The Clan of the Cave Bear Review

Rating: 

                 


     So, I’ll be honest. I’m going through a bit of a love/hate relationship with the Earth’s Children series. Maybe I’m just not in the habit of reading lengthy series, but seriously (or should I say series-ously?). These books are taking me forever to read. I started the first book in mid-February, and I’ve just recently started reading the fifth one. Granted, each book is over 800 pages, but still. That’s a long time to spend with a cast of characters. However, I did say love/hate relationship, so don’t let this mini rant scare you away from reading it. I did give the first book four Star Lords after all. Read on to find out why!

     As I may or may not have mentioned before, one of my favorite things about reading is that you get to experience imaginary lands and ancient civilizations in such a realistic way that you almost feel like you’re there. Well, The Clan of the Cave Bear goes above and beyond in this regard, which is why I have given it the rating of four Star Lords.

  Set in prehistoric times during the middle of the Ice Age, this novel follows the life of Ayla, a young girl who loses her family to an earthquake and ends up being raised by the Clan, or as we know them, cavemen and cavewomen. Even though she is so different-looking from the people who raise her, Ayla does everything she can to fit in, learning their language and obeying their customs to the best of her abilities. With no memory of her birth parents, Ayla has no choice but to learn to survive among these strange and exotic people, and you get a front-row seat to her thrilling experience.

     If you’re looking for a light and enjoyable read, like junk food for your brain, then this book is not for you. But if your brain is craving a full-course Thanksgiving meal that’ll leave you full and satisfied for at least a week, then look no further. This book is filled to the brim with rich history and vivid descriptions of places that no longer exist. As the sole human among dozens of cave people, Ayla is our relatable guide in this ancient world, and she carries out her role very well. Everyone has felt like an outcast before, but Ayla’s trials take it to an entirely different level. It’s encouraging to see how she handles every situation that arises and grows into a strong young woman. 

     The thing about this book that I’m most stunned by is the incredible amount of realistic detail included. I shudder to think of how much research Jean M. Auel must have had to complete just to write this one book. With her in-depth description of the landscape and her detailed explanations for how to create prehistoric tools, I’m almost convinced that she’s hiding an iPed (see Rule #5) in her garage that she used to travel to the Ice Age. Either that or a caveman in her basement. 

     Her research for this series is so extensive that Auel was given honorary degrees from four different universities as well as the title of Officer in the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government’s Ministry of Culture. I’m not even sure how much of her book is historical fact and how much is made-up fiction because she blends the pieces together so well. After reading this book though, I’m pretty sure that if I ever got stuck in the woods, I could cook up a mean stew and build all the necessary dishes and eating utensils just from my immediate surroundings. 

     So, do you think you could survive the coldest period in history with a group of cave dwellers? Could you live off of the land before the invention of the grocery store? Would you dare to face a wooly mammoth with nothing but a handmade spear and your fellow hunters? If you think you’ve got what it takes, join Ayla before the dawn of time in a world of epic proportions, where the wild animals are more ferocious and the winter winds more fierce.