The Mammoth Hunters

Ayla's journey has been a completely engrossing one from the author's conception. This imaginary glimpse into pre-history is lavish, luscious and full of the same magic as its predecessors. More of a character piece like the first novel, 'Mammoth Hunters' pushes Ayla to accept her deeper destiny while Jondalar struggles with accepting this. Bonds are threatened with a new charisma-breathing love interest for Ayla. And I must say out of the first three installments, this book was the most heart wrenching. Right alongside Creb and Ayla's final parting, and Jondalar first meeting Ayla, this book is ripe with angst and repressed passions. It is also poignant because Ayla must learn to cope at last with the last ghosts of her past before the show more new journey can begin. show less

Когато излиза, тази поредица е хвалена като уникален поглед в битието на предците ни и даже получава няколко награди. Защо, не мога да кажа.

Въпреки сносните си литературни качества като (главно) младежко четиво, описанията на живота и бита на хората от палеолита влизат в разрез с практически всеки научен факт, който знаем за тях. Като се започне от храната, която ядат, през предметите, които ползват, до show more общуването и племенния живот, авторката представя една идеализирана, романтична представа, очевидно повлияна от поколения натрупани в съзнанието й митове за "благородния дивак".

Фактите от археологията и антропологията обаче сочат, че хората от палеолита нито са се хранили със зърнени храни, нито са имали голямо разнообразие от методи за приготвяне на храна, нито са изработвали и притежавали много и сложни сечива и предмети на изкуството, нито са опитомявали животни. Не са и имали широка междуплеменна социална мрежа, а напротив - били са войнствени и канибали, със смъртност на мъжете от насилие стигаща до 40%. Като цяло, авторката им приписва сложност и изкусност на бита, каквито човешкият вид придобива едва стотици хилядолетия по-късно, на съвсем различен цивилизационен етап.

Описанието на неандерталците като примитивни полумаймуни може да се преглътне, защото книгата е писана преди потвърждаването на хипотезата, че са били всъщност по-интелигентни от Homo Sapiens. show less

At a solid 4.5/5 stars, this book serves as a satisfying sequel to 'Valley of Horses' Here, Ayla is once more a part of a community, though this time it is her own kind that she is now with, and it's clear how much she benefits from being part of her own kind, rather than have to deal with the stifling environment she had to live in as part of the Clan of the Cave Bear, however kind some of its members were. It's fun to see her trade with the members of the Mammoth Hunter tribe, and it was also interesting to see the rivalry develop between Jondalar and Ranec. Overall a great read.

If we didn't have to focus so much on the mythical status of Ayla and Jondalar and repeat their story over and over, the books would be much shorter and maybe a little more interesting?

I LOVE Auel's descriptions of the spaces and places, the caves and creeks, and how people lived thousands of years ago. Sometimes a little too detailed -- but I certainly didn't know how useful urine could be until this book.... :-)

3.5 stars

In the 3rd book of the series of prehistoric people, Ayla and Jondalar have arrived at a “Mamutoi” settlement. These are humans more like we know them now, and more like Ayla, than the “cave” people she was raised with. In addition to having to learn the new culture and still being new to the spoken language, it’s hard for Ayla to fit in. Not only that, she brought domesticated horses with her, which is unnerving for the people here. But she is beautiful and she brings many good qualities, first and foremost as a Healer. So she is soon welcomed. But her relationship with Jondalar is tested as one of the men in this camp is very interested in Ayla and doesn’t keep it a secret.

Of course, there is a lot more going on show more in this than I’ve summarized. It’s a good book, but it was so long. I started it two months ago, but it was taking so long to read, I set it aside for other books before I came back to finish it off. It is a bit annoying how perfect Ayla is, though. Maybe not perfect, but she does so many things so well – things that others can’t do or have a hard time doing. I also hate the hunting; I cry for the animals, though I know the people needed to hunt to survive. show less

In the third book of the Earth's Children series, Ayla and Jondalar have left Ayla's remote valley home and have entered the territory of the Mamutoi People. This is Ayla's first real encounter with a tribe of her own Cro-Magnon race and she makes quite a first impression, with her tame horses and myriad inventions. However, controversy ensues when the Mamutoi learn that Ayla was raised by Neanderthals or "Flatheads". Will she still be accepted?

Meanwhile, Ayla and Jondalar are having trouble in the romance department. Misinterpretations and misunderstandings abound. Ayla's cultural background makes it hard for her to communicate her needs, while Jondalar is wallowing in insecurity. To be honest, Jondalar really annoyed me in this book. show more He comes off as a self-absorbed, self-pitying boob with no observational skills what-so-ever. "Gee, Ayla looks unhappy, but I'm sure it has nothing to do with me!" Also: We don't need to hear for the umpteenth time how Ayla is the only female who can accommodate his massive member. We get it, Jean, he's well-hung. (Rolls eyes)

Ayla also has a brief dalliance with an exotic, dark-skinned member of the Mamutoi, Ranec, who seems less like an erstwhile lover and more like a fawning worshiper. The love triangle between Ayla, Ranec, and Jondalar seems to drag on forever.

Good points: The descriptions of weather, glacial landscapes, animals, and tribal customs are as interesting and meticulous as ever.
And the character Rydag, a Neanderthal-Cro Magnon hybrid boy, is a poignant reminder of Ayla's own lost child. Her interactions with him are bittersweet and compelling. show less

Third in the Earth’s Children series set in the ice age. This could have been good. Her writing, for the most part, is good. Day to day living in a glacial world is well researched, thought out and portrayed. But, what? Was she in a contest with herself to see how stinking many times she could write sex scenes with phrasings that were not quite exactly the same? And how many scenes did she invent (should’ve kept track!) to show the guy and the gal misunderstanding each other?

“They stared at each other, wanting each other, drawn to each other, but their silent shout of love went unheard in the roar of misunderstanding, and the clatter of culturally ingrained beliefs.”

Why doesn’t he, why didn’t I . . . . over and over and over show more . . . The sheer repetitiveness of the sex scenes and misunderstanding scenes completely ruined what could have been a good story. show less