Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating!!
Review: I've had this novel for the past year or so, But I could never get into it, so it sat there for months and months. I was going through my books recently, and came across it, so I thought I'd attempt to read it again. I must say that this novel is fascinating!! The novel is about a little girl who is separated from her Clan and is taken into another Clan who finds her barely alive. The novel, I think, is about coming of age, and acceptence of ones self and of others. I think it's about growth and basically life. Ayla who is the main character in this novel, goes through many things. She had her ups and downs with the clan of the cave bear, and it gave her an identity and independence that no one in that clan had ever had: least of all women. However, this novel is brilliant, and it made me cry at the end. I cannot wait to continue the series, and I will definetly write a review for the second, third, and fourth!!!
Rating:
Summary: A treasure
Review: One of the first authors who got me interested in historical and archeological novels. A truly comprehensive story entwined in the early times to lead you on to her other novels. I am proud to say I have read and own all five novels written by Jean A. Auel.
Rating: 
Summary: Neanderthal Sexists
Review: This is a feminist parable with the Neaderthals (almost all the Neanderthal characters are men) representing the male oppressors of the intellectually and emotionally more evolved female represented by the Cro-Magnon, Ayla. I giggled every time one of the Neaderthal characters "made the sign" indicating the command for sexual favors, picturing the short rhythmic fist pumping motion sometimes used by modern males to allude to intercourse. Two stars - one for the sometimes interesting anthropological details - one for the laughs.
Rating: 
Summary: to much detail
Review: Great imagination! A little to much time spent on details. But I guess that makes for a good book writer.
Rating:
Summary: TRY IT! YOU"LL LOVE IT!
Review: I stumbled across this book by accident. By reading the description, I usually would have passed it by, but for some reason I went ahead and tried it. Truely a wonderful decision. My true love is magical fantasy but this book is so interesting and so well written, anyone would be caught up in it. The life Ayla deals with is fascinating. Auel obviously did her research with this making it educational as well as intertaining. I learned a lot from this book about the early days of man. I couldn't put it down and within two weeks, I had bought and read the rest of the series. Can't wait for SHELTERS OF STONE to come out in November. EXCELLENT SERIES!! The more you read it, the more you pick out of it.
Rating:
Summary: Are we sure the cave bear didn't *write* this?
Review: Oh, where to begin. I first read this years ago, and I will readily concede that the concept and plot are intriguing, and the book is clearly well researched. In fact, it's difficult to miss the fact, since the fruits of Auel's research are dumped in the reader's lap in staggering loads, breaking up the narrative and accounting for probably two-thirds of the book's considerable length. As for the narrative itself, it's distressingly cheesy, as Auel never uses one adjective where three will do, and seems to have a phobia of referring to any person or object by the same word twice. Put down the thesaurus, Jean.
Some of the characters are likable, but that's despite the way they're written, rather than because of it, and Ayla's virtues are laid on with a trowel. Flawless heroines are bad enough, but a heroine whose very flaws are painstakingly excused by the narrator strikes me as unsufferable. I recommend "The Clan of the Cave Bear" for the sake of its premise, but lovers of literature should be sure to have a strong stomach.
Rating: 
Summary: A good read
Review: THE CLAN OF THE CAVE BEAR is undeniably an enjoyable read, but it has its share of flaws: the plot, for one thing. Perhaps inventive in 1980, it now seems familiar. The problems Ayla runs into and their solutions are predictable. Nothing shocking ever seems to happen. However, the setting is an innovation. Anyone interested in prehistoric life will delight in the richly detailed, painstakingly researched descriptions of Neanderthal life. It is these accounts that separate CLAN from other stories of survival and belonging and constitue much of its appeal. However, details of prehistoric life cannot engage the reader forever. Auel seems obsessed with the most minute details of clan life, and page after page of description about herbal remedies, the process of toolmaking, strange fauna, etc. soon begin to read like essays: Auel seems to want to dump as much information as possible onto her readers. As a result, the actual plot is interspersed with long, dry, boring passages of description that have little significance to readers not interested in archaeology. Auel's narrative style is interesting. Instead of using POVs, she assumes an omnipresent narrative and relates CLAN in a fashion that reminded me of informal storytelling. The approach works surprisingly well, increasing the "prehistoric feel" of the book. However, Auel makes it impossible to become completely absorbed in the setting by scattering the book with anachronisms. Perhaps excusable in the narrative, the words stick out like sore thumbs when used by characters in dialogue. It's difficult to accept the Neanderthals as prehistoric men when they use words such as "menstrual cycle" and "arthritis". Still, CLAN OF THE CAVE BEAR is a fun read. The characters are well-drawn. Ayla especially is sympathetic, likable, and a worthy protagonist. Her relations with the clan members are real and moving, and there are some genuinely emotional scenes. Anyway, CLAN makes a good afternoon's entertainment, although it didn't leave me with much of an impression. For anyone interested, know that although there is some resolution at the end of CLAN, Ayla's story is far from over: we are left hanging. If you're the sort that hates to be left in suspense, consider having a copy of the next book in hand.
Rating:
Summary: The Clan of the Cave Bear
Review: OH MY GOD! This book was so awesome! My mom gave it to me a long time ago and told me to read it, but it didn't look all that great so I procrastinated for about a year! When I finally read it, I literally couldn't put it down! All I did was eat, read, and sleep. There is no way you can be disappointed because, WOW! It's just too good!
Rating:
Summary: Am I Allowed To Do This?
Review: The upcoming publication of Auel's fifth book has renewed my interest in the EarthChildren series. I'm now re-reading the books and reviewing the first, which I originally read almost 18 years ago. Am I allowed to reminisce like this? Am I out of bounds? Well, don't try to stop me. This book is still clear in my mind after nearly two decades. In the early 80's, I thumbed through it at an Albertson's checkout line, finished the first chapter, and told my parents about it. I received it a week later for my birthday...and loved every minute of the story. Jean Auel's narrative powers swept me into a past rich and alive with people, creatures, smells, and sights that are immediately familiar, yet breathtakingly foreign. That's what first caught my attention. Then I began to care about Ayla, the skinny, pale child caught in an earthquake. I followed her story with keen interest and ached over her insecurities and alienation. This is a story about people with all the feelings and emotions of you and me. And though some tried to ban the book for one particular scene of forced sex, I found it in no way glorifying the act. In fact, as a teenager, it made me more aware of a female's struggle in a male-dominated society. I'll never forget the experience--indeed, that's what it was!--of reading this novel. To go back and relive the story of Ayla all over again is a treat. I can't wait for "The Shelters of Stone." Only rarely does an author create a world so rich and believable that we could almost call it home.
Rating:
Summary: A great book...and I'm only 11 years old!!
Review: This was a really great book. I loved the descriptions of the different herbs and flowers. It was the kind of book that made you want to find out what's going to happen next...I could hardly put it down! But, towards the end of the book it got sad and depressing. The ending was sad too. But other than that, this book was great!!
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