in the death or a clan member. There is an instance of cannibalism that some readers will find disturbing.

This story follows Ayla, a Cro-Magnon girl living 35 000 years ago, who at the age of 5 loses her family in an earthquake and is found on the edge of death by a clan of Neanderthals.

Ayla is different to the Clan in the way she looks and thinks, but in order to survive must try to fit in with their ways and customs. She learns about their way of living, their religion and the way that they communicate.

Although many are wary of her, most accept her as she seems like a lucky omen.

But as she gets older and some of her differences become more apparent, she finds it more difficult to fit in.

This was a very interesting look at the earth's history and although the writing style wasn't the greatest, it was an entertaining story. I might even read the 2nd book if I come across it one day.

4.0 Stars
This was such a unique historical fantasy exploring what life may have been like in the prehistoric age. The story is very low in terms of magic, which is explored through the spiritualism of the tribe. This was a very immersive story and I would certainly be interested to continue on with the later books.

I really wanted to like this one. I thought I would. But after reading the first 50 pages/3 chapters I just can't go on. It's the 6th book I have abandoned in over 4 years. It is long-winded, way too descriptive (lots of telling, no showing), so much repetition, chunks of encyclopedic knowledge thrown in every other page, and when I read about the clan women having the memories from their ancestors and clan members not being able to learn new things because that will increase brain size and their brains won't fit in their skulls and heads increase even more in size and child birth will become impossible, my eyes roll backwards so much it hurts.

I have to admit I haven't been in much of a reading mood lately and when I read something I feel extra critical and more easily annoyed by anything I don't like. If I read this a couple of months ago or would read it a couple of months from now, perhaps I would have liked it. Or at least finished it.

Endlich habe ich mich an diese Reihe gewagt und es war kein leichtes Kennenlernen. Der Schreibstil ist wirklich extrem eigen, unterstreicht aber sehr gut die Atmosphäre, denn wir reisen hier 30.000 Jahre in die Vergangenheit. Aber nicht nur an die etwas umständliche Sprache der Autorin muss man sich gewöhnen, auch an das gemächliche Tempo, in dem die Lebensweise und der Schauplatz zur damaligen Zeit beschrieben wird wie auch an das völlige Fehlen der Sprache bei den Neandertalern.
Sie konnten wohl Laute bilden, haben sich aber hauptsächlich mit Gebärden verständigt, was für die 5jährige Ayla, die aus den Clans der "anderen" stammt, nicht leicht zu durchschauen war.

Allerdings wurde das anschaulich ausgeführt und die Ausdrucksweise hauptsächlich in den Gedanken der einzelnen wiedergegeben. Man gewöhnt sich daran, wie auch an den langsamen Rhythmus der Erzählung - wobei ich anfangs noch etwas gezweifelt habe, ob mich die Geschichte packen kann. Dann aber kam der Moment, wo es mich gefesselt hat.
Ich kenne mich zu wenig aus, um zu wissen wie authentisch das ganze wohl dargestellt ist, aber ich bin der Meinung, dass man durch die Entdeckungen der Forscher zwar einiges "weiß", die Auslegung davon aber sehr individuell sein kann. Was die Autorin hier wunderbar beschreibt sind die Natur mit all ihren Tieren und Pflanzen zu jener Zeit und wie die Menschen damit zu überleben wussten. Welche Vielfältigkeit in Nahrung und Heilmitteln zur Verfügung standen, wie geschickter Gebrauch von einfachen Werkzeugen schon viele Gebrauchsgegenstände zum Leben geschaffen haben und wie sehr sie mit ihrem naturverbundenen Glauben ihre eigene Mystik geschaffen haben.

Es war ihnen, als seien sie ein Teil allen Lebens auf der Erde; und die Ehrfurcht, die daraus erwuchs, selbst für die Tiere, die sie töteten und von denen sie sich nährten, legte den Grund für die geistige Einheit mit ihren Zeichen.
Zitat Seite 43


Ein bisschen gestoßen hab ich mit mit der patriarchalischen Lebensweise, die sie bei den Neandertalern zugrunde gelegt hat, da ich selbst der Meinung bin, dass die Frauen zu der Zeit eine höhere Stellung hatten, aber im Laufe der Geschichte erfährt man, warum sie das so aufgebaut hat und es ergibt auch einen sinnvollen Weg.

Ayla jedenfalls stößt nach dem Tod ihrer Sippe auf einen Clan der Neandertaler und hat es nur der Medizinfrau Iza zu verdanken, dass sie dort aufgenommen wird. Man erfährt noch recht wenig über die Art von Ayla´s Sippschaft, nur dass sie anders ist. Weißhaarig, hochgewachsen und der Sprache fähig, entgegen dem Clan der sich ihrer annimmt und in dem die Unterdrückung der Frauen für das junge Mädchen einiges an Herausforderungen bringt.
Denn sie ist ein Freigeist und es kostet sie sehr viel Erfahrungen und Durchhaltevermögen, um sich anzupassen. Die Regeln sind sind sehr streng und ihre Missachtung würde Verbannung und damit den Tod bedeuten.

Besonders spannend ist ihr "Gegenspieler" Broud. Der Sohn des Clan-Führers, der von Beginn an eine Konkurrentin in Ayla sieht. Er ist sehr geltungsbedürftig und das besondere Interesse an dieser andersartigen Frau stößt ihm immer wieder auf. Welche Konflikte sich hieraus entwickelt fand ich besonders interessant, auch wie sich der Clan insgesamt durch die Ankunft von Ayla verändert.
Überhaupt die Denkmuster und wie damals (vielleicht) gefühlt wurde und Konsequenzen und ein Umdenken entstand fand ich äußerst spannend.
Vor allem wie viel Zeit man sich genommen hat, um über Probleme erstmal nachzudenken, nachzufragen, alle Möglichkeiten abzuwiegen und dadurch auch auf neue Entscheidungen und ein Umdenken kommen.

Insgesamt ein wirklich außergewöhnliches Buch über eine Zeit, über die wir so gut wie nichts wirklich wissen und die Autorin es geschafft hat, ein lebendiges Bild entstehen zu lassen.
Etwas zu detailliert war es mir allerdings stellenweise und auch die vielen Wiederholungen mancher Gedanken und Gegebenheiten hätte es nicht gebraucht.

Weltenwanderer