tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post7089298545898923454..comments2023-11-03T06:12:51.960-04:00Comments on A Reader's Ramblings: Review: The Land of Painted Caves by Jean M. AuelKate E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18027865239228220755noreply@blogger.comBlogger152125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-37439529664285150982013-06-13T17:32:34.943-04:002013-06-13T17:32:34.943-04:00This last book was only a teaser from all of the o...This last book was only a teaser from all of the others, with each being a need to read the next. The wait though longer then one would of thought, I think was a little long. I seem too remember that it was the publisher, that has held the story and printing up. And that was back in the late 1980, about the story content not being very good. But for me personally when and if another book comes, I'm ready to wait that's how good they are to me. Of course my opinion might not count very much, I'm ready and waiting Mrs Auel, thank you for all the stories Herb Thompson Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-50249777598487764062012-12-01T17:47:31.022-05:002012-12-01T17:47:31.022-05:00I was not disappointed one bit in the last book of...I was not disappointed one bit in the last book of the series. Those caves are real, you know. You can go see the same pictures on the walls that Ayla saw. There is a direct connection, in those caves and other artifacts, between the world over thirty thousand years ago and our world today. When I read the descriptions of the caves, I looked at images online of the paintings being described. It made it very exciting to me. The repetition is a way to accustom us to the ritualized society being depicted in the story. It is all too tempting to think of them as modern humans, but their world was about as different as it can be, and those rituals were central to their social interactions. I read all six books, one after the other, and to me, there was no deterioration in the writing or in the story. The story's ending was fine for me, it tied up most of the loose ends and left a few strands for us to ponder.Greg Shenauthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07037801007992556276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-64958069227722965362012-11-12T12:58:15.289-05:002012-11-12T12:58:15.289-05:00Too long of a wait for too many caves!! WE could h...Too long of a wait for too many caves!! WE could have had one good cave description and then moved on to the plot. I am disappointed. I, too, want to know what happened to Durc, but if Ms. Auel writes another 700 plus page book that describes all of Ayla's past, I may just google the answers to my questions. Just sayin'. . . . I have more important things in my life. Mrs. Kay Tippetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16859036955608014746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-78417001013256717822012-07-21T18:38:01.746-04:002012-07-21T18:38:01.746-04:00I have just finished reading the last book after s...I have just finished reading the last book after skipping most of it out of pure boredom. Unlike most I did not grow up reading these books. I only discovered the this year and in the space of a couple of months I read each one back to back. I loved the first four, the fifth had my mind wondering but the sixth was the last straw. I don't think Auel wrote this book, the characters no longer sounded the same, they had lost their 'voice'. The other interactions, Marona and Laramar in particular were uncalled for and not needed. The end felt like it was tacked on and was a complete afterthought, no plot lines resolved from the current book or the previous ones.<br /><br />It was such a crushing disappointment for me see what Ayla had been turned into, Ayla was my lifeline when things turned bad in my own life recently, so I think her fall from grace along with Jondalar's idiotic behaviour was even more hearwrenching. The whole book read like a very badly written fanfiction by an overemotional angsty teenager. (Aside from the cave descriptions etc)<br /><br />In saying that though there are some excelent re-writes by fans out there which sum things up better and capture more of the characters voice than Auel did in this book.<br /><br />I still love the series and will reread the first few books, but I feel betrayed and foolish due to this one as I have been recomending the series to everyyone I know, I just hope they start with the brilliant first ones.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-4148151104672245072012-04-07T20:51:14.515-04:002012-04-07T20:51:14.515-04:00I love to be able enter my contribution...
I grew...I love to be able enter my contribution...<br /><br />I grew up until my secundary school with list of books that i had to read. Had to. To get an A to my exams if i shared the cynical ´realistic´opinions with the teachers that judged me.<br />About the youth problems of reformed grown up authors that formed the elite of dutch literature.<br /><br /><br />Then Jean Auel came. Ayla, my goddess...!!<br />The only other author after her was Tolkien, LOTR. And still i am occupied with Frodo´s journey to Mordor. But i am getting off topic now.<br /><br />How do you dare, Jean, how could you? a 5 years old girl, exposed to earth quake, threatened by cave lion, than exiled by a resentfull clanleader. How much could a person in today´s world be able to bear before experiencing a mental breakdown?<br />And no psychiatrists were there at that time. A person had no choice than just to go on... What, what do we people of today, with internet and cnn know about our earliest ancestors.<br />Okay; we just guess. And we know nothing about them.<br /><br />I still regard Clan of the Cavebear to be the most cruel of the whole of the series. Plains of passage to me is the most tender. Thank goddess for Wolf grabbing Attaroa. Phew.<br /><br />People have emotions, but from the reviews, i get the impression that emotions even so have people.<br /><br />I enjoyed all six books of this series. I have no literary standards to judge a book. Ever experienced an earthquake? Ever felt everything around you crashing together? In a blunt physical way? in a more societal way? Did you ever got this attack from a angry dog, or lion?<br /><br />I just see a female, surviving all the way through the books.Getting her lessons from that cave lion totem who chose her. Nearly saved from death by an attack from a total mentall y insane person.<br />Yes, i got very angry with Jondalar having his affair with Marona, while Ayla is in the pain of her miscarriage.<br />I have experienced the same, working so hard for a career, whilst a girl-friend was minding some...ahhh other business.<br /><br />Still i just see a woman survive, always she had to say good bye to people, forced at first. Then in the sake of love. And always this central question; Will they accept me, or will they close me out? Drive me into exile again? Will i every find someone who really loves me?<br />I see a woman, shake at a too young age to her core. She has a life of survival... How much of you can imagine about that?<br /><br />Very well then, if there is one character which i loved to kick in the ass, it is this first zelandoni with her pressure on ayla to get her so longed desire for more contact with the spiritual world for her psychic root experience.<br />But in my perspective, Jean Auel show a very realistic time mirror to very actual today´s social and personal issues.<br />No surprise to me that it gives so much reactions...<br /> <br />Ayla as a ´Mary Sue´-character, as i read in other reviews. I live in a mentally vinegar-loaded delta, the Netherlands. Any of you having dutch ancestors too? You don´t need to continue every aspect of their cultural inheritance, do you?<br /><br />You want to take up some challenge? From a maybe too naive, too romantic, an even literary, fictional newbie soul of a dutchman? Improve, dare to improve Jean M. Auel.<br /> Get yourself as soon as possible to Fanfiction.net and read how people unaskedly, from free will exactly just did that. They thought again and wrote their own storylines,continuations of what Jean Auel once started.<br /><br />Dear miss Auel. Thank you very much indeed for performing your creativity in the Earth´s children.<br />An author with so much reviews... You wrote about what could might have been, and you took so much readers on your path of imagination. So that raises expectations...<br /><br />Don´t get me wrong, colleague-reviewers, Every attempt is a worth, a strive for more beauty. Create more beauty.<br />And improve Jean Auel.<br /><br />And i still feel obliged, like i also have everything available of Lord of the Rings, to get myself my ow copy of Land of the Painted Caves as well.<br /><br />Let´s create more beauty.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-4409340432856258582012-02-29T01:11:30.121-05:002012-02-29T01:11:30.121-05:00Anonymous (15 Feb, 5:09PM), that's a great ide...Anonymous (15 Feb, 5:09PM), that's a great idea, but I don't think a chapter outline of this one would help anyone too much:<br /><br />Went to cave, saw paintings, sang Mother's song.<br />Met thousands of people who noticed Ayla's accent; they were introduced to Wolf.<br />Went to cave, saw paintings, sang Mother's song twice.<br />Revelled in Jondalar's blue eyes and charisma, realised no one had been introduced to Wolf for a while, unneccessary characters were found so they could touch his fur.<br />Repeat.<br /><br />I also don't think the problem is the ending; it's the hundreds and hundreds of pages of filler prior to the ending that makes a fanfic rewrite a bit impossible. To me, it would have to be a completely new story. But of course, that's just me...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-90666514568837244832012-02-15T20:09:40.314-05:002012-02-15T20:09:40.314-05:00People spoke about writing their own ending...has ...People spoke about writing their own ending...has anyone? I would love to read a fan's well written book, or even a chapter outline/breakdown of what would happen in the book. I haven't found anything online, but would encourage anyone who has the imagination and passion to do this!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-67651475672296581352011-12-20T11:20:30.651-05:002011-12-20T11:20:30.651-05:00I read it too, including some of the comments abov...I read it too, including some of the comments above. I have to agree, it was a time-filler for me and dissapointing. <br /><br />One aspect I missed which I didn't read above were some new inventions. I know the Wheel was a later invention than the time setting the book was written in, but some newer things would be cool...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-38927753812370366152011-12-12T23:56:59.521-05:002011-12-12T23:56:59.521-05:00For me, it was a very disappointing addition (end?...For me, it was a very disappointing addition (end?) to a great series. Everyone has already pointed out the main flaws - the Mother's song, the endless caves "with a picture of a mammoth, and another picture of a different mammoth that seemed to be drawn by another artist, and a picture of a mammoth facing left..." the introductions, the spear-thrower, Ayla's accent, Jondalar's blue eyes and charisma... we've heard it all before. It was as if Auel wanted to try and write a new novel simply by cutting and pasting large segments from her previous work. <br /><br />I did rush through the book though, but more so I could finish it and start a new one, rather than because I wanted to find out what happened. <br /><br />If anything, the best part of Painted Caves was that it inspired me to re-read Clan of the Cave Bear again. All I can do is hope that Auel does the same thing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-47276416619564545242011-12-10T20:44:58.170-05:002011-12-10T20:44:58.170-05:00Thanks to all you most recent posters for sharing ...Thanks to all you most recent posters for sharing your thoughts. <br /><br />Anise- excellent breakdown of the male paternity causing oppressive patriarchal societies. Admittedly this is not my field of study, so I was not aware of the research/finding on the topic. To be honest, Auel choosing to go this route doesn't other too much. In part because I don't think her books were every meant to be read as fact. I take much of what is in the series with a grain of salt- but I definitely get your point. Why further the theory? Her research is insane in terms of trying to remain faithful to location and culture, so it seems as though the same would apply to sociological issues.<br /><br />In response to the most recent anonymous poster- I don't think there is any possible way she could please everyone. With a series this popular that's just not realistic. And as you noted, the story would have become unrealistic too, with everything being wrapped up in a pretty bow. The longer I am away from the book the more I feel like my issue was that the plot of the book seemed to be a rehashing of old issues, not to mention the internal repetitiveness of the caves and the song, etc. For the size of the book, I didn't feel like the story moved forward enough. I didn't feel like I learned enough about the characters or even that they were learning anything. It's a problem I come across in a lot of series. I totally agree too that sometimes no closure is an excellent thing- it lets you imagine the story continuing on (a la The Sopranos finale on HBO). What I didn't like was that when we ended this book I didn't feel like we were any closer to a happy ever after then when we started. I want to imagine them all being okay... together or apart... I want to feel like they will all get through it and be happy. I thought we were left with too many unanswered questions that I couldn't even imagine solutions to.Kate E.https://www.blogger.com/profile/18027865239228220755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-19420102640120149052011-12-10T11:54:15.863-05:002011-12-10T11:54:15.863-05:00I was first introduced to this series after four b...I was first introduced to this series after four books had been written. I read the first four within a month and was anxiously waiting for Shelters of Stone. Most of you say it was a letdown as well. But I loved it. <br /><br />Now Land of Painted Caves was disappointing to me. I figured Danug would visit the Zelandonni. I also thought Durc would miraculously appear as well.<br /><br />If you think clearly about it, Durc was raised in the Clan. How could he possibly know how to find Ayla who could have been anywhere in Europe? <br /><br />If Auel gave you readers everything you wanted, then the book would have taken such an unrealistic turn that it would not have been worth writing.<br /><br />All of you talk about writing your own endings. Go ahead. See how hard it is. But I would suggest you make your own characters instead of stealing Auel's. Her task was no easy one. The research that went into these books took nearly her entire adult life. <br /><br />While Land of Painted Caves is my least favorite of the books, I still thank Jean Auel for the series.<br /><br />I for one hope this is the last book. Sometimes no closure can keep a character you hold dear alive in your heart. If she gave many of you the closure you wanted....you probably would not have been happy with that either.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-54336206948036552582011-11-15T19:28:18.231-05:002011-11-15T19:28:18.231-05:00Stopped reading after the first chapter. All thos...Stopped reading after the first chapter. All those names!! Glad to read all these posts, I might revisit it at some point but maybe not. I liked some of the endings other people have written. Maybe we can hire them to write another book. Glad I didn't buy it.chrisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-52296758079404807662011-10-25T00:27:51.771-04:002011-10-25T00:27:51.771-04:00This is just a shaggy dog story. I skipped to the...This is just a shaggy dog story. I skipped to the end after the first 150 pages. Glad I got it from the library--after being on a 6-week waiting list. Maybe I'll keep it out of circulation for awhile to spare others the torture.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-62473686796718911232011-10-18T23:40:34.581-04:002011-10-18T23:40:34.581-04:00After just finishing re reading the series (again)...After just finishing re reading the series (again) so as to read the finale,my family who I encouraged to read(forgot about all those sex scenes-sorry Dad!)told me the latest one Painted Caves was boring...This has just been confirmed by the above comments...will wait to buy it from the op-shop then will skip to page 500!thanks everyone for the input,hopefully Jean will take note and give us something to sink our teeth into ,in a finale worthy of Ayla and her incredible journey in the past.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-69964554531004205842011-10-10T13:57:08.158-04:002011-10-10T13:57:08.158-04:00I just finished reading this book. I had decided t...I just finished reading this book. I had decided to not even buy it after reading some reviews, but when I saw a large print one left on the empty shelves at Borders going-out-of-business sale I thought, "I guess I will read it anyway". The price was right.<br /><br />I agree with all the comments about this book. I was sick of caves, the Mother's Song, introductions, every plant over described, alternate names for every plant, too many characters, even too many places to keep track of, etc. I skipped many pages and started counting (out of boredom) how many pages it took to describe something that could have been done on one. I was even noticing how every name had so many syllables! That is truly boredom. <br /><br />Given all the "inventions" in the previous books by Ayla I was honestly waiting for her to invent the wheel in this one because of the need to transport people and things. That was one of my complaints about the previous books. I have to say I was happy no wheels are involved. <br /><br />I had hoped to see Ayla see her son again, have more children with Jondalar, and find someone who knew something about her people. I had also hoped, if this were the last book, to see more time had passed. Perhaps to the point of Jonayla being married and Ayla and Jondalor being reminded of their lives together. <br /><br />Somehow I don't see another book coming, but I hope I am wrong. Perhaps if it could be written in a few years rather than almost a century some of us would actually buy it. What a sad way to end it all, not the story itself, but the lack of a story.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-2646037684508264952011-09-26T22:03:04.717-04:002011-09-26T22:03:04.717-04:00Everyone has already expressed the disappointment ...Everyone has already expressed the disappointment I felt in reading LOPC but there has been little mention of the way the Mamutoi visitors were treated. They journeyed all that way and were barely given the time of day by the Zelandoni! If it had been reversed, there would have been much feasting and welcome for the newcomers.<br /><br />As for Jean just writing for herself and no one else - well, I figure she's been reading the reviews and is just trying to save face. But, if it's really the truth, maybe she'd better buy all her books herself or don't bother to publish them in the first place.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-1312557634659556872011-09-09T06:09:39.808-04:002011-09-09T06:09:39.808-04:00In addition to all that is been mentioned. What ab...In addition to all that is been mentioned. What about Lanoga. Earlier in the book Auel mentioned that she married Lanidar, they have a baby and that thogether with her older brother, are raising Lanoga's siblings. So why at the end Ayla and Jondalar agree to take care of Tremeda's children, it's like Auel forgot what she wrote, and therefore their little "stunt" had no real consequencesAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-59776936817719773082011-09-01T01:28:28.509-04:002011-09-01T01:28:28.509-04:00Hi all... (waves)
Okay, I can only concur with wh...Hi all... (waves)<br /><br />Okay, I can only concur with what everyone else had to say about LoPC(character assassinations, endless repetition of caves/plants/intros/animals/Mother's Song/Mother's Song/ MOTHER'S SONG/I WAS LISTENING TO IT ON CD AND COULDN'T EVEN SKIM FORWARD!!!) Ahem. Sorry about the capslock... <br /><br />However, there's one really basic problem that made me absolutely angry. Auel resurrected the outdated and debunked sociological theory that the "discovery" of male paternity somehow caused oppressive patriarchal societies. This is just not true. It doesn't match up with historical reality, and there is simply no reliable evidence or proof to support the idea. There is absolutely no reliable/consistent correlation at all between whether or not a society/culture/tribe understood or knew about the process/concept of male paternity and whether this group was organized under the principles of patriarchy, matriarchy, or anything in between. Even more significantly, there is no proof that the discovery of the male role in paternity causes sexist behavior on an individual, group, or societal level, much less within a short time-- and proof does exist that points in exactly the opposite direction. <br /><br />In Dr. John Weatherford's analysis of how sexist behaviors were introduced to some northeastern Native American tribes by European cultures, we actually see how this process did occur within a very short time and was recorded by contemporary witnesses: certain aspects were adopted from an invading culture that had enforced dominance over an indigenous people, which was mostly made possible because the population had been reduced by 90% due to the ravages of introduced disease. The society was devastated and in unimaginable upheaval. They most likely adopted what they saw because this was the side that had won, and they wanted to placate and copy them. But even in this case, it was a very limited adoption of rules and customs. This tends to support a particular theory of cultural transmission, but the theory aped by Auel couldn't be much further from it. <br /><br />So basically, the major "revelation" at the end just didn't happen at all. This is not how patriarchy/sexism/subjugation of women/etc. came about. Nobody really knows how that happened, and it certainly didn't take place "all at once" (or during the Ice Age, either. That much, we know.) But for some reason, Auel wants to push that old, old theory, and it's not only untrue but kind of vile. (Really? That's all it took? Doesn't that seem to imply that men were basically sexist jerks all along if it were supposedly that easy to make them so?) <br /><br />Sigh. So, so much to be disappointed about with this book.Anisehttp://www.talesofpublictransit.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-48273156026977658222011-08-25T00:56:57.822-04:002011-08-25T00:56:57.822-04:00I struggled with my disappointment with this book....I struggled with my disappointment with this book. I just couldn't get the bad taste out of my mouth from it. Jean Auel seems to have lost her love for her characters, even though we have not. That's why we're all so disappointed. <br />Anyway, to get the bad taste out of my mouth, I started re-reading the brilliant Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. Ayla and Jondalar were an epic couple to me until Jondalars betrayal of her with Marona. NEVER would Jamie, in Outlander, cheat on his beloved Claire. Going back to these books made me feel better.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-66163772801672766972011-08-18T01:25:47.662-04:002011-08-18T01:25:47.662-04:00I agree with everything said here. Kate E you are ...I agree with everything said here. Kate E you are far too kind to Jean. I don't want to mean to her but she really did rip us fans off.<br /><br />In my version:<br />Ayla still catches Jondalar with Marona and the Summer Meeting, and decides to sever the knot with him, as Ayla can see that Marona is pregnant (the affair did go on for several months). She moves to Zelandoni lodge (we are still at the Summer Meeting here) and is trying to get over Jondalar when... a delegation of the Mamutoi turn up! I say Deegie, her husband, Latie and Ranec, all on horses that they've managed to tame. <br /><br />So in my fantasy version Ranec tells Ayla he had to come to find her cause he can't live without her... so they all leave together to go back to the Lion Camp. Ayla takes Jonayla, Wolf and the horses of course - they all belong to her, Jondalar deserves nothing! (except Marona**evil laugh**). On the way back to Lion Camp Ayla wakens early one morning and standing atop a small hill, she spies Durc's clan travelling. before she can help herself, she calls down to him. He looks up and instantly reconises her, but because he is still Clan, he cannot decide if he's seeing Ayla or her spirit come to claim him. Eventually he decides she IS a spirit, but acknowledges her with signs, before moving off into the forest with his Clan, as they are searching for a new home.<br /><br />Much better version if I do say so myself!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-79112964960925305572011-08-15T13:27:45.173-04:002011-08-15T13:27:45.173-04:00I like you am an addict for the adventures of Ayla...I like you am an addict for the adventures of Ayla. Waiting for the 6th to come out I went back and started at the beginning again reading them in order and loving every minute of it. By doing this the redundancy of the 6th is even more apparent. I got really tired of the repeated mothers song, once or twice would have been enough, but it seemed to show up in so many chapters, even for someone new to the series it would seem that they would have gotten tired of it too. Aside from that, I am daring to hope there will be another book, this is a story that needs to continue and let us know where it all ends.mary gossetthttp://terralinguas.com/vchat/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-43745847892327693532011-08-02T13:40:56.751-04:002011-08-02T13:40:56.751-04:00I just finished the book last night and yes there ...I just finished the book last night and yes there are so many potential story lines that leave you wanting to know more. Like everybody else, over the years, I have been eagerly waiting for each new book, but particularly this final one because I thought she would meet up, someho again with Durc. I can't say how disappointed I was that this didn't happen. From that aspect, I feel the story isn't complete. Can we dare hope?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-87518711572162080632011-07-31T23:49:24.395-04:002011-07-31T23:49:24.395-04:00More great posts! Thanks for sharing that little i...More great posts! Thanks for sharing that little interview snippet KathyPW. <br /><br />It's interesting that she says that. I get the idea that you have to right first and foremost for yourself- if you don't love what you are writing about (and researching) it's harder to get the reader to buy into it. I felt that with the first books. This one though- it seemed like even she lost her love for the characters. Now, her love of the caves and the painting and that history? That I got. Unfortunately it's insulting to the fans to take a story we all love and throw it away at this point in the series because you are writing for yourself and not for them. We buy the books so, imo, you should at least take the fans into consideration. Write the book you want, but be aware that your book doesn't only have an audience of one. <br /><br />To KathyPW again- what a great idea to simply reorganize the books by putting the repetitive info into appendices instead of in the body of the story. Those who want to dig in can, those who just want the story can just read and enjoy.Kate E.https://www.blogger.com/profile/18027865239228220755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-54778918071728752432011-07-18T18:02:14.311-04:002011-07-18T18:02:14.311-04:00Well, Jean Auel has somewhere along the line lost ...Well, Jean Auel has somewhere along the line lost track of HER book, HER story, and especially, HER characters.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-68581136695845015422011-07-18T17:56:43.309-04:002011-07-18T17:56:43.309-04:00If you don't write for your fans than you shou...If you don't write for your fans than you shouldn't write. And this book...case in point!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com