hannahjoan18's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
diannagendron's review against another edition
2.0
Loved the setting, the characters, the history, the period details. I just kept wishing it were "better" written. Still, I guess I enjoyed it.
allyhoz's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
dhilderbrand's review
5.0
I started this with a lot of trepidation. It is 6 books of 500 pages each. I cannot begun to tell you how glad I am that I read it. The story is incredibly powerful. The setting is so unique. The writing is beautiful. I desperately want to read the next book but I don't want to burn out. I hope this story is made into a series... it could be amazing.
atheriaque's review against another edition
4.0
A good story but a LOT to read. Would get 3.5/5 if it was an option. The scenario is very interesting but there were times when I wasn't sure I could finish the book. I'm glad I did though because eventually the story moved along and the paragraph after paragraph of plant root and leaf descriptions became storyline. I guess I am still somewhat annoyed by the constant Ayla/Broud drama, but I guess it was necessary to the story. Hoping the next in the series is a little better, but I also really did end up liking this book.
kmjmg's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
suneaters's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Clan of the Cave Bear follows Ayla, a Cro-Magnon girl who is adopted by a tribe of Neanderthals following an earthquake. I liked the characters, but the character list at the beginning spoils what will happen with Broud and Ayla resulting in Durc. It was only helpful in letting me know Creb and Mog-Ur were the same person. For someone who sounds like a textbook, Auel wasn’t super clear that it was a title and not a name.
Some of my fellow reviewers mentioned Auel’s writing style. I found it interesting as an imagining of life in pre-history, but yes some of the flower and plant descriptions were a bit much and comes off as textbook-like. I can see that putting off some readers. It also does start off slow and only picks up later.
Once the story does pick up, I was deeply invested in the characters, especially Iza, Creb, Uba, and Ayla. Brun is a good leader character and our antagonist Broud is positively loathsome, even before Twenty-six is elderly for these people so they grow up much faster. We get to see their daily lives and traditions, which were interesting. I loved the totems and how they conceptualized spirits. The curses, the gatherings every seven years, the hearths, all of it and lore makes the clan feel very realistic. One very embarrassing review is kind of upset sexism exists as if it isn’t the oldest form of bigotry ever. The tribe’s sexism is hard to read about and deeply upsetting, but it’s supposed to make you uncomfortable. Ayla is able to do things that go against it by thinking it’s what her Cave Lion totem wants. The reader will think about how “civilized” and egalitarian we are, but then will thousands of years from we be looked upon as backwards and cruel? (Assuming progress is mainly linear of course since we seem to be going backwards as I type this).
Another embarrassing review mentions no LGBT characters. As a homosexual, true homosexuality is very rare. Did you read this and wish some poor homosexual were in this story being raped? Did you read Creb being described as not a true man for being disabled and agree? Would him being “not a man” have made the story better? It betrays a total lack of understanding of the true purpose of “third genders”—to other homosexual or otherwise “abnormal” men. No woman would be allowed to opt out of her sex based role.
The story could be better and I agree the ending is very much for a sequel. But then apparently we wouldn’t get the next book, which is a sex-fest? Auel, I don’t want to know what your sex life is lacking. I’m sad about it, but I guess I won’t be reading the next book even if I enjoyed this one despite its flaws.
Spoiler
It’s clear he will rape her and Durc will be their son with Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal traits.Some of my fellow reviewers mentioned Auel’s writing style. I found it interesting as an imagining of life in pre-history, but yes some of the flower and plant descriptions were a bit much and comes off as textbook-like. I can see that putting off some readers. It also does start off slow and only picks up later.
Once the story does pick up, I was deeply invested in the characters, especially Iza, Creb, Uba, and Ayla. Brun is a good leader character and our antagonist Broud is positively loathsome, even before
Spoiler
he raped Ayla. But Durc is adorable. There is the bit where Ayla is excited to have a baby to help her cope with the rape. I understand this can be off-putting, but to me it is how she copes. She wants a baby and rejects the idea Broud helped make him. It isn’t a consolation prize to her for putting up with him, but a miracle.Another embarrassing review mentions no LGBT characters. As a homosexual, true homosexuality is very rare. Did you read this and wish some poor homosexual were in this story being raped? Did you read Creb being described as not a true man for being disabled and agree? Would him being “not a man” have made the story better? It betrays a total lack of understanding of the true purpose of “third genders”—to other homosexual or otherwise “abnormal” men. No woman would be allowed to opt out of her sex based role.
The story could be better and I agree the ending is very much for a sequel.
Spoiler
If Auel ended the book well, Broud would have died at the cave-in and Ayla would have been able to stay to raise her son.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, and Animal death
Moderate: Ableism, Miscarriage, Rape, and Sexism
leeroyuk's review
2.0
Great on authenticity, poor on storytelling
A fiction writer should show rather than tell. Dialogue, events and actions should be the main conduits through which the fictional world is conveyed - if this world is to seem real.
Admittedly, this can be difficult where the protaganists are so different to ourselves but that is the challenge of the speculative fiction writer. Unfortunately, Jean Auel does not meet this challenge very well. Instead of using creative literary devices to retain realism, Auel takes the easy option of technically describing, for example, the brains, customs and language of the clan.
The result is that this novel very often reads like an anthropological essay. This might make it historically accurate, but makes it difficult to suspend ones disbelief and to observe the events as a story rather than as a documentary.
A fiction writer should show rather than tell. Dialogue, events and actions should be the main conduits through which the fictional world is conveyed - if this world is to seem real.
Admittedly, this can be difficult where the protaganists are so different to ourselves but that is the challenge of the speculative fiction writer. Unfortunately, Jean Auel does not meet this challenge very well. Instead of using creative literary devices to retain realism, Auel takes the easy option of technically describing, for example, the brains, customs and language of the clan.
The result is that this novel very often reads like an anthropological essay. This might make it historically accurate, but makes it difficult to suspend ones disbelief and to observe the events as a story rather than as a documentary.
lillymiron's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
linmjenk's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of my favorite books of all time. I adore Jean for sharing this story with us and providing such beautiful characters. Ayla was one of the first characters in a book that I ever admired. The book may be long for some but it is well worth it.