How To Put This?

[Deidre]

I actually really loved the first book. Really insightful, very well-researched, and pretty accurate historical perspective. All the books after that spend and inordinate amount of time on romanticized sex scenes and immature relationship issues. They're like soft-core caveman porn. If I wanted that, I could go read some Harlequin romance novels.

[Karleene]

Deidre wrote: "I actually really loved the first book. Really insightful, very well-researched, and pretty accurate historical perspective. All the books after that spend and inordinate amount of time on romantic..."

100% agreed.

[Michelle]

I loved the first one but the others read like a soap opera.

[Clyde]

The first two books in the series, The Clan of the Cave Bear and The Valley of the Horses, were quite good. The third was a letdown for me as it is loaded with quite a lot of romantic pap that doesn't push the story forward.
The fourth? Well ... it was not only boring but also full of silly political correctness. I couldn't finish it.

[C.E.]

I can't think of any cogent way to defend the books as being good literature, but I've enjoyed them all anyway. I don't even mind when nothing much happens or that things get repeated. Normally both of those things drive me insane.

This series provides me with a uniquely cozy reading experience. The atmosphere is something like attending one of my own family's annual reunions - catching up, getting reacquainted with some quirky characters, hearing some of the same stories but still enjoying the company, and there's always at least one incident or two that leaves you chuckling. There's a familial, stress-free charm in the telling.

[Melissa]

I liked them all except this last one. It was repetitive of telling stories from previous books and the ending was kind of left open like she might decide to write another one some day.

[Al]

I couldn't get into the book,it was ghastly read, I was laughing at the implausibility of the storyline. after 10 pages, I binned it.

[Elle]

I want to read the last one just to read the last one. I waited for a LOOOOOOOOONG time to read them. I'm not one really for the prehistory type but I found the secondary characters and the cultures interesting. But I did find the other books a bit repititous to the point where I would skip pages and not lose anything. I just want to read the last book because I have read all of the others. When I was a teen and I started the books it was cool, and they were long enough to keep my interest. (i'm a speed reader so I look for thick books when I want something to read or I will blow through them) And I found the anthropological work to be fascinating even If I don't hold with it. I classed them as fantasy. But those who said the coincidence was a little too convienient was right.

Personal opinion of the series over all Meh

[Melissa]

Zackary wrote: "Melissa wrote: "I liked them all except this last one. It was repetitive of telling stories from previous books and the ending was kind of left open like she might decide to write another one some ..."

Maybe put it down for a bit and read something else. I need to do that sometimes.

[Judy]

I loved them all. I was a young wife and mother when I read them, and maybe they were an escape and an adventure. I try not to be too critical of repeats in a series. Not everyone is as anal as I am about reading them in order. And indeed some people just pick up a book and read it, thus they need the "what happened before"

[Scott]

Pulp, fun and negligible.
V. 1 was enoigh for me

[Anka]

the last one was really disapointing. love the historical content but the repetition was really annoying. hope there isn't another cos it will only get worse.

[Shawn]

I really enjoyed all but the last one. I couldn't keep up with all the characters and finally just stopped trying. I rarely stop reading in the middle of a book but I did with that one.

[A.D.]

I read them all. The first book and the second book (before Jondalar showed up in her valley) were my favorites.

The third book rather disappointed me. First of all, Jondalar has to be the worst male lead ever. He is the whiniest, drippiest, most insecure guy. I can't believe it took the entire third book for him to get over himself. UGH. Ayala annoyed me too, for all of her strength, she didn't have the guts to just flat out ask Jondalar what the heck was wrong with him and then tell him to cut the childish crap. I loved Wolf though and the relationship she built with the people though and I think the book would have ended much better if Jondalar would have got over himself sooner, quit pining away for a home on the other side of the continent, co-mated with Ayala and Ranec and settled right there with the Mamuti (sp?).

The fourth book started to loose me. The constant repetition of descriptions of the land and plants in exhaustive detail were mind numbing. I enjoyed it in the first. Didn't bother me in the second, wasn't too bad in the third, but by the fourth, come on, give the readers some credit.

I also didn't care for the repetitive, explicit loves scenes. Yes, we get it, they have an over the top, sensual, love life, even though neither one has bathed in weeks and you've been sweating and riding horses all that time.

The fifth book, I had to drag myself through. Won't read it again. I think there is a book after that, but I haven't gone looking for it. If I see it at a garage sale, I might pick it up.

[Mary]

Heathermomo wrote: "I enjoyed this series. The first book is completely different from the later books. I get the feeling someone at the publishers said to her "great concept, but to keep the readers interest we need ..."

I find it interesting that so many people dislike the Earth Children books by Auel because of the sex in the books. When someone writes about relationships between men and women, sex is a pretty big part of whether or not a relationship will be successful. Why do people believe that having sex or romantic relationships in novels some how diminishes its credibility? Other than my children, the strongest and most important relationship in my life is between myself and my husband. Sexual intimacy is one of the things that keeps relationships strong. Some of the best classics in history revolved around romantic relationships: Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Tess of the D'urbervilles, North and South, Middlemarch, etc. I think this puritanical idea concerning sex can actually be harmful to some marriages. Women (and men to a lesser degree) are taught from early on that sex is bad and sex is dirty. Then they get married and they are supposed to immediately dump all of that baggage and decide that sex is now good. IMO, we need to get over this notion concerning sex and understand that it is an extremely important aspect of life.

[A.D.]

It's not that sex is dirty, or that I have a problem with a few sex scenes, but they got repetitive. Also, you can convey love and intimacy, even the fact that they had sex without describing every single movement, every single time. After a while, they start to seem like filler and I skim over them to get back to the story.

I don't think the romance part of it took anything away, people fall in love, it makes sense to have there. But it just seems like she took it a little too far. Especially the love triangle thing in the third book.

[Mary]

A.D. wrote: "It's not that sex is dirty, or that I have a problem with a few sex scenes, but they got repetitive. Also, you can convey love and intimacy, even the fact that they had sex without describing every..."

It has been a very long time since I read the books, so I cannot recall the repetitive nature. I have no problem with criticism of writing because of repetitiveness or redundancy. I guess my question is why are we so squeamish about sex? I love Stephen King and he spends half of his books mired in blood, explosions and death. Yet it SEEMS we find this more palatable than something that is crucial to our survival. I just don't get it.

[Kristin]

Kirby wrote: "I loved the first one, liked the second, persevered through the third and fourth, and hated the fifth...don't think I even wanna read this last one.

I agree, angela- that was part of what turned m..."

This is exactly what I was thinking for the last three or four books. Ayla is the BEST!! She is the smartest, most beautiful, exotic, talented, etc.... Enough already!!
And the SEX! My goodness, I got embarrassed just reading them sometimes because my dad got the books for me for Christmas when they came out!! EWWWW! Not that I wouldn't have been taken aback if he hadn't gotten them for me, but still... I just thought there was a lot more in it than necessary in books 3-5. Book 6 had toned it down considerably, but still lots of Ayla worship!

[Mary]

Kristin wrote: "Kirby wrote: "I loved the first one, liked the second, persevered through the third and fourth, and hated the fifth...don't think I even wanna read this last one.

I agree, angela- that was part of..."

Maybe it is just that I am old now, been married for 28 years and sex no longer causes me to blush. I just feel this puritanical approach to sex is just plain silly at this point in my life.

[A.D.]

I've been married eighteen years, but I still don't particularly care to read about or watch other people having sex. Like I said, a little isn't too bad, but I think there are other ways to convey it.

I don't read a lot of Stephen King. Some, but not a lot because some were just too gory for me.

Books don't tell every time a character stops to have a bowel movement and tell exactly what that bowel movement was like and whether it passed slowly or was more runny than usual or any of that. They also don't tell every time a characters urinates and exactly how that feels. These functions are also quite necessary for our continued survival. Most books don't detail every meal eaten either with description given to every bite. It might mention they ate, or mention some of the food on the table, but not take the reader by the hand and walk them through every move of the jaw and every swallow.

So why, do people think that we need that for intimate scenes? After 18 years and 3 children, I am well aware of the mechanics of it. If you want to show how great it is between two people and want to detail it, it can be done in one or two scenes, not have the story littered with it. Also, intimacy and sex scenes can be shown without actually walking the reader through every move.

[Mary]

A.D. wrote: "I've been married eighteen years, but I still don't particularly care to read about or watch other people having sex. Like I said, a little isn't too bad, but I think there are other ways to convey..."

To each his/her own then. ;0)

[Deborah]

i loved all of these books and was so excited when the last one came out.. Went straight out and bought it right away.

[Lorna]

I loved this book and then moved on to Valley of the Horses - got so engrossed that I took the book in my handbag to a dinner party and kept nipping to the loo for a quick 'read'. Hope the hostess didn't think it was the food! Then read No 3 (can't remember the name) and that's where the fascination ended.

[Erika]

The books I liked from this series are Clan of Cave Bear, Mammoth Hunters, and so far I am liking Shelters of Stone. I do say that some of the passages are erotic.

[C]

Zero (0%) scholarship in a historical novel is insulting.

[Lucy]

I found her prose too purple and Ayla too irritating to read beyond the first book, to be honest.

[Libby]

I loved The Earth's Children series, I just thought they were fantastic. BUT I did feel the need to force myself through some of the pages but all in all I was very happy with the books. Also I can't believe people are downplaying the sex/romance side of the stories. Prudes. :P

[Evan]

deleted user wrote: "I liked the first one and i think 1/2 through the second i said oh no don't do it don't sell out and turn this into a prehistoric romance novel-she didn't hear me
at least that was better than the ..."

I made it to the third one, and my disappointment grew with each turn of the page. It had so much potential. I'm a huge fan of that period of pre-history, but a sappy love triangle was not what I expected. Stopped reading and gave the following books in the series away.

[Deborah]

i saw the movie i think it was Darryl Hannah, i think she did a good job as Ayla.. the movie itself was not that great, but would love to see an updated version made..

[Kirby]

Deborah wrote: "i saw the movie i think it was Darryl Hannah, i think she did a good job as Ayla.. the movie itself was not that great, but would love to see an updated version made.."

yeah, it was Darryl Hannah.

[Kirby]

Cm wrote: "I read all of them. Clan of the Cave Bear is the best book. People of the Earth series is just as good. @Karlene. The movie. Did it have Darryl Hannah as Ayla?"

oh, is that the series that started with People of the Wolf? I loved that series! or, well- up to a point...

[Kirby]

Cm wrote: "Yes, it is."

awesome! I've so rarely come across anyone on here who's even heard of that series! which one is your favorite? (mine is people of the lakes)

[Deborah]

not heard of people of the earth, is it available to watch on line?

[C]

Deborah wrote: "not heard of people of the earth, is it available to watch on line?"

"Goodreads" reeeaaadddsss.

[Richard]

i loved these books i have to agree that alot of romance was put in to these books but if you read all the books right to the end you realise that the core meaning to these books are about the discovery of where babies come from and how pro creation happens from the first book it tells how its believed that women become pregnant when the great mother earth decides to mix the essence of a man his Totem spirit with the essence / Totem spirit of the woman in question. its through Aylas experiences of Rape and contact with sex and romance that she realises that the two are connected. there are many other story lines in the books to do with love and jealousy and Aylas journey to become one of her kinds top ranked
people all this is a journey on the way towards this main discovery.

[BgirlBookworm]

When I saw these posted I had to rate them. I think they were my first "mass market titles" as a pre-teen - they were being passed around in the summer with the V.C. Andrews titles and some other ones I can't recall; I I took what I thought at the time was the lesser of three evils. I did get hooked on Stephen King by the end of the following school year.

[Michael]

Jean Auel did an excellent job on her first few books. I have to admit the repetition of some of the details lost my attention in the last book. I read the first few when I was a young adult and the pre-historic loner Jean's main character was made her strong and independent and that was attractive to me. I really wanted to be positive about her last work.

[Elizabeth]

Deborah wrote: "Clan of the Cave Bear was interesting but The Valley of the Horses has called me back a few times. To me it is a fantasy of the being stranded on and island alone genre and seeing how you would sur..."
This was my Favorite of all the books.

[Audrey]

Jean Auel is one of my favorite authors. Her dedication to research is phenomenal. I didn't mind the repetition, it brought back into my mind what had happened previously, as years passed between reading book 1 and then two and probably ten years before I read book 3. It helped! I too wondered how much her publisher influenced the books but I loved them. I love romance, it is the base of all human relationships, and there is no reason to believe that it was any different in prehistoric times. And sex even predates that. My only regret is that Jean is now so advanced in age that it is unlikely there will be more books.

[Rebecca]

I have read the entire series and I loved them all! I am on the last one now, The Land of Painted Caves, and I have been reading it for a very long time. I got this from the library and I have renewed it 8 times! I want to finish it because I have invested in the series and loved the others. This one is interesting, but too bogged down with detail. Auel is always big on description, but it seems a bit much on this one. I am about 1/2 way done. I hope to finish it this time and take it back. I liked the first 3 the best. I will let you know what I think of this last one when I am done, but unless I am mistaken, it will be pretty predictable.

[Beverly]

Very good, but I liked the sequels much better. I think the last one, Shelters of Stone, was the best.

[[deleted user]]

Good stories, but I gave up after hearing about Jondalar's penis again and again... zzzzz

[Rebecca]

Beverly wrote: "Very good, but I liked the sequels much better. I think the last one, Shelters of Stone, was the best."

"Shelters of Stone" is the the second to the last in the series. The last one is "The Land of Painted Caves." It is so bogged down with description that I am having a hard time finishing it.

[Jodie]

I love the series. I read the first 5 books every 18 - 24 months. I love Ayla and her struggles. I must admit Plains of Passage annoys the crap out ofme with all the description. But I really hated The Land of the Painted Caves. Ayla and Jondalar were not the people I fell in love with. I didn't like the movie as much but I own that also and watch it occasionally.

[A.D.]

I wasn't too fond of Shelters of Stone. My favorite is Valley of Horses. I reread that one a lot. Of course, I have trouble just reading one book in a series, so I usually start with the first and read through Plains of Passage.

I haven't read The land of Painted Caves yet, curiosity may yet drive me to pick it up at the library.

[Mary]

I read this series way back and I have to admit, that when I first started Clan of the Cave Bear, I stopped reading it. But a year or so later, I picked it up again and got hooked, wanting to read the series. Being a gardener, I enjoyed reading about the plants and their medicinal values and how the Clan survived from place to place. My favorite of the series was Valley of the Horses, but the last book of the series felt rushed and thrown together, just to get it done. I didn't enjoy it at all, but kept reading in hopes it would get better. NOT!
I'm really glad I read the series, though...I felt educated afterwards.

[Richard]

i enjoyed the whole series the plains of passage was prob my favourite its in this book that i feel Ayla started to really show her potential as someone who would stand as one of the highest ranked people of her time.

[Kimberley]

i loved the first 4, but struggled to finish the rest, they go from brilliant to a waste of money. wad really disappointed in the final book.

[Erin]

I loved the first three. Then I got stuck on Plains of Passage and put it down for a few months before I could finish it. The fifth was a bit easier for me but I never finished the sixth. I never had a problem with all the sex but what bored me was the never-ending descriptions of plants and stuff. Early in Plains of Passage there are pages and pages of descriptions and it was unbearable. I also can't skip things, it makes me feel like I am missing something so I felt I had to read every single overly-descriptive page.

[MaryJane]

I have read the entire series and thoroughly enjoyed the way Ms.Auel used depictions of the culture and their use of the herbs, animals and plants from the environment to survive and sustain their lifestyle. also the emotions, feelings and personal touches she gave to the characters to make them believable. I read the series over many years as the books came out but still think of the situations that Ayla faced at intervals as though I had read these books recently. The stories stay with me. I like "The Mammoth Hunters" and "The Plains of Passage" the best. I felt "The Land of Painted Caves" was a little too detailed and at times draggy and too much detail to visions and ritual.