Yesterday was a remarkable moment for me. As I finished a book, I couldn't help but think, "...Damn, I wish I'd known while reading this that it would make it onto that really short list of books I wish I could read again for the first time." I probably would have savoured it more.

I did a buddy read with Caught Between Pages. Thanks for the lovely discussions about unlovely things :).

This book, Clan of the Cave Bear, is full of unlovely things.

Ayla, a Cro-Magnon child, is separated from her people and taken in by a clan of Neanderthals. Less evolved than the Cro-Magnons, the Neanderthals raise her to live by their methods. It's a story of love and abuse. She experiences love from some of her newfound family, but also abuse from a man who can't understand her desire for more than her assigned role as a female in the clan.

For those who don't know much about Neanderthals vs Cro-Magnons, like me, here's what you need to know. The Cro-Magnons, like Ayla, were of the same species as us, while the Neanderthals, who raised Ayla, were a separate species. We do share some of their DNA from interbreeding. The Cro-Magnons eventually replaced the Neanderthals when the Neanderthals failed to keep evolving.

Clan of the Cave Bear had the power to make me absolutely livid, yet I wasn't angry at the author or the book itself. This book is ultimately about one girl's fight to fit in and her journey towards greater equality. Of course, it's full of horrible treatment of women, which can make a modern reader frustrated, but it also fascinates. It's interesting to read about the clan's reasoning for dividing gender roles so clearly.

I think the dynamic of an advanced girl being raised by a backwards species is what made this book so riveting. Despite trying to conform, Ayla's extra bit of forebrain power sparks a rebellious nature, leading to every critical point in the novel. Maybe it's just me, but that's so cool and kind of tragic.

The writing has its flaws. It's a bit simplistic and gets in the way at times. The use of exclamation marks outside of dialogue is odd. There are also long sections about herbal plant applications, and many concepts are repeated.

However, the characters are well-developed. Ayla is a great protagonist, and it's easy to identify with her. The antagonist is perfectly horrible. Overall, Clan of the Cave Bear is a captivating read.

This story was truly remarkable!

As I delved into its pages, I completely immersed myself in the narrative. The vivid descriptions and meticulously researched information transported me back in time. I could almost envision the scene, hearing the grunts of the characters, the crackle of the fire, and even smelling the delicious aroma of the meat roasting.

However, at times, the details became a bit overwhelming. When the author was elaborating on the tedious steps involved in making a weapon or similar things, I found myself growing impatient and eager to move forward with the story.

After finishing the book, I developed a longing for simplicity. I decided to go out and embrace nature, nourishing my body with the gifts of the earth. My fitness trainers have been pestering me to give this new Paleo diet a try, where we eat like cavemen. And after reading the descriptions of Ayla's lean and long body, I have finally made up my mind to give it a shot!

I'm excited to see how this new lifestyle change will impact my health and well-being. Maybe I'll discover a newfound appreciation for the simple things in life, just like Ayla did in the story.

I really, truly wanted to like this one. I had such high hopes. I thought for sure I would. But alas, after reading the first 50 pages or 3 chapters, I just can't bring myself to go on. It's actually the 6th book I have abandoned in over 4 years.

The writing is extremely long-winded. There is way too much description, with a lot of telling and very little showing. There is so much repetition that it becomes tiresome. And then there are chunks of encyclopedic knowledge being thrown in every other page.

When I read about the clan women having the memories from their ancestors and the 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 childbirth will become impossible, my eyes rolled backwards so much that it actually hurt.

I have to admit that I haven't been in much of a reading mood lately. When I do read something, I feel extra critical and more easily annoyed by anything I don't like. If I had read this a couple of months ago or would read it a couple of months from now, perhaps my perspective would be different. Maybe I would have liked it. Or at least been able to finish it.

Man labai didelį įspūdį padarė kiek autorė įdėjo pastangų ir laiko šiai knygų serijai parašyti.

It is truly remarkable how much effort and time the author has dedicated to writing this book series.

The interesting facts about how people lived, hunted, traveled, led, and what traditions and beliefs they adhered to are captivating.

This book is like a historical guide in Roman form.

In some places, it is difficult to read, but the further one progresses, the more the interest grows.

The plot itself is interesting, with a little girl being the only survivor after an earthquake.

She is found by another tribe, less developed.

She is taken in by a kind-hearted healer.

But everyone sees that the girl is different, more intelligent, more thoughtful, and taller.

She causes them to feel awe and fear.

They treat her especially strictly, and some do not like her with all their hearts, but she is able to adapt and even earn respect.

Perhaps there is not as much action in the book as there is a meticulous description of the natural and tribal living conditions.

The era of the mammoths.

It will not necessarily appeal to everyone, but I think it is worth reading, at least the first part.

2.5 ⭐⭐

This book is not for everyone. It certainly wasn't for me.

It is astonishingly brutal in the description of both human endurance and cruelty. The author spares no details in painting a vivid picture of the harsh realities that the characters have to face.

The story is compelling and once you started it, you'll want to follow it to the end just so you can see what happens to the little orphan girl. Her journey is filled with countless hardships and challenges, and you can't help but feel a sense of sympathy for her. But you may feel the need at times to alternately roll your eyes, hurl the book across the room, or punch something. The excessive brutality and the seemingly never-ending stream of tragedies can be overwhelming and exhausting.

If there is one thing this book does well, it is to bring out negative emotions in the readers. It forces you to confront the darker side of human nature and the残酷ness of society. It is a heart-wrenching story of survival of the fittest in one of the most cruel societies I have encountered until now. However, despite its flaws, it does make you think and reflect on the world we live in.

Geschafft! I am truly happy to have finished this book.

I wanted to read it once in 2010 and then gave up at 350 pages. The story is not bad, on the contrary.

I find the setting extremely exciting and fascinating, and I am also very interested in how people lived (could have lived) back then.

But sometimes it was a bit too slow-paced for me in the middle.

However, I still want to read the second volume because I am already interested in how Ayla's story continues.

Overall, although this book had its moments of slowness, the interesting setting and the anticipation of what comes next in Ayla's story make it a worthwhile read.

I look forward to delving into the second volume and seeing where the story takes me.

I hope that the author can maintain the same level of excitement and keep me engaged from start to finish.

Incredible.

Ayla is just about 5 years old when a massive earthquake strikes, leaving her motherless and all alone. She is then discovered by a group of Neanderthals and adopted into their Clan. As a child born to the Others (a Cro Magnon group residing in another area), Ayla's differences are always blatantly obvious to everyone else. However, she manages to grow and become a respected and integral part of the Clan.

What. A. Character.

Ayla's story is filled with struggle and difficulty, yet it also encompasses strength, love, and a ferocity that I simply adore. She has quickly risen to the top of my new favorite characters list, and I'm extremely excited to witness her continued growth in the subsequent installments of this series. From the very beginning to the end of this installment, Ayla ages only a few years. But during that time, in the eyes of the Clan, she transforms into a woman. This implies that she experiences numerous things, undergoes changes, and endures events that in our modern age, we encounter much later in life. I LOVE her.

Honestly, I can't recall ever reading anything set in this prehistoric time period before. So, when I started this book, I had no idea what to anticipate. With the earthquake event occurring in the opening chapter, I was instantly hooked. The story never lost its momentum, despite a few scattered instances of repetition. I was never once bored. The descriptions of the culture, customs, and ways of life of these people fascinated me to no end. It was evident to me that the author took great pains to research the details and present them as accurately as possible. (After finishing the book, I looked up interviews with Mrs. Auel and found where she discussed her research - it was very cool.)

The aspect that I easily loved the most about this story was its characterization. I was able to form easy connections with the characters, even though there was a gap of approximately 30,000 years between their time and mine. Sure, they are vastly different from me in terms of customs, religion, and ways of life, etc. - but these characters possess emotions and behaviors that are very much on par with those of us today. This is something that I had never considered before... until now, when I've actually taken the time to think about this time period, these people, and the challenges they faced compared to the comforts of living in our current era of history. I had absolutely no trouble visualizing this book in my mind as I read, and I found myself eager to read it whenever I wasn't able to.

This book was an absolute joy to read (and listen to, as I also added the audiobook), and I know for certain that I'll be rereading it in the future.

Audiobook Notes: The audiobook format of The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel is published by Brilliance Audio and has a runtime of 19 hours and 36 minutes, being Unabridged. It is narrated by Sandra Burr, who was new to me. She was a fine narrator, and I quickly became accustomed to her reading for Ayla and the other characters. While not my absolute favorite, it was certainly enjoyable. I'll definitely read/listen to it again in the future.

The story commences with a devastating earthquake in the initial pages of the book. This tremor leaves a 5-year-old girl all alone, orphaned, and wandering on the verge of death. Fortunately for her, the same quake demolishes the cave of a clan of cavemen, and they too are left wandering, in search of a new abode. A pregnant woman stumbles upon the unconscious body of the girl. Despite their physical differences, she asks and obtains permission to carry and tend to the girl.

Although the girl seems ugly and strange to the clan, she brings them good fortune, and they soon discover a new cave, even better than their previous one. Iza, the woman who found her, is permitted to adopt her. Iza has been widowed by the quake but is a very powerful medicine woman, so she is provided for by Creb, the highly esteemed Mogur, or magician, of the clan, who also happens to be her sibling. It is extremely fortunate for Ayla that she ends up with these kind people. However, not everyone in the clan accepts, trusts, or even likes her simply because she is so different and worthy of fear and distrust.

As Ayla grows and learns the customs, language, and ways of the clan, her life is arduous. She is almost a different species than them, being much further up the evolutionary ladder. Thus, she finds it very difficult to fit into the mold they deem appropriate for women. She is proud, strong, highly intelligent, and capable of making logical leaps that often land her in trouble with her adopted people. She secretly learns to hunt, which is strictly prohibited for women. This is just one more violation in a long list that fuels the hatred Broud, the leader's son, feels for Ayla. She is punished for this but later 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 also an intuitive one. She can not only recall what she has been taught but also devise new treatments and medicines that would never occur to Iza. Ayla has a child but remains unmated. The story concludes, 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 is astonishing how much information Auel manages to cram 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 glimpse of what life would have been like in Ayla's time. The long descriptions never seem dry or dull but instead leave me with more questions. This is one of those rare books that make me look things up, pore over encyclopedias, scour 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 portrayal of what life may have been like. So much occurs in such a few short years, but it needs to, so that the foundation is laid for the rest of the series.

I *really* wanted to dig this book. I have a burgeoning obsession with prehistory, evolution, and the antecedents of man. The idea of a tale that delves into the lives of Cro Magnons and Neanderthals is exactly what I'd love to read.

Sadly, this book does not contain that tale. Instead, it presents a goopy mess of inane metaphysics. There is a prurience for prurience's sake, which adds nothing of value to the story. What's more, there is a none-too-subtle dollop of racism. The blonde-haired and light-skinned heroine is shown as superior, teaching the more primitive (and darker-skinned) Neanderthals how to do just about everything.

This is a blatant example of a white man's burden fantasy writ large, and it's not even written very well. The author fails to create a believable or engaging narrative, relying instead on tired stereotypes and offensive tropes. It's a disappointment for anyone hoping for a thoughtful exploration of prehistoric life.

The Clan of the Cave Bear has always been one of my all-time favorite books. I think I've read it an astonishing 8 - 10 times by now, and yet, it never loses its charm.

This time around, reading it as an adult, I was able to establish a much deeper connection with the plot. It contains a plethora of adult themes that I couldn't fully appreciate when I was just eight years old. And yes, my parents were indeed the kind who allowed me to explore such books at a young age.

Jean M. Auel's writing voice is incredibly powerful. It has this unique ability to make you truly feel as if you are right there with the characters, experiencing their joys, sorrows, and the very essence of their surroundings.

I have always had a bit of an obsession with prehistory, herbal tinctures, and tribal life in general. So, it's no wonder that this book will always have a special place on my bookshelf. However, I do still have to finish the series.

Auel's books were my very first introduction to the world of prehistory reading when I was just eight years old. After reading each book, every single time, I would eagerly flick through the pages afterwards and jot down notes about the various herbs mentioned, even going so far as to draw them based on how they were described.

In fact, I was so enamored with the idea of living like the characters in the book that I even ran away once with the intention of living in a cave. But let's just leave that story at that.

I will never, ever stop recommending this book. It doesn't matter if you only read it once or multiple times. It's a literary gem that everyone should have the opportunity to experience.

The book initially lacks some rhythm.

However, it gradually improves as we progress in reading it.

At the beginning, the pacing might seem a bit off, perhaps making it a little difficult to fully engage.

But as one delves deeper into the story, the author manages to pick up the pace and draw the reader in more effectively.

The development of the plot and the characters starts to gain momentum, and the overall flow becomes more seamless.

By the time one reaches the middle or later parts of the book, it becomes quite captivating, and one is eager to see how the story will unfold.

Despite the slow start, the book ultimately redeems itself with its improved rhythm and engaging narrative.

It was a long story, and perhaps at times it was just a little overly descriptive. However, it was incredibly creative. I found myself completely engrossed and couldn't put it down.

Additionally, I listened to the audiobook. The narrator was decent, but at times read a bit too fast and without sufficient inflection. Fortunately, this improved as the story unfolded.

All in all, it was a fabulous read. I am eagerly looking forward to book two. I can't wait to see what new adventures and creativity the author has in store for us. The combination of the engaging story and the gradually improving audiobook narration made for a truly enjoyable experience. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good, creative read.