The Mammoth Hunters

Rating:
Summary: Realistic -
Review: This book is the third in the series of Earth's Children. Ayla and Jondaler are now staying with the Mammoth Hunters. I like this book because Alya and Jondelar are with the Lion Camp for a long time, so you really learn a lot about their culture. Ayla struggles to fit in and to overcome her early conditioning. Jondalar has to learn to let her go and not restrict her. Many readers didn't like this book because they said it was too much like a soap opera,with the love triangle between Ranec Jondalar and Ayla.I agree the misunderstanding and suspence made me feel like screaming. It did drag on at times, yet life is like that. At the moment I'm going through the same kind of thing with my friends and all though I try to communiacate it is hard to understand the other person, I enjoy reading Jean Auel's books because they are realistic and relate to problems everyone has. I constantly look back at these books, and Ayla is my role model.
My favorite part in the book was when Ayla found the little wolf pup and brought him back to the camp.

I read the Clan of the Cave Bear when I was in Seventh grade, and the next three in eighth grade, I'm now fourteen. I do agree with the point that 10 and 11 year olds should not read the 2nd third and fourth books, although it really is the parents choice. I think The Clan of the Cave Bear is a great book for all ages. I feel that These books are okay even with the sex, after all thats life. Still the books should be left to mature readers. Its not just because of the sex, I feel that the books are such good liturature that many of the subtle hints go over some readers heads. People who don't like the books obviously don't understand half of the things in them, they look to hard into it. They are fiction, and aren't meant to be ananlyzed. If you are ready for a good read these are great books, but you must be prepared, you won't be able to put them down.

I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE FIFTH ONE TO COME OUT IN 2002!!!!!

Rating:
Summary: More Like 3 1/2 stars
Review: I was a bit afraid to start this novel, after reading the reviews for this book, but since I wanted to know what happened between Ayla and Jondalar, I started it anyway. It took me close to two months to get past the first 200 pages, I did not want to read it, I was sooooooo bored with it!! But I wanted to finish the series so I forced myself into finishing it. Luckily, I didn't have to force myself too much, around the 300 pages into the novel, I got into it!
I Do agree that the novel was like a prehistoric Soap opera with the love triangle between Ayla, Jondolar and Ranec, and I didn't feel that Jondalar had to be so jealous most of the time, and it took them 300 pages to resolve it. I would've rather had Ayla ditched both of them and went with the Character from the wolf pack, who i cannot remember his name at the moment, but of course, with the formula of the novel, you know who ends up with her.
Character development was wonderful. I did find it hard to remember all of the characters, though! I kept forgetting who was male and female! lol.
My favorite part was when Ayla stood up to the people about Rydag, that gave me much joy to see how much the Lion Camp cared for her.
But all in all, If you want to read the whole series, you should read this one as well. I personally thought the book was a tad bit too long, to not really cover much. But you can still skip this novel and continue on with "Plains Of Passage"

Rating:
Summary: A Little Bit of the Magic Has Been Lost.
Review: I have recently finished the main four books of the "Earth's Children" series, and I have decided to review "The Mammoth Hunters" because I thought that this third book is where the series started to lose some of it's charm. That doesn't mean that it isn't worth reading, though. I just have a few qualifications. "Spoilers"

In the first two books, "The Clan of the Cave Bear" and "The Valley of Horses", the huge amount of detail about the climates, landscapes, and plantlife never really bothered me too much, but in this book (and the last book, "Plains of Passage") I found it dwelt on the most trivial little things for ages! Most of the new characters are fairly likable, though none of them truly stand out, except maybe Rydag. Sometimes the author Ms. Auel seems more interested in Ayla's animal friends than in the people. A very large portion of this book is dedicated to the "love triangle" between Ayla, Jondalar, and Ranec, and this is frustrating for a number of reasons. First, it isn't really a love triangle at all; it is a "misunderstanding" between Ayla and Jondalar which causes Ranec to think that Ayla is available. Second, Ranec is an annoying and slightly creepy character, so I was never really interested in what the heck happened to him. Third, it takes over three hundred pages to resolve this issue!! Literally, three hundred pages of Ayla and Jondalar staring longingly at each other when the other one isn't looking, saying awkward things to each other, getting angry with each other, and so on. That doesn't mean that all three hundred pages are monotonous or boring. There are some very sad and touching scenes that will stay with you: Jondalar crying and clutching the wolf puppy at night while Ayla is sleeping with Ranec; Ayla sobbing to Mamut (the old MogUr-like character), asking him why Jondalar doesn't love her anymore; Jondalar losing control of himself when he's alone with Ayla and taking her by force (though she allows it); Ayla panicking and confessing her feelings when Jondalar leaves without her. These, and a few other scenes, are very endearing, though you may want to scream at Jondalar once in a while for not seeing what's so plainly obvious to everyone else. It never really leaves the reader's mind that all this drama and heartache could have been resolved in about two minutes if the two people just spoke to each other.

On a side note, there seems to be a lot of people taking issue with the sex scenes in this series and I find it very odd. There is also violence, death, and (in the first book) a brutal rape scene, but no-one seems too concerned about these things. I'd call that a serious misplacement of values. Ayla and Jondalar are both adults and in love, so what's the problem? If you're squeamish about the sex scenes, then just skip them! The explicit descriptions are pretty entertaining, if you ask me! Ms. Auel uses hilarious adjectives for the sex scenes (eg. "Jondalar's large throbbing manhood", "Ayla's pink place of pleasure", ect.) that had me laughing out loud at some points!! In the fourth book, Ayla and Jondalar even "invent" the 69 position!

In conclusion, I'll say that this book (and the fourth) is worth reading if you have already read the first two and really enjoyed them. As a stand-alone novel, it doesn't quite work. It's entertaining at times, but nowhere near as brilliant as the first, or as fun as the second.

Rating:
Summary: it was o.k.
Review: This is the third book of the series that I have read, and I have only started the fourth one (Plains of Passage). I loved the Clan of the Cave Bear and Valley of the Horses. I found the story of Ayla's bravery and skill to survive very inspiring, and the love story between her and Jondolar was very touching and unique. But this book I wasn't so thrilled with. It was a little overdramatic for my tastes with the saga of the love triangle b/w Ayla, Jondolar, and Ranec was not very engaging. It lacked any kind of depth or substance. Some parts I didn't even finish because they were so inane that they didn't make any sense. I also found it unrealistic that Ayla had to be good at everything, being the smart inventer, one of the best hunters and atheletes, the best cook, healer, all this and the most beautiful woman. You start to wonder if there's anything she can't do. But I still admired her courage to stand up for herself and her beliefs, her persistence, and her constant desire to learn more. There was not ample character development of the Mamutoi but enough; after all not quite everything should have to revolve around Ayla.

I'm curious to see if Ayla's relationship to Ranec was Jean Auel's way of expressing her polictical beliefs, because I found it rather odd that someone with African roots early in the Ice Age would end up in Europe. I don't disapprove of interracial relationships but I was surprised that in those times their relationship wasn't frowned upon yet her "abomination" of a half-cro magnon, half-neanderthal child was. It was obvious that their relationship wasn't as deep as her relationship with Jondolar and that she wasn't "in love" with him. Even at the end, she ends up with Jondolar. So I didn't see the point of her adding another man to the story if she was just going to end up with Jondolar anyway unless it was to make some kind of point about modern society; in the process diverging from the point of the story. Nonetheless, Ranec was a fascinating character, and I felt that Ayla probably could have treated him better instead of using him as a decoy in her lets-get-jealous game with Jondolar (and she did actually know better, because it says several times in the story that she wanted to make him mad by sleeping with Ranec). See why I found that story revolting?

I think Jean Auel is a great storyteller, but I find her feminisit views too extreme (and I'm a woman). I think she needs to focus on the story instead of to impose her personal beliefs unto the readers. If I wanted to read about Political Science I wouldn't be wandering in the Fiction section.

Rating:
Summary: An Continuing Adventure!
Review: In this third book of Earth's Children series,Ayla has found Jondular and they decide to travel away from the valley where they were. They make the journey to the Lion Camp where Ayla gets to meet more of the Others like herself. They are fascinated with her, and her many skills and talents with animals, hunting, and starting a fire quickly. Yet at the same time, there are just a couple people who don't like her as she lived with the Clan, of whom they consider animals. It is also hard for Ayla to understand all of their ways and takes her awhile to learn some of the Others customs etc.

The dark-skinned Ranec is very very taken with Ayla, and becomes a bad threat to she and Jondular's new relationship. Jondular becomes very upset and jealous over the affair here, and it takes them time to work through this problem, (300 pages or so).

Ayla also makes many friends in the Lion Camp, such as her little friend Rydag, who is part clan, and part of the others. He reminds her of her lost son Durc, whom she had to leave behind in the Clan.

All in all,the read is very good. I've enjoyed Jean Auel's books very much.

Rating:
Summary: Last of the series worth reading
Review: This is the 3rd in the "Clan Bear" series and the last one worth reading. Ayla and Jondalar travel together in this book and meet a tribe of Mammoth hunters. Their life style is richly detailed and worth reading the book for, but Ayla and Jondalar struggle with their relationship through the whole book because Jondalar still has not reconciled his prejudices against the people that raised Ayla. And once again the graphic sexual incidences become a central part of the story. For the exquisite details of the peoples' lives, homes, crafts, stories, I give this book a 3 star, but for story and character development, it gets a 2.

Rating:
Summary: Once again Auel left me breathless....
Review: First I want to say that again her research once again blew my mind. The details were amazing. The story just keeps unfolding and I find myself unable to put it down. This book was everything I was expecting and more. I never thought that Ayla would be tempted to stray. The emotions in this book was equally intriguing as the last. In this book, since they were not the only two for miles away you could see how the different upbringing had effected eachother. I kept wanting to jump inside and just tell them both of what fools they were and if they would just open their eyes they would see that they do love eachother. But of course the suspense just made the book even better. I thought it was quite interesting how she used the cultural differences to make an impressive story. Once again, I was amazed.

Rating:
Summary: Very very good
Review: The book is great. It will keep you alert all along, waiting for Ayla's final choice- The black, charming man or The tall, bright-haired man, Jondalar? Again, the story is fascinating and great.

Rating:
Summary: Loved it
Review: Auel weaved together a society in her imagination. Not many could accomplish that task! Of course the love triangle was too much like a soap opera for my taste, which is why I read instead of tuning in to the soap operas. But the Mammouth Hunters were absolutely fasinating. I really wish she would write a book just devoted to them with no Ayla. It was my favorite book of the series. I prefer the society of the Mammouth Hunters to the Zelandoni in book five. The fact that Ayla gets a chance to interact with people is quite refreshing after the descriptive solitude in Valley of Horses. Auel teased me by not giving me more of the characters in Mammouth. I would have liked much more on Vincavec for starters. But all in all, if you want a good read, this is the book.

Rating:
Summary: Hard to keep up the pace?
Review: This book was good and got better as it went along, but lacked what the previous 2 had....The interpersonal stuff got boring and wasn't entirely believeable....However, I am curious and will read the next volume.