Book Three, The Mammoth Hunters: Earth's Children

I received a very small book. I was not made aware of this while I ordered the book. I never realized there were small books with tiny printing. This is very disconcerting, especially to my 71 year old eyes!

These are children's book -- but I absolutely loved the first 3 books in the series. The fourth was OK but I had a hard time finishing the fifth. It is so hard to find entertaining books for adults that are not full of sex, blood and murder. I highly recommend these books for children and for any adult who likes "very entertaining" fantasy.

I had the audio on cassettes and they were getting old and breaking[ Nice to have a new book. If you want feed back take what you can get or I will just forget it. I have a physical problem with my right hand and it is hard for me to type

So I was very excited to get my book at a decent price of $9.... however when it arrived I was greatly displeased. The book could not even be worth a $1.20 in its condition. The description read "Very Good" I'm sorry but this book was NOT in any terms very good. The cover is torn in many places, the spine needs to be re glued, and the book smells as if it has just come out of a storage unit. Very meldewy. At best I can say is it arrived fast but that is all. Sending it back.

These are children's book -- but I absolutely loved the first 3 books in the series. The fourth was OK but I had a hard time finishing the fifth. It is so hard to find entertaining books for adults that are not full of sex, blood and murder. I highly recommend these books for children and for any adult who likes "very entertaining" fantasy.

I had the audio on cassettes and they were getting old and breaking[ Nice to have a new book. If you want feed back take what you can get or I will just forget it. I have a physical problem with my right hand and it is hard for me to type

So I was very excited to get my book at a decent price of $9.... however when it arrived I was greatly displeased. The book could not even be worth a $1.20 in its condition. The description read "Very Good" I'm sorry but this book was NOT in any terms very good. The cover is torn in many places, the spine needs to be re glued, and the book smells as if it has just come out of a storage unit. Very meldewy. At best I can say is it arrived fast but that is all. Sending it back.

Please don't read this book.

I know you've already read Book 1 and 2 and just have to continue with Book 3, but let me spare you.

If you decide to ignore my advice, just remember that you've been warned.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first book and moderately enjoyed the second, so I had high hopes for the third installment of Earth's Children. The well thought out portrayals of Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon lives in the waning Ice Age are really the substance of these books. Many of Jean M Auel's ideas about daily life, language, and faith for these people are fascinating and insightful.

Ayla's brilliance allows her to make an epoch's worth of scientific advancement before she's even twenty years old. I happily facilitated this contrivance in order to enjoy the first two books. Unfortunately, Auel asks far too much of her readers in the horribly contrived love triangle that circles around a silly misunderstanding that spans nearly the entire length of the book.
Maybe you'll enjoy rehashing the same "misunderstanding" again and again and again... and again for over 300 pages.

I didn't.

Beautifully written and researched novel about prehistoric times. It takes place about 30,000 years ago during the Ice Age. It is evident by the amount detail about tool-making, hunting practices, language, earliest domestication of animals and Cro-magnon society and culture in general, that the author did a tremendous amount of anthropological research. The author shows that prejudice against different groups was present early in human history with the interaction between Neanderthal (flat heads) and Cro-magnons. A must read for anyone interested in prehistory of humans.

When we last left Ayla in the previous book, she was following her lover Jondalar to go meet his people--the Mammoth Hunters. Ayla was born to these people but doesn't remember anything about it because she was raised by Neanderthals, so this is going to be scary but eye-opening for her, theoretically. While I liked the idea of her getting her culture shock and actually having a chance to interact with other men and other women, I didn't like that so much of it was about sex, and I didn't like how much of it felt like reading a textbook. I wished the author had learned more about absorbing all the important details of creating a setting and then incorporating them into the narrative rather than reciting them to us, unintegrated.

Ayla continues to be the Amazing Person Who Can Do Everything (including randomly taming every animal she encounters), and even her birth people are impressed as hell with everything she can do. On the one hand, it was understandable that Ayla was so amazing when compared with people who were supposedly more primitive than she was. And growing up with people who never challenge your intellect or your practical skills would indeed encourage you to challenge them yourself. But on the other hand, I was hoping Ayla would develop some humility in this book. Not really. She's pursued by another sex partner and people continue to make exceptions for her because she's so awesome. And then Jondalar and Ayla act like a couple of babies when Ayla does actually offer up sex to someone else like her Clan upbringing taught her to, and they act like a soap opera couple until Jondalar finally leaves and Ayla runs after him like a jerk. I wasn't sure I wanted to know what happened next, but I kept reading the series.

WARNING: This book has caused me a lot of heartache, and as I review it, I may end up in a ball of mush, blathering unintelligibly.

When we last left Ayla and Jondalar, they were returning to Jondalar's family, standing smiling as they met one of the Mamutoi. Now, Ayla is quivering in fear, afraid that this Other is going to see her and immediately know, somehow, that she lived with the Clan and hate her (this is only 1 of the many continuity conflicts in this story). Jondalar, being the perfect perfectness of perfect maleness (You do know, after all that Jondalar is "The Mother's Gift to Women"), assures her that the Mamutoi are good people, and the two hang out with the Mamutoi.

Before I start my ranting, I need to say the good things about this book or I will completely forget them and start censoring profanities. Firstly, Auel opens up her world and introduces us to the Mamutoi and their ways; describing different cultures, digging into the past and revealing it to the audience is Auel's strong suit, and it's nice to have her back in her element. At points, I was almost transported back to The Clan of the Cave Bear: learning how the Mamutoi hunt, make clothes, and go about their day-to-day lives; getting a peak into their religion; learning their social structure.

The plotline with Rydag was actually not that bad. It gave Ayla a way to see what her child might have been like, to explore the motherliness of her character. And finally, there are a lot more developed characters this time around--and characters that I actually liked (I don't think I cared for ANY of the characters in The Valley of Horses). My favorite was Ranec; he was such a jolly guy, so friendly, outgoing, clever, witty, and smart. It would have been interesting to see what would have happened if he had ended up with Ayla. I liked Deejee; Ayla hasn't had a chance to interact with many females, so it was great that she had a strong female friend. And many of the other clan were pretty well done.

Now that I've done my duty and said all the good things about this book, I can focus on the 75% of the crap that bugged the hell out of me and nearly broke me.

This book has all the stuff we saw in Valley of the Horses. We are treated to at least six really bad sex scenes (the wording in each is almost identical, the sex is uncomfortable and not sexy at all, the times people have sex is really odd). Auel steps away from the story to go into Textbook Mode, describing concepts these people would have no knowledge of (permafrost, homogeneous crystalline silica or flint, asides into what would happen thousands of years later, etc.). Ayla invents the needle, domesticates a Wolf cub, possesses shamanic powers that the Mamut (spiritual leader of the Mamutoi) encourages her to use to "see visions", and generally grows to be an even bigger Mary Sue than even the first two books made her out to be (and that is a feat, lemme tell you).

But none of those elements really compare to the most horrible thing that nearly destroyed all the good things this book had going for it. What did the most destruction to the goodness of this book was one of the absolute stupidest, most inane, childish, disgusting, vapid Big Misunderstandings in the world of Big Misunderstandings.

I can live with the info-dumping (even if it is terribly boring, distracting to the "plot", and way above the knowledge of the characters). I can even enjoy the really bad sex scenes in a MST3K way (if you enjoy reading about Jondalar's "manhood" and Ayla's "petals", this is your book). But when an author resorts to having her characters act like lobotomized chimpanzees in order to drive a plot that should have been wrapped up in no more than a chapter and probably more like a paragraph...I draw the line!

After Ayla and Jondalar meet up with the Mamutoi, almost immediately, Ranec wants the Perfect, Majestic, Mother-Incarnate Ayla. He eyeballs her, makes constant jokes about bedding her, and makes it so that generally everyone knows what he wants.

Well, everyone EXCEPT AYLA.

Eventually, the Mamutoi agree to adopt Ayla. At her adoption ceremony, Ranec kisses her and tells her he wants to bed her. Ayla, being raised as a Clan member to drop and spread 'em at a man's whim, agrees. Meanwhile, Jondalar stands in a corner and pouts and complains and whines. He's like, "How could she be going with another man when he was waiting for her? No woman had ever chosen someone else when he wanted her." Uh, Jondalar, don't you remember Ayla talking about how THAT IS HOW SHE'S BEEN TRAINED? Oh, right, it was just after having sex; you were asleep.

Normal human beings would approach each other after the incident and have it out. But nooooooooooooooooooooooo! Instead, Ayla and Jondalar begin a painful, stupid, nonsensical "falling out". They avoid each other, thinking the other doesn't care for them anymore. They stop having really bad sex (and talking about the origin of babies, which was a great disappointment to me, as I enjoyed counting the times in the last book that that topic appeared). They sleep on opposite sides of the bed. At one point, they fight over Ayla's adoption of a Wolf cub (cleverly named "Wolf"), and he moves out. All the while, they both have googly eyes for each other, lust after each other, dance around talking to each other...but never actually have the conversation that would fix this problem.

I *MAYBE* could understand this happening if they were in a vacuum. But there is a whole TRIBE of people around them. And you know what? These people that Ayla and Jondalar have befriended know that Ayla and Jondalar still love each other. But not ONCE do they approach either one and try to get the situation rectified. Suddenly, all these previously characterized "open" and "blunt" Mamutoi decide they really respect private thoughts and refuse to do anything, instead letting the situation fester between Ayla and Jondalar.

And this doesn't just happen over a chapter. This goes on...and on...and on...for the REST OF THE BOOK.

And the resolution...well, that was just one disappointment after another.

This book did NOT need a Big Misunderstanding to be interesting. You could have had some actual Mammoth Hunting (there is only ONE scene, and it is so short, I almost missed it). You could have had some conflict with characters who think that the Clan are a bunch of animals (and not the mustache twirling Friebag who immediately is converted to Ayla-ism when Ayla saves his wife from labor). You could have had an interesting conflict with Jondalar being ashamed of Ayla living with the Clan and how his family would take it (that actually wasn't too bad). You could have had some interesting stories just with Ayla and Jondalar living with the Mamutoi. Hell, I would have gladly taken a Romantic Triangle with Ranec if it meant no Big Misunderstandg. It's stupid, it's insulting, it's unbelievable that two GROWN ADULTS (one of whom SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER--and that would be Jondalar) would act in such a stupid, childish fashion.

I've wandered all over the place, wondering if it is as good as or worse than Valley. In the end, I'm giving it 2 stars, 1 star less than Valley of the Horses. Even with the boring Jonalar/Thonalan segments in Valley, at least it didn't strain credibility of the characters' intelligence with a prolonged Big Misunderstanding.

NOT RECOMMENDED.

Brought to you by:
*C.S. Light*

One of my favorite books in the series. Here our favorite heroine Ayla *finally* learns what it's like to live with a group of 'others' and learn their ways. She learns what it's like to fit in, and be accepted. And accepted she is. Too well, as we learn.
This incredible story gives us a peak at how people lived back then, and some of the practices it's believed they followed.
Once again Ayla is faced with pain, and love, and loss. As wonderful as I felt this story was, I started crying from the time she was officially accepted by the Mamutoi (the mammoth hunters) until the very last page. Even the 2nd, 3rd, 6th, and last time I've read this book, I cry at the same moment, through the very end of the book. I cry because it's happy, sad, frustrating, and joyful. I know how it's going to end, but until it actually happens, I'm so frustrated at the characters, this last time I was reading this book, my son caught me yelling at the book. I.was.yelling.at.a.book.
Jean Auel does a magnificent job writing emotion into her pages, it's unbelievable.
I have the memory span of a gnat, I can't remember 5 minutes ago. I can watch the same movie for 4 days straight and not remember I've seen it, and when watching it, be clueless what's going to happen. I read a book and within a week, I'm able to read it again because I've forgotten how it ends. With the exception of 2 authors. J.K. Rowling, and Jean Auel. I re-read these books not because I've forgotten them, but because I actually remember them. and I love them.
if that isn't enough encouragement, I don't know what is.

SPOILERS!

This could have been a much better book. At long last, Ayla enters the society of her own kind and adjusts to customs very different from what she grew up with in the Clan. She and Jondalar face challenges, both individually and as a couple, challenges which are tests from their Totems and will prepare them for future events in the series. They grow as people, especially Jondalar. We continue to be tantalized by mentions of Ayla's destiny and Jondalar's place at her side. And serving as backdrop to it all is a prehistoric world meticulously researched and brought to life. The book is as much pleasure as educational reading.

Where the novel stumbles is the overly drawn out series of misunderstandings and erroneous assumptions between the couple.

300-odd pages of "he doesn't love me, she doesn't want me" strains believability and reader patience. Isn't it convenient, too, that Mamutoi society is contrived so that nobody will say anything that will help the couple get back together. Even so, someone could make an off-hand remark in their hearing, or little Rydag could say "right signs, wrong words" to Ayla. The couple had already experienced miscommunications in "Valley of the Horses," with Jondalar learning to be honest and straightforward. He apologized to Ayla for offending her. Those events were only a month or so in the past, yet the two apparently have already forgotten them.

I alternated between feeling sympathy for Jondalar and wanting to slap him. Yes, after finally falling in love with a woman, he wants to keep her and objects to anything that threatens his relationship. It's understandable that he is hurt seeing his beloved go to another man's bed. It's understandable that in his pain, Jondalar strikes back by rejecting her for a time. Understandable that he doesn't always know what to say or do to make things better. But to never, ever try or apologize over the course of several months and half the book? Throughout the winter, he has a beautiful woman in bed with him at night. At some point, he'd relent and reach out to her. The man continually says and does the wrong things which he later regrets, but instead of talking to Ayla, he convinces himself it's pointless. His own ineptitude brings about the very thing he fears most: Ayla turning to Ranec.

Totems test fears, and Jondalar bungles it royally. His jealousy makes him angry and unpleasant as soon as they meet Ranec. When Ayla sleeps with him (not realizing she could have refused), Jondalar withdraws, hardly talks to her for months, and makes no effort to win her back, not even showing her how much better he is in the furs than Ranec. After an argument with Ayla, he throws a hissy fit and moves to another hearth, which gives Ranec just the opening he needs to step up his wooing of her. Jondalar responds by deciding to leave the Mamutoi. He has a final conversation with Ayla (which the author astoundingly does not show us), but apparently makes no declaration of his feelings. He leaves the next morning without a word. He hasn't confronted his fear of rejection at all. He just runs away. Oh, wait, he stops to consider going back and appealing to Ayla, but before he can turn around, she comes riding up on her gallant steed, falls at his feet, and pours out her heart. Armed with hope, he finally has the cajones to face his fear. How much stronger this could have been if Jondalar had spoken earlier when Ayla had withdrawn from him, not knowing how she would respond. As presented, it's anti-climactic. If anything, the Ranec episode seems to test Ayla's love for Jondalar. She hangs on to him for the longest time even though he avoids her and barely speaks to her. Even after she decides to get on with her life and join with Ranec, she is unhappy. In the end, she foregoes the acceptance and security of the Mamutoi and Ranec in favor of an uncertain future with the Zelandonii and a man she believes no longer loves or wants her.

Jondalar's other major point of growth, arguably more important than the Ranec melodrama, concerns his shame of Ayla's Clan background and his fear that not only will she be cast out by his people, but he will rejected as well. He knows the pain of being denounced and shunned and isn't certain he can endure it again. Throughout the book, this conflict simmers privately without much development until his epiphany in the last few chapters. It might have been more interesting to see Jondalar progress and possibly regress on the matter before resolving it, or for it to have a greater impact on his relationship with Ayla.

Poor Ayla is confused and hurt by Jondalar's behavior, but never speaks up. It was bad enough for Jondalar to be an idiot, but for Ayla to accept his behavior without question made me want to wrap her sling around her neck and pull it tight. What happened to dropping down into the Clan position that meant she had something important to say to him? Mamut tells her that she can accept or reject lovers as she chooses, but she doesn't seek out Jondalar and explain that she didn't realize she could have refused Ranec. That admission should have gotten through to him. Jondalar lets slip that he loves her, yet she doesn't follow up on it. She cries to Mamut that Jondalar doesn't love her, but doesn't pick up on the response "don't be so certain he doesn't. " She never asks for advice, never presses Jondalar when he is uncommunicative, never tells him what she is feeling.

What might have been more credible and made for a more powerful story is if the pair came to some level of reconciliation and understanding after Ayla first sleeps with Ranec. This reunion later falls apart because of Jondalar's hesitancy to counter Ranec's proposal of marriage. Ayla is hurt and withdraws. We could still have miscommunications, but avoid the prolonged agony of this pair mooning over each other while refusing to talk.

The lack of open and honest communication caused so much heartache that I'm surprised the couple don't acknowledge the importance of this lesson. All they recognize is that they have overcome their fears. The author corrects the oversight in "The Plains of Passage," but one wonders how she could have missed it in the first place.

"The Mammoth Hunters" isn't bad. There are touching moments and engaging characters. It has the elements of a good story, just not a presentation worthy of them.

End note: it is interesting to note the numerous situations and phrases from "Mammoth Hunters" that were pasted into "Land of the Painted Caves." It's as though the author didn't want to come up with anything new plot-wise, so she took material from an earlier book.

This book was surprisingly a lot better than I expected; I wasn't crazy about the second one and saw all the negative reviews on this one, so I was hesitant to pick it up. I never like to give up on a series, so I finally picked it up again and, as I said, I was pretty pleasantly surprised.

There were a few negatives. For one, the beginning was REALLY abrupt - it literally picks up after the last one like it's all the same book, with no introduction or back story whatsoever. While I hate authors that recap the entire beginning of a series, I do think some recap for new readers or readers who have been away for a while is useful - if for some reason you skipped the first two books you'll want to read a synopsis online before you pick this book up.

My biggest complaint with this series is the needless length. The books don't seem particularly verbose, yet somehow they take forever between actual plot points. There are pages and pages where nothing really happens. It's not really all that noticeable, surprisingly, but it does make me wonder how much of these books could be cut out with a decent editor - and they are really long. In the first quarter of the book (which is what...150 pages?) she meets the Mammoth Hunters, goes to visit them, goes hunting once, has some meals and some music and dancing, and learns some things about their culture - and that is all that happens. Literally.

That being said, I didn't feel that it really made the book drag - I did read another book simultaneously, though, because I remembered the second one dragging. It might drag if it was your sole source of entertainment.

SPOILER: I am not a big fan of romance novels, so I wish the romance hadn't been the primary plot point here. That said, it was a decently done romance (not too sappy) and the parallel plot of Ayla learning how to interact with and blend with the culture of the "others" kept me entertained enough that I didn't really mind the romance plot most of the time. There wouldn't have been enough plot without it, so it was necessary to keep the book going. It's also not as overblown and annoying as I anticipated from some of the comments here.

That said, neither of her love interests made compelling characters for me. I was bored with Jondalar in the Horses book, and he didn't really improve much here. Attempts to flesh him out fell flat for me. A lot of his self pitying just wasn't believable for me and self blame. Jondalar just wasn't very likable with the self blame, the nasty behavior and refusal to deal with his issues or to try to work things out, and Ranee wasn't much better - he seems to only love Ayla because he perceives her as being perfect. It might have made a more interesting romance novel to see how the relationship worked out once he realized that she wasn't! It's hard to like a guy that seems to want only the perfect woman that fits the stereotype of what he thinks a woman should be. Ranee and Jondalar are both incredibly two-dimensional. Fortunately some of the secondary characters are likeable enough to make up for the deficiencies in the love interests.

I also felt some of her attempts to create plot lines were far fetched. SPOILER: The idea that Mamut knew her clan just seems so ridiculously far fetched to me; I assume we're talking about a huge distance and they just happened to stumble into each other.... I just didn't buy it.

As always she creates a really rich culture, but also as always I can't help but wonder how much is based on fact? It makes for a great story but I always feel I get caught up in believing stuff that is probably not true. She also obviously resorts to flat out fiction with mysticism and magic. Then again, it is a fiction novel - not meant to be taken too seriously. I recognize that it is my personal preference to have "historical" novels fall as close to reality as possible, and that not everyone feels that way.

Most of the character plot lines were really, really predictable - there was very little that was surprising here. Frebec, Ayla, Jondalar and Ranee all turn out exactly the way you expect pretty much from the get-go, which is too bad; I hate being right about everything in an ending.

I will make the side mention that I know some object to Ayla as being too unbelievably smart and clever; that they dislike all her inventions and creativity. That doesn't honestly bother me much; I assume she is a metaphor for the human race and it keeps the story interesting. I don't mind some literary licenses in this area. I only mention it because it is true and a very legitimate complaint by some other reviewers.

Overall this was an enjoyable read and a decent story line, and I really did enjoy reading it. It was just a tad too predictable and suffered from secondary characters who were more interesting than the main love interests. Fortunately Ayla still shines as an interesting character. An enjoyable read, but doesn't quite live up to Clan of the Cave Bear.

The action in "The Mammouth Hunters" continues the saga of earth's children and takes place over 25,000 years ago, during the Ice Age.

Ayla is traveling with Jandlar, a red haired man who she discovered on her journey and nursed back to heath. The couple are now lovers as well as fellow travelers. Ayla travels on a horse that she tamed named Winney. This is a time when people only thought of horses as food.

In their travels, the couple come upon the Mamutoi, who are like Ayla and are Mammouth Hunters. When people in the village see that Ayla can control Winney by riding the horse and having the horse come when she whistles, some of the villagers feel that she has exceptional powers while others become distrustful of her.

There is also conflict. Ayla develops feelings for Ranec who is a carver of Ivory and artistic. Jandlar doesn't accept her feelings toward Ranec and shows becomes jealousy.

One of the points that the author makes is to accept others who are different. Ayla helps a six-year-old boy named Rydag who is half Clan and half Other. His is a Flathead and is unable to speak. Ayla has the ability to communicate through signing and begins teaching Rydag sign language. In a heart warming part of the story, Rydag realizes what Ayla is doing and begins to communicate. His first sign is "mother" to Nezzie who is delighted and tells Ayla that she never expected to communicate with her son.

This fictitious examination of primitive history shows how things may have been during the Ice Age and demonstrates how people from different races (or Clans) can live together in harmony. Thus, the story becomes timely in today's political climate.

Ayla is heroic and a born leader at a time when women were not regarded highly. She stands out in her ability to communicate and feel empathy for others. Her wisdom is enlightening.

The good:

-getting to know the Mamutoi and the relationships btwn. the Mamutoi people
-being introduced to new characters and customs of the Mammoth hunters
-meeting Rydag and seeing how Ayla teaches some people to be more accepting of the Clan people and understanding that they aren't animals
-meeting Wolf

The bad:
-hearing over and over about how well Jondalar fits into Ayla (I don't mind the sex scenes at all, but do we really have to read over and over again about how big Jondalar is and how perfectly he fits into Ayla)

The ugly:
-page after page after page....after page...after page...you get the point...of the ridiculous "love triangle" btwn. Ayla, Jondalar, and Ranec. For a girl who is supposed to be so intune with body language and unspoken subtleties she was certainly quite obtuse in this book. Of course the Mamutoi want to leave it for the three of them to sort out, but really it was utterly ridiculous. You could have cut out 3/4 of the book if you cut out the parts about Jondalar loving Ayla but she sleeps with Ranec but doesn't understand why Jondalar is upset and then Jondalar thinks Ayla doesn't love him and Ayla thinks Jondalar doesn't love her, and then they have sex, but then Jondalar thinks he's forced Ayla so then he can't face her and Ayla thinks he doesn't want to have Pleasures with her anymore and blah, blah, blah.

Summary: I liked the book well enough, but it's the Mamutoi people and the new characters that saved this book from me throwing it across the room.

I'm a big fan of the Earth's Children series and really enjoyed this third book of the series. There are some flaws that make it not quite as charming as the first two, but overall, it was still a good read. It could probably be read as a stand-alone, but I highly recommend reading the other two first as to get an idea of the background. For those of you who don't know it, and don't mind spoilers, Ayla was a little girl, who, when orphaned by an earthquake, was found be a clan of Neanderthals and adopted into their cave. She struggles with maintaining the docility expected of Clan women, but finds ways to secretly hunt and be herself. When she is eventually cursed away from the Clan and has to leave her son behind, she journeys to a valley where she finds unlikely companions in a horse and lion cub. She longs for human contact though and when a mysteriously handsome man is injured and she has to nurse him to health, she finds feelings for him she never knew could be.

This novel starts right at the end of the last when Jondalar and Ayla are exploring the area with her horses and come across a group of hunting Mamutoi. The leader, a big burly man named Talut, invites them back to his camp and there they meet friends and share their inventions they have come across and Ayla's horses. Here to, to their surprise is a child of mixed-spirits named Rydag whom Ayla is immediately drawn to in reminder of her son. She teaches the camp how to talk to him through the Clan's sign language. All is not happy however as Jondalar becomes increasingly jealous of the attentions the handsome Ranec gives to Ayla. The whole camp likes her enough though that she is invited to become adopted into their camp and also asked for her hand in marriage (well not quite, but the primitive equivalent). She has tough decisions to make and Jondalar does as well based on those decisions.

The characters are pretty well done in these books. Ayla and Jondalar are just a bit too perfect, but despite that still mostly likeable. Well almost, Jondalar actually drives me a bit nuts with his overdone jealousy in this book and is really quite idiotic. Ayla I can forgive a little bit since she was raised in different settings, but his reactions are not normal for his people. The rest of the people too I was a little impatient with for letting the animosity grow and stating they should stay out of it for unconvincing reasons. My favorite character was Rydag and the depth that he gave to the story while still being quite charming.

The writing is very descriptive but I do find fault with a part of it. Auel makes Jondalar and Ayla discover every new and innovative invention and it gets tiring and unbelievable. I'm sure she just wanted to express how these developments came about but would have been better served to have them meet some people who discovered some of these things instead of laying it all at their feet. For some readers, there are parts of this book that could be uncomfortable. There are very explicit and detailed sex scenes in this book and Auel leaves nothing to the imagination. It might not be for everyone because of this.

Despite some of these problems though, its still a great book and I love reading and re-reading this series as it never grows old for me.

1st book: Clan of the Cave Bear
2nd book: The Valley of Horses

The Mammoth Hunters
Copyright 1985
645 pages

Review by M. Reynard 2011

I've been working on this series off and on for about 12 years. I bought them right after I graduated high school and didn't realize at the time the mental fortitude this series takes to read. At 18 I just didn't have the patience to read 700 pages. But now that I'm a bit older I can really appreciate this series.

Since I did start the series 12 years ago I feel like Ayla's been a part of my life for quite a while. She pops in to say hello every few years. So I've really become attached to her. It's hard for me to criticize this book at all because I do love Ayla and Jondalar so much. But it took me forever to read The Mammoth Hunters. I started this book in the summer of 09 and had to put it down about half-way through. Partly because I had just finished reading The Valley of the Horses and partly because the romance scenes were becoming a bit too much for me. Don't get me wrong, I'm far from a prude (believe me) but it just felt like all Ayla and Jondalar did was make love.

I'm glad I picked it back up. As it really is a great story. Again, I do seem to have a bit of an attachment to Ayla and Jondalar so I may be a bit biased here, but I really do like this series. There are times when I think the descriptions go a bit more into detail than necessary, but they also create such a vivid picture as to where the characters are and what is going on. The Mammoth Hunters introduces us to so many new characters I didn't think I'd ever get them all straightened out, but as the story goes on I really didn't have any problems keeping track of everyone.

I obviously like the main characters but I really liked the Mammoth Hearth. Tulie, Talut, and Frebec are probably my favorite new characters. Frebec comes off as being a bit of a jerk at first but he's really loyal and protective. He also seems to have a bit of a soft side that, like most men, he was trying to hide. Tulie and Talut are great characters. They are strong, wise, serious, playful, and humorous all at the same time. They just seemed so real to me.

While I don't think I'll be reading Plains of Passage anytime in the near future, knowing it's sitting on my bookshelf is a bit of a comfort too me. When I decide I need to see what Ayla and Jondalar are up to I can just pick it up and start reading it. It's like a having one of those great friends that even if you don't talk for awhile you can sit down and have a conversation and it feels like no time has passed at all.

With the upcoming 2011 publication of Jean M. Auel's sixth and final Earth's Children book, "The Land of Painted Caves," I found my interest in this series rekindled. I discovered the first book, "The Clan of the Cave Bear," while in high school, swept away into a fully realized, meticulously researched tale of prehistoric times. Auel made those settings and characters seem so fanciful and faraway, yet so familiar.

"The Mammoth Hunters" starts off where "The Valley of Horses" ended. This third in the series finds indomitable Ayla and tall Jondalar meeting up with the Mamutoi, a camp of mammoth-hunters. Soon, Ayla and Jondalar are part of the Mamutoi activities, and Ayla makes a name for herself through her knowledge of healing plants and her ability with animals, particularly the horses she tamed in the previous book. Here on the steppes of modern-day Russia, the camp carves out a good life for themselves, dealing with domestic squabbles, illness, and relational woes.

Once again, Auel paints the scenery of an ancient time in such a way that it feels believable. The details of cooking, hunting, sewing, and so on are testaments to her research. The story is wordy, sometimes slow, but her writing carries us along, and we meet new characters, both human and animal. The plot becomes more of a stew, though, when Jondalar finds himself competing with swarthy Ranec for Ayla's affections. By the end of the story, we can only hope these three lovestruck characters will overcome their juvenile fidgeting and speak honestly. Along with this--and apparently to divert our attention from their pubescent thoughts--Auel provides four or five explicit lovemaking scenes. While often tender, they are not for a young audience, to be sure.

Despite the drawbacks, "The Mammoth Hunters" provides some unforgettable scenes. Ayla continues to be one of my favorite female characters in fiction, sturdy, beautiful, humble, yet growing in confidence. We ache with her as she longs to see her long-lost son Durc, and we cheer for her when her newly adopted camp members stand alongside her against those who would mock. Auel has some fun with her subject matter, too. She not only hints at the origin of sewing needles and canines as pets, but shows us a man on one knee, proposing, in what would become a tradition for ages to come.

This is grand storytelling, slow, patient, memorable, sometimes exciting, and always conjuring images of fur-clad families seated around a fire and sharing episodes from their recent hunts.

This book pick up where book 2 leaves off, integrating a wonderful story about life during the stone age by using an orphaned girl taken in by a Neanderthal clan, and the relationship between two brothers that take a life changing adventure to see the world beyond their small world they are brought up in. In this installment the author picks up where book 2 left off and continues to introduce us to new tribes that our character's, who by now I am heavily invested in, meet and build relationships with. All the while Jean continues to give us an education about life during the Neolithic period in man's progress speculating at times how some specific tools were created but backed up with solid archaeological and sociological research. But don't get me wrong the author spends plenty of time adding romance and the human aspect of a good love story.

I first read this book when it initially came out in 1985. After reviewing the disappointing "The Land of Painted Caves: A Novel (Earth's Children)," I decided to submerge myself in main character Ayla's prehistoric wonderland and discover for myself just where Auel's storytelling became less magical and more intent on merely depicting Ayla unrealistically as a primordial Supergirl. Keep in mind that my review is based on a recent listening of the audiobook presentation read by Sandra Burr which I enjoyed while exercising.

The third in the Earth's Children series created by Jean M. Auel, "The Mammoth Hunters" recounts the further adventures of Ayla (The Clan of the Cave Bear (Earth's Children, Book One) and The Valley of Horses (Earth's Children, Book Two)), the adopted Cro-Magnon daughter of a "clan" of Neanderthals, who after living for many years in an ostracized isolation in her secluded valley finally comes into contact with the seemingly noisy, crowded and unfamiliar society and culture of the Cro-Magnon people she at one time considered the "Others." Pretty boy Jondalar whom she rescued from a cave lion in the second book in the series, accompanies her as she awkwardly assimilates into the alien world of the Mamutoi tribe.

As major themes of discrimination and acceptance feature strongly in "The Mammoth Hunters," Auel does a fine job of relating Ayla's confused first impressions and eventual assimilation as she clumsily interacts with what seem to her to be a huge assemblage of people who know from the get-go that Ayla comes from a background of which none of them are familiar. Auel's strength in bringing Ayla's inner dialogue to life works well here as she almost voyeuristically discovers the complex relationships that make up human interactions that include verbal interchange, subterfuge and lying. When she blisters and becomes defensive when her new companions openly call her beloved clan "animals" and "flatheads," Jondalar's insecurities regarding their relationship raises doubts in his mind as to whether or not his blonde beauty could ever be accepted by his home tribe, the Zelandonii, once they discover she was brought up by the despised "Flatheads."

Despite Auel's need to replay scenes from her first two books to ensure that the reader accepts "The Mammoth Hunters" as a standalone novel, she explains the lengthy innovations of her primitive people with a panache that, for the most part, does not bore. Indeed, the only time Auel becomes tedious is when she overly describes the lovemaking between Ayla and Jondalar whose feats beneath the furs rival the explicit dribble gracing the pages of the most common bodice-ripping offering with a bare-chested Fabio look-alike on the cover.

Ayla's desire to be an accepted member of the "Others" and her selectively inbred tendency to act as a compliant woman of the Clan, place her in a precarious position when the male members of the Mamutoi give Jondalar a run for his money by vying for her favor. Endowed with a combination of athletic prowess, ingenuity and childlike innocence, Ayla finds herself with too many choices and like the ingénue on a soap opera overwhelmed by indecision perhaps brought on by too much attention and fueled by perceived peer pressure.

Auel crafts her Mamutoi using several universal archetypes that would work well in any story. With characters like the appealing Rydag, the ambitious Tulie, the contentious Frebec and the wily Crozie, Auel allows Ayla to reacquaint herself with all aspects of human nature after her long respite in the Valley of the Horses with just her animal friends.

Auel fashions wonderfully human moments involving all her creations that keeps the momentum of the story fast-paced. In particular, "The Mammoth Hunter" features segments that augment Ayla's status in the eye's of the reader--a maternal Ayla teaches Rydag, the mixed Neanderthal-Cro Magnon boy the sign language of the Clan, a compassionate Ayla takes in the orphaned wolf pup and trains him, a spiritual Ayla realizes that she might be "special" in the sense that she is able to delve into other realms with the innate talent of a shaman and a resigned Ayla gives the carver Rynec a second look when she perceives Jondalar's angst regarding her. Throughout the novel, Ayla maintains her integrity and cheerful outlook on her life while providing a glimpse of the prehistoric world according to her creator.

Bottom line? In the third novel of the Earth's Children series, Jean M. Auel fulfills the wish of Iza, the medicine woman of the Clan, as she finally introduces her wonder woman Ayla to a tribe of the "Others." "The Mammoth Hunters" is rich in detail and human interaction that keeps the story moving without the encumbrance of too much detail that, unfortunately Auel is noted for in subsequent offerings. The wealth of characters and Ayla's inner dialogue allow the reader to sit back and enjoy drama as intriguing and compelling as any soap opera. With that in mind, with the exception of Auel's detailed and almost scholarly descriptions of prehistoric animals, dwellings, plant life, terrain and day-to-day procedures, expect the storytelling to be driven by basic human emotions, some of which may feel a bit repetitive to those already well acquainted with Ayla and her "unusual" and "extraordinary" abilities. Even though themes of discrimination, assimilation and alienation run through the novel, Auel doesn't get too serious. She depicts the group dynamic when faced with foreign ideas in a good storytelling format. However, her unfortunate segue, at times, to the genre of romance detracts from an otherwise good read. Recommended.
Diana Faillace Von Behren
"reneofc"

The Mammoth Hunters (3) is quite different to the two previous cave-dwelling stories in this series.

Ayla and Jondalar meet a tribe on the open tundra who have no trees for building materials. They use the bones, tusks and hide of the mammoths which they hunt, to make a large permanent shelter. This was an early longhouse or large yurt. As there is no wood to burn, the scraps of mammoth bone are burnt, and in order to do this the people have dug an air chute to draw fresh air in from outside to feed the fire oxygen. The demands of building and surviving in this house had forced the people to become ingenious and able builders. The entire tribe and visitors have to live in the same house all winter eating stored food and this creates tensions, jealousies and betrayals.

The third in the series. 600 odd pages, and 500 too many. The last one hundred though are worth the whole book. Nothing much happens, and it's just a 500-page beating around the bush to get to the much expected finale where we know if Ayla, the heroine of the series, will end up with one guy or the other. A soap-operish triangle practically all through. Again, as in the second part of the series, our modern mores are present in the characters of this 25,000 year old story, taking away any credibility we may want to give it. A lot of study and detail has gone into the writing of these books, one has to admit, but the characters' interaction and the societies depicted are only late 20th century societies without Internet or electricity. It's an easy read though, and if you make it through most of the book I recommend that you finish it. A few of the last pages are beautiful and poetic, an artistic inspiration, a few drops of the human soul.

Of the four bokks in the Earth's Children series, I think this one must be my favorite. You finally get to see what the "Others" life is like.It well written, and well researched.

It was fun to see Ayla, Whinney, and Racer's reaction to the people, and the people's reaction to them. Ranec's reaction in particular. The black Mamutoi man falls in love with Ayla when they meet, making Jondalar jealous, of course.

During their time with the mamutoi, Ayla invents something new, and is made a mamutoi herself. This involves a ceremony where Ayla must exchange gifts with everyone in the Lion Camp. Of course, she amazes everyone by showing them the firestone, and by the many thing she had collected in her valley.

Living with the mamutoi is a young child named Rydag, whom Ayla becomes immediately attached to, for, like her son, he is a child of mixed spirits. She shows the camp Clan language, so that Rydag can speak with everyone.

Ayla, "confirming" the Mamutoi's belief that she is Mamut, brings home a baby wolf and raises him, and Wolf turns out to be a wonderful, faithful companion, and is great with children.

I would have to say my favorite part of the book is the evolution of Frebec. This character, nasty at the start, judging her because of her origins, shows signs of humanity when Wolf arrives. Bit by bit, he becomes a likable character, who even stands up against his camp of origin to defend Ayla and Rydag.

Earth Children Series:
1.)THE CLAN OF THE CAVE BEARS
2.)THE VALLEY OF HORSES
3.)THE MAMMOTH HUNTERS
4.)PLAINS OF PASSAGE
5.)THE SHELTERS OF STONE
The adventure of the strong willed Ayla continues in this 3rd segment of Jean Auel's Earth Children Series. In Clan of the Cave Bear, She lived with "Flatheads" or Clan people; learning, adjusting, accepting their cultures and belief as her own. In The Valley of the Horses, She lived, learned (mostly by accidents) and survived on her own, alone for over 3 years with only animals as her companions (until Jondalar came). Here, in THE MAMMOTH HUNTERS, we read Ayla's heart warming first hand experience/interaction with people of her own kind, "Others" as she use to call them. There was fear and hesistation at first, fear of the unknown and rejection but as easily as it came, Ayla realized she wasn't shunned since she look just like them. Unconsciously, Ayla slowly drawned herself to these strangers who invited her and Jondalar to their camp as guest. Even her unusual practices and manners was eventually viewed as a unique quality to looked upon. Her attributes and her talent in medicinal herbs enhanced her value to these people. She was soon adopted by this people who called themselves, The Mamutoi (The Mammoth Hunters). Ayla who struggled all her life to be accepted have finally got her wishes. Ayla of No People finally belonged... She became Ayla of Mamutoi.
But Ayla is still searching for a place called HOME. She haven't forgotten her son, Durc and her heart belonged to Jondalar but he is a Zelandonii, who will eventually go back to his own people. Despite Ayla's feeling of belonginess, there is still much more that she is searching for. The Mamutoi people are all hearty characters, I enjoyed them all, especially the flirty and magnetic Ranec, who wants Ayla to share his hearth, and is Jondalars strong competition for Ayla's heart. In this book, we'll also know more of Jondalar. His emotional depths and confusions, his love for Ayla yet his unwillingness to fully accept her past. His preconceptions towards the CLAN still lingers and his fear of being rejected by his own people because of Ayla's past clouded his heart. Will he overcome this and find answers to his confusions? Both Ranec and Jondalar are utterly loving and even I can't seem to decide which is better for her. Which would Ayla choose? The man who loves him without conditions or the man he loves, who distance himself from her?
Out of the four books in this series, this one is what I liked best. Perhaps it is because I've always been a Romance book reader and in this book, Ayla's love life is concentrated on. She is learning more about matters of the heart and her feminity. I did enjoy her other adventures, no doubt. The descriptions of the daily life routine of the Mamotoi was enthralling. Their habit wasn't as different as the Clans. Ayla applied and shared all her knowledge to the Mamutoi. Her practices from her previous CLAN, from her accidental findings when she was alone and now her newly learned practices from the Mamutoi, mixed it together and the outcome was advantageous. The details of the medicinal herbs, hunting, spear-throwing, tool-making are an interesting read too but the love triangle between Ayla, Ranec and Jandolar is my favorite of all. [...] PLAINS OF PASSAGE is next [...]. Shelters of the Stone is still coming, 2002. I can't wait!

If you read and loved Clan of the Cave Bear, as I did, don't expect an equivelent masterpiece with this one. The main bulk of the story is basically a plot stolen from a glorified romance novel, and while Ayla's continued transformation into her own woman is interesting, her dependance on Jondalar really makes it null. The book picks up immediately after the close of Valley of Horses, as Ayla and Jondalar find themselves in the territory of the Mamotoi, a group of mamoth hunters. Ayla feels accepted right away, as she makes new friends, learns new skills, and even aquires a few admirers. Jondalar however, is still eager to go back to his own people, and anxious to be on their way. Ayla finds herself more and more attracted to another man, which naturally makes Jondalar quite jealous, and the story basically progressess very predictably from there. The love triangle drags on for far too long, and is really only there to add some much needed variety to Ayla and Jondalar's extremelly boring and pointless relationship. By the end I was really hoping she'd ditch both the guys and go for the fourteen year old. So, while not the best in the series by a long shot, it is neccesary if you want to get the full effect of Ayla's story.

I just don't understand why this book is getting bad reviews. It's part three and so I've taken parts one and two into account. Part one was so full of misery for the main character (Ayla) and Auel balances this up by having a book of misery for her partner Jondalar. Also, in this book she gets some reward for the misery she has suffered in previous books. Her partnership with Jondalar is threatened by Ranec who is, like him or not, a great character. As is Frebec, Talut, Rydag, Mamut etc. So many full and rich characters that Auel weaves about brilliantly. There is a great sexual part of their culture (first rites) that I have debated with friends about, i.e. would it be good/bad for virgins to not just lose their virginity to experienced lovers, but to be taught how to do it well. Issues of racism are also explored without being too didactic. It's received some criticism from previous reviewers for Ayla being too good to be true but remember...this is fantasy; Gods are spoken of as influencing lives in terms of it being reality by the author- not just religeon. I think this book is immense in every sense of the word and one of the best books I have ever read.

This is just a terrible book! The miscommunication in the love triangle is so bad that it wouldn't even be allowed on daytime TV and the fact that it's drawn out so long is just cringeworthy. (I've never shouted at a book in frustration ... until now).
So far this woman has invented horse riding / sewing / fire / pet dogs / LSD trips / suturing / tampons / the Internet, and the truth behind how babies are made.
If you want something better to read try the operating instructions on a toothbrush packet.

OK so I'm a grown woman, and I can handle it. I know, I know. The first time Ayla was with Jondalar towards the end of Valley of Horses, it was great! They were so confused about each other, each thinking the other didn't want them when it was obvious to the readers that they were VERY physically drawn to one another. That was so endearing and relatable. But now, in this book and the part of the 4th (Plains of Passage) that I have read so far, there is just TOO much of it! I can understand young love--I've been there before. Young people are like rabbits! But do we really have to read 3-5 pages of sex scenes that are basically the same over and over and over?? I find myself skipping until I see quotation marks indicating dialogue....
3 stars for just a damn good story, but ONLY 3 because I do not enjoy the constant soft-porn....

A wonderful chapter in the continuing saga of Ayla, orphaned and wounded, and now involved in a love triangle. The reader can't help but wonder what will happen next. After a bit of melodramatic tension between individuals belonging to a remote party of Mammoth Hunters living in a harsh land in close sleeping quarters, Ayla and her boyfriend Jondalar depart on a long journey to visit his family. Author Jean M. Auel does a terrific job describing the harsh northern climate, animals and environment, prehistoric structural dwelling, weapons and technology, unique characters and personalities, and social network. Her descriptions of the setting and people are authentic and supported by scientific research and archeological data. A job well done!

Judith Land, Author
Adoption Detective: Memoir of an Adopted Child

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.

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!!!!!

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"

When you read one, you've pretty much read them all, haven't you? Explicit sex passages, I mean. Besides the repetition of already-covered imagery, the writing in sex scenes nearly always suffers from an overuse of extreme adjectives, hyperbolic adverbs, and trite euphemisms (for the parts of the body used for sexual gratification). There never are any surprises or complications in this sort of thing, and it doesn't really move the plot along.

I mean, just imagine if Auel had made sure to document every meal that Ayla and Jondalar ate together, giving the same attention to style and detail:

"Jondalar THRUST his RIGID fork into the HOT, MOIST mush in his STEAMING bowl and raised a QUIVERING, GLISTENING glob of oatmeal to his FULL LIPS. 'Oatmeal!' he breathed. 'I just LOVE oatmeal!'"

Silly, yes? Especially when it goes on like that for three pages, and this is the fifth or sixth such passage in the book.

Every book in the Earth's Children series, except for the first (Clan of the Cave Bear) suffers from this defect. There are just too darn many explicit sex scenes. I'm not a prude, but one of these per book ought to be enough. After the first sex scene, we have the idea, and it doesn't need to be repeated. It looks as if Auel was padding her word count for some reason.

Except for the research, I was unsure if this book was actually written by Auel. There seemed to be a fundamental breakdown in the relationaship of Ayla and Jondalar that I thought was so strong in the "Valley of Horses". One little slip on Ayla's part (and who could blame her?) and Jondalar became a simpering pouter. The two who seemed so open and could talk about anything when they were in the valley together, suddenly find no common ground, not even in the furs.
I kept wanting to slap some sense into Jondalar to wake him up and talk to her. Ranec needed a little backbone, too. Force her to make a decision instead of mamby-pambily accepting whatever bone she'd throw him. Once Ayla decided not to join with him she should have been more instrumental in getting Ranec and Tricie back together. Instead she just handed back the Muti and walked away. Very insensitive, very un-Ayla-like. Ayla is so attuned to the animals and their moods and needs that she anticipates them, but the man(men?) she loves are like alien beings. Doesn't make sense.
This book was an ok read, and it filled the gap: Ayla was a child alone, an adolescent with the Clan, a young woman alone and an adult with the Mammoth hunters. Her maturity and motherhood (and, I think, diety) would follow, so she had to learn how to be around people of her own kind. Too bad they were so wishy-washy.

One of my favorite authors. Enjoyed each of the first 4 books in the Earth 's Children series but Mammoth Hunters is filled with with fantastic characters and amazing landscapes. I read the series as they were published 20 some years ago, the first 4 books that is, and lost track of the fifth and sixth book. When my sister gave me her KIndle she suggested several different series' and Jean Auel was in the list. I immediately ordered the fifth and then the sixth books. It was like talking to an old friend after an absence of 20 years and catching up on what had been happening in her life. Then I had to 're- read the first four books again. It has been a great few days. Thank you Ms Auel.

As a huge fan of "The Clan of the Cave Bear" and "The Valley of the Horses" I eagerly dove into "The Mammoth Hunters". Parts of this book are fantastic and parts are frustrating.

Rydag is a gem of a character and his journey is touching. His existence, I feel, is what moves this novel forward as Ayla learns to accept the fact that she must let her own son, Durc, go. I loved this story line!

Ayla, Jondalar, and Ranec, however, stumble through one of the most frustrating plot lines I've encountered. By the time this love triangle is resolved I've stopped caring about both Jondalar and Ranec. Neither one of them deserves Ayla and both are Neandrathals when it comes to love (apologies to the Geico Caveman!) I really, really wanted Jondalar to kill Ranec or vice-versa. Either way.

All in all, this book is still a good read. When I was done I knew that Ayla was moving on to bigger and better things. I will gladly join her on her next adventure.

Like many many people, I have read, and re-read the "Earth's Children" series by Jean M Auel many times since it's debut years and years ago. When the Kindle came out I wrote to Ms. Auel via her website, and received a reply from *I think* her son, saying they were looking at putting the books out in e-format... Well, they are out.. If you can get past the obviously OCR'd text. It's a good thing I know this story by heart, and can easily substitute the correct words in my head.

The Mammoth Hunters is probably my least favorite of the series. Like many, I got fed up with the whole Ayla/Jondalar/Ranec story. and the sex scenes, I skipped them.. I did like the substories of Rydag & the other Mamutoi.

It looks like many reviewers thought "The Mammoth Hunters" was like a stonge age "Young and Restless" soap opera. Or worse, soft porn. In many ways it was, with the triangle of Ayla-Jondolar-Ranec. But let's face it, would this series have ever gotten to a third book if all Jean wrote about was the day to day struggle of hunting and staying alive? Of course not! If the somewhat erotic passages bother you, just skip over them, you won't loose anything from the rest of the novel.
As for the novel itself Ms Auel's fertile imagination continues to shine. Her description of the great mammoth hunt is completely beleivable, and for all we know completely accurate as well. Who's to say? Like all novels it has its peaks and valleys. However the peaks are high and the valleys are shallow. This one is the second best book of the series after "Clan of the Cave Bear", and definetly worth having.

I've really enjoyed the first two books in the series. 'The Clan of the Cave Bear' was pretty good - it's idea was original, it was very well written, and the main character was very easy to identify with. I've read 'The Valley of the Horses' mainly because I was wondering how Ayla was doing after being banned from the Clan... I think that this book was trying to show the "Others'" reaction to Ayla - some would like her instantly, some would grow to like her... Jean Auel just doesn't manage to give this story a life of its own, and it remains flat and 2 dimensional - all the people's reactions were to be expected from what I gathered about the others in 'The Valley of Horses'.
Some other reader described the love triangle of this book as 'soap opera-ish'. I couldn't agree more - this part of the story is as bad as the rest...

I first read "The Clan of the Cave Bear" three yaers ago. It was wonderful, and I couldn't put it down. It was the same way with all the other three, and of all of them, "The Mammoth Hunters" is my favorite. It tells of the heroine, Ayla, and all of her troubles and hardships in her first meeting with other people of her own kind. With her many inventions, different types of medicines, tame animals, and breathtaking beauty, she is awed, and immediatly accepted to the Mamutoi though some people have trouble with her Clan (flathead) background. All-in-all, this is a wonderful, exciting book, and I would reccomend it to anyone over the age of 12. And may I say that I have been waiting for the fifth book in the series for over TWO YEARS! So if you read this, Ms. Auel, your book is two years over-due. Where is it?!

I just started the series not that long ago and have been reading it in order. I actually think she did a really good job with these stories. It makes me want to hope that this is the way things were back then.

Some things are a little repetitive and sometimes there is too much detail to something so simple. I started skipping over some of the back drop descriptions because they are so frequent and looong. Overall, I really like her stories and find them pretty creative.

I love the main characters Ayla and Jondalar. I didn't care for Ranec because he knew all along she was in love with someone else but he is just afterall a made up person.

Valley of the Horses and the Mammoth Hunters so far have been my favorite because it is when things change up a bit for Ayla and I am a sucker for romance. I am rooting for Jonadalar but every once in a while I want to slap him behind the head for being such a whiner and bad at communication. These aren't perfect stories but every one has different tastes. I am happy with them so far and wish they would be made into movies. Let's fix the mistake from 1986 when they made "Clan of the Cave Bear" and try it again with some modern technology! I definately recommend these stories

By the way, I didn't really mind the sex scenes either but I do agree that they were a little boring.

I loved this book too, the third installment in the "Clan of the Cave Bear" series. I read this in the 80's & still own the books. I'll never be able to part with them, as with many others, I can only hope that when my time comes, my beloved books will fall into the hands of similar hands such as mine that will read them & love them as I have! I recommend this book to all that have started this series. This book wasn't quite as spectacular as "Valley of the Horses", as nothing can equate to the period when Ayla first encounters Jondular, but, as with most series of books that you love, it is a must read in this continuing saga of Ayla & Jondular.

I have read every book in this series many times. It makes no difference. Each time I become totally engrossed. The big thing is the character of Ayla, strong, intelligent, courageous and yet so human.
What I would love - a side story - what happened to Durc? Durc is Ayla's son, left behind in the Clan. Uba is his mother now, and Brun has promised to look after him. But Broud is Leader. I want to know what happens to Durc.

I loved this book. I love this entire series. Ms. Auel certainly has a knack for descriptive words and phrases. I never wanted to put it down,so I didn't(lol). I became, about half way throught the book, extremely frustrated with Jondalar's behavior. So much so I thought that "Racer" should have given him a good kick in the head. A kick in the BUTT would, also, have been acceptable. The characters were bigger then life without being unbelievable, no easy trick I'm sure. I have always thought my worst nightmare would be going back in time to the ice age. No electricity, no T.V., no blowdryer. If I had Aylas' smarts and Jondalars' love, I would be more than happy to comb my hair with a stick, and brush my teeth with a twig. I can't wait for MORE.

this was the first book in the series that I have read (though i've seen clan of the cave bear, and i own all the books so that i can read them eventually, but then this was required for a class) and it is very good. even though i haven't read the first two books, auel really got me to care about what happened to ayla and jondalar. especially with the little love triangle. the only problem i have with this book is that ayla seems to have invented everything. i mean, this woman must be a god or something. it's like femenism going overboard. i understand she is intelligent and resourceful, but maybe auel could allow someone else to invent the wheel (i'm surprised there was fire before ayla was able to invent it). but still, it is a good book and the series looks promising.

Granted it was not as compelling as the first books I did completely enjoy this book.
Ayla triumphed her greatest fears in this book. The fear of being accepted. I think that was Auel's goal in this story. I liked how it showed her progression with the Mammoth Tribe. With the description of Ayla, it isn't much of a suprise that another man develops an interest in her. It happened because she was introduced to more people. I am suprised that so many people find this distasteful.
Anyhow, she develops herself more spiritually in this book as well as become stronger mentally. She fights a war with herself and the 'others' and she overcomes.
This is a wonderful book and a good bridge into the next book. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the previous books.

Everyone should try this series. All of the books in it are excellent and informative. I came across the first in the series, "Clan of the Cave bear" by pure accident. I loved it and bought the rest of the series. EXCELLENT SERIES!!! However, I have noticed children of 10 and eleven have read it. This is not something for young children due to some sexual content. Although it is done in great taste, I, a mother of two, don't think that is appropriate. For young adults and over, this series is truely fantastic. Even if you don't think you would like it, TRY IT!! I usually don't go for these types of stories, but I truely loved it. Excellently written to captivate the reader. An early man love story, but so much more. Adventure, danger, excitement, romance, survival, IT'S ALL IN THIS BOOK.

This book falls somewhere in the middle of the scale. Not a failure at all, but far from great. The real failure is the whole "love-triangle" thing. I mean, the whole time Ranec was staring at Ayla, I wanted to scream at him, "Leave her alone, darn it! You're a big creep!" All we ever hear from him is "Perfect, so perfect..." literally! E[...] I mean, he would have been more understandable if Auel hadn't made him so aloof, yet at the same time, too much of a stud. He's sort of like the classic artist stereotype.

I really don't have any complaints about the amount of sex in this book, because there isn't that much. But Auel does manage to make the few sex scenes in it fairly good.

Um...I don't think Ayla would have been speaking Mamutoi so well after less than a year. I know someone who has been in America for fourteen years, and their English is far from perfect. Ayla's Mamutoi isn't. And I quote: Gack-and-a-half. I mean, she's great enough already. We get the message.

Other than that, the book was pretty good. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of bearlike Talut and young, eager Latie.

I just finished reading this book and am so insanely frustrated that I had to spend 400+ pages reading about a misunderstanding. The fact that I continued to read it anyway is a credit to the two characters that Auel has created that I enjoy so much. However, while there were moments of this book that captured some of the brilliance of her first book (which I think is a phenomenal read...absolutely a classic), the vast majority of it is just a frustrating and heart wrenching soap opera. If I had known what was going to ensue, I would not have chosen to experience it.

The Mammoth Hunters is a great story with the exception of a very drawnout love triangle. I loved every other aspect of this book but the triangle is such a huge part it can't be ignored.

By all means if you are a fan of the series get this book because the new characters are very interesting. The social dynamic is compelling and the great hunt is exciting and well written.

If you are a newcomer to this series you will likely loose interest. Start with the first two books. If, like me you still want to know more, grab this book you won't be dissapointed as Ayla and her man solidify their relationship.

Ayla and Jondalar leave the shelter of THE VALLEY OF HORSES to return to Jondalar's people in THE MAMMOTH HUNTERS. A winter of discontent follows as Aula is adopted by the Mammoth hearth and mets Ranec a man that captures her heart. She learns many of the customs of the Others, but is confused within her own person as to Jondalar's attitude.
This title is the only one of the series with heavy sex scenes and thankfully so. Ms Auel doesn't have a good comand of the human element.
Good read that moves the story forward.
Nash Black, author of SANDPRINTS OF DEATH.

Every other year or so, I take oout this classic series, do the proverbial dusting off and dive back in. This entire series, with the exception of the last book, is a well-written delight to read. The only reason it only gets a 4-star rating from me is that this has too many print and typo errors to be awarded the 5-star rating it deserves from the writing.

I have read all four of Jean Auel's books about Ayla of the Others. She gives us a view into what life could have been like for our fore fathers in centuries past; both the beauty and the dangers of the period are not forgotten. Her following of Ayla through her childhood and her grown life as a woman set apart by her heritage along with her willingness to learn and accept all that is thrown her way will thrill the reader, and to the observant give them something to aspire to in the time we live. An historical novel can be a real education while entertaining the reader, and I find that this series contains all the elements to fulfill both of these things, depending upon the reader.

Jean M. Auel is my favorite author and as far as I've seen she's only written for this one series. Who cares, it's an awesome series! If your familiar with her books don't bother reading reviews I'll tell you right now from Clan of the Cave Bear, to Valley of Horses, to The Mammoth Hunters, to The Plains of Passage, to The Shelters of Stone, to the new book The Land Of Painted Caves, they are all awesome and need to be read. I hope she writes many more books for this series because I will never get tired of reading (and re-reading) about Ayla! I just wish she would write them faster. When I started this series the first four were out in the Library and I was in grade school. Her 6th one just came out and I'm 32.

Just buy them! Buy them all! And everyone demand more!

Like many others who reviewed this, I have been a fan of the series since the 1980's and own all the books in hard-copy format. I decided to download The Mammoth Hunters to my kindle to re-read it in anticipation of the new book release (and also, admittedly, to get a sneak peak at the bonus content - so I was annoyed that Jean Auel actually also posted the same content to her website after I bought into the notion that the bonus content would only be available on Kindle). I'm offended that I paid any money for this e-verison that was clearly, and poorly, scanned from a paper copy and obviously not editted. "Arid" appears many times when "and" is the apporpriate word. There are misspellings of characters names and some very odd and inappropriate hyphenation that became distracting due to its frequency. The hyphenation appears to be words that were broken up between lines in the hard copy, and are completely inappropriate in an e-version.

I will be holding on to my hard copies and not spending any money to add these books to my kindle.

I read "Mammoth Hunters" after "Clan of Cave Bear" and "The Valley of the Horses" hoping to get something similar, but I just found in "Mammoth Hunters" some kind of love & jellousy novel running in prehistoric times. This book is not as fresh, as precedents, it is not as interesting as precedents and it is not as good as precedents. Characters of both "lovers" are not well design, character of Ayla becomes soft and, so to say, wishy-washy, rhythm becomes slow and imagination falls to none. Before reading "Mammoth Hunters" I bought "Plains of Passage", after reading it I have not found courage enough to read "PoP".

Some thoughts.
It's repetitive. In the first two books, we learn a lot. In this one, the third in the series, Auel feels like she needs to teach us everything all over again. While this may be helpful to someone who may not have read one of the other books the fact that she makes these references several times in each books is just annoying.
There's too much sex. Honestly. There's only so much a person can handle when forced to read about "her petal-like folks" and his "throbbing manhood". Granted, some of it was for a reason, such as the beginnings of Ayla's "relationship" with Ranec, but much of it is repetative as Auel's constant references to wolverine fur, the knots in Ayla's herb pouches, and Ayla's menstral cycle.
It's boring. When I get it in my head that I want to read through the series, I will either skip this book entirely, or skip about 400 pages in the middle. The Ayla-Jondalar-Ranec love-triangle in the middle of the story serves no purpose in the plotline. Much of the relationship is based on sex, which just ties into my previous point.

In The Mammoth Hunters, Ayla meets and interacts with a group of people of her kind. She introduces a few more new "discoveries" and domesticates another wild animal. Her "pets" and "discoveries" impress the Mammoth Hunters, and she is warmly accepted into their group.

A love triangle develops between Ayla, Jondalar and one of the Mammoth Hunters. This part of the story is a bit frustrating since it is a misunderstanding that drags on and on until the very end.

However, I liked this book, even better than the first two books. The characters are basically good, kind people, however there is strong prejudice against the "clan" people that must be overcome. This seems to be a strong message throughout the series.

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.

I read "Mammoth Hunters" after "Clan of Cave Bear" and "The Valley of the Horses" hoping to get something similar, but I just found in "Mammoth Hunters" some kind of love & jellousy novel running in prehistoric times. This book is not as fresh, as precedents, it is not as interesting as precedents and it is not as good as precedents. Characters of both "lovers" are not well design, character of Ayla becomes soft and, so to say, wishy-washy, rhythm becomes slow and imagination falls to none. Before reading "Mammoth Hunters" I bought "Plains of Passage", after reading it I have not found courage enough to read "PoP".

Some thoughts.
It's repetitive. In the first two books, we learn a lot. In this one, the third in the series, Auel feels like she needs to teach us everything all over again. While this may be helpful to someone who may not have read one of the other books the fact that she makes these references several times in each books is just annoying.
There's too much sex. Honestly. There's only so much a person can handle when forced to read about "her petal-like folks" and his "throbbing manhood". Granted, some of it was for a reason, such as the beginnings of Ayla's "relationship" with Ranec, but much of it is repetative as Auel's constant references to wolverine fur, the knots in Ayla's herb pouches, and Ayla's menstral cycle.
It's boring. When I get it in my head that I want to read through the series, I will either skip this book entirely, or skip about 400 pages in the middle. The Ayla-Jondalar-Ranec love-triangle in the middle of the story serves no purpose in the plotline. Much of the relationship is based on sex, which just ties into my previous point.

In The Mammoth Hunters, Ayla meets and interacts with a group of people of her kind. She introduces a few more new "discoveries" and domesticates another wild animal. Her "pets" and "discoveries" impress the Mammoth Hunters, and she is warmly accepted into their group.

A love triangle develops between Ayla, Jondalar and one of the Mammoth Hunters. This part of the story is a bit frustrating since it is a misunderstanding that drags on and on until the very end.

However, I liked this book, even better than the first two books. The characters are basically good, kind people, however there is strong prejudice against the "clan" people that must be overcome. This seems to be a strong message throughout the series.

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.

I thought Clan of the Cave Bear was great; it was an interesting and unique story. The characters were like-able and well constructed. The second book was fine, but predictable and romance novel-ish. The plot drowns in descriptions. The Mammoth Hunters however, was downright painful. Pages and pages of angst, all of it contrived and repetitive. I was practically grinding my teeth in agony over the never-ending Ayla/Jondalar/Ranec love triangle. Nothing in this book is new, and all of it is predictable. Only until the last few chapters did the story finally pick up and move on (literally). If you want to know the plot, read the book jacket, and it will tell you everything you need to know. Then move on to the next book and hope it is better.

The only reason it did not get a 5 star rating is because there is WAY too much intamacy scenes and repeats of things. Her books would be shorter and flow faster if she left out so much of the repeating and also using 4-6 pages to describe one intimate scene over and over in each book. We get the idea really fast of how they make "pleasures" and so it doesn't need to be repeated so much in detail.

I LOVED Books 1 and 2. This one begins nicely, and holds much promise, but the presentation of one of the main characters (Jondalar) deteriorates so much that it then becomes difficult to enjoy the decent portrayal of many other characters in the book. Plus the plot concerning their relationship deteriorates and is poorly treated, then hastily patched together. It is as if the main story about Ayla was so prodigious a task that the author could not properly interweave the subplot of her love interests. Very unsatisfying.

Read the five books from the "Earth's children" Series by Jean M. Auel.

This author is a Genius for taking you inside the book and on a Journey of your life! She's done her Research and the information is dazzling, plus her own imagination is awesome. Lots of hidden messages about Prejudice, ignorance and subjects that we are still dealing with now! Once you read the first book, you are addicted and the books keep getting better and deeper without being hard to understand. She paints a picture that will haunt you happily for the rest of your life! this is a Must Read!!

Hello I am 13 years of age. I started the Clan of the Cave Bear in December, & ever since i can't put any of Auels books down. I am now on The Mammoth Hunters. I don't like Ranec very much but I know Ayla will find the man of her heart soon enough. I can't wait to read The Plains of Passage. I have heard there WILL be a number 5 Earth Childerens book coming soon. I do think there is alote of sex in the books but it does not bother me. I really love Ayla. She is brave & a strong woman who can take care of herself, I respect that very much. Thank-you for reading my review! -Erin

I enjoyed Book 3 better than book 2. Ayla finally meets her kind, a tribe of Mammoth hunters who are dazzled by her skills as a witch doctor.The heroine discovers their hatred against what they call "flat heads" They accept the fact she was raised by them. Finally the annoying character of Jondalar is threatenned by a black man who wants to marry Ayla. Terrible blow to his arrogant pride i bet.

What I didn't like about this book is the recurrent love story between Ayla and Jondalar, and the way she sacrifices everything for him in order to get to Southern France (where his tribe lives). I guess even prehistoric people didn't have common sense at times...

The Clan of the Cave Bear series is one of the greatest book series ever written. I can't even remember how many times I have read all of these books. You will learn so much about our ancient ancestors while you are thoroughly entertained.

I have waited a long time for this book. For many years I have bugged the bookmobile driver to find any of the Earth's Children books. He kept saying that they were older books and unavailable. I do not remember how many I have read but I do know that they were all good reads. Now I have to find the next one.

I had a hard time rereading this book, because of memories of the emotional anguish I felt the first time. It really captures your heart, and your mind. I cried the first time, and the second time I wanted to hurry through the parts that I knew were coming up and would make me cry. After reading this book my emotions would be influenced for hours afterward. If the book made me sad, I would be sad afterwards and needed to be comforted. There are few books that can do this to me, and it really shows the power of the story Auel has built up. I highly recommend it.

Jean Auel's first book was excellent, beautifully written and well researched. Her second book was interesting and entertaining, but a bit far-fetched as Ayla became Supergirl. In her third book, The Mammoth Hunters, Jean Auel serves up a pathetic mix of fantasy, feminism, and science fiction.
If it weren't for the love scenes, which are nothing less than pornographic, this book could be classified as children's fantasy. Ayla is transformed into Wonderwoman, a medical genius able to cure any sickness or ailment with her holistic herbal approach. A convenient plant is always available for Ayla to use in her magic potions. She avoids pregnancy by taking some herbal remedy used by the Neanderthal women.
The author cares more about feminism here than history. In the summer camp, the ultimate tribunal is the Council of Sisters. There is a council of brothers, but that apparently is more like a petit court trying only misdemeanors. Only women can be trusted with the really important stuff. Each tribe is jointly ruled by a headwoman and a headman. The headwoman being just as, if not more, important in the hierarchy. Their god is a woman--Mut, The Great Earth Mother. At the mammoth hunt, which finally occurs in the last few chapters, the first killing spear is thrown by a woman. This is Jean Auel's perfect feminist utopia, but it is not history, not even pre-history.
Chapters 19 through 30 could be condensed into one. They spend the winter in the earth lodge doing nothing. Jondalar and Ayla stop talking but they really love each other, they just can't seem to get it together. Meanwhile, Ranec courts Ayla and Ayla submits, having been trained by the Clan always to submit to men sexually. The book grinds down to an excruciatingly slow pace for no good reason. We know Ayla's going to dump Ranec in the end for Jondalar, who Auel has changed from the brave, spear-making hunter in Valley of the Horses to a lovesick weakling who can't seem to put togther a sentence as simple as, "Ayla, I love you." Auel's frequent and puerile references to sex as "Pleasures" are most annoying.
Jondalar leaves the Mamutoi after summer camp, not wanting to see Ayla wed to Ranec. Ayla realizes she must have Jondalar and sends Wolf the Wonderdog to fetch him back. Wolf does his job, and our lovers find themselves as the formerly communicationally-challenged Jondalar starts using language of love worthy of Shakespeare.
I can only recommend this book to high-school girls looking for a teenage romance with a twist. It is not serious literature, and Jean Auel should not be trusted with history.

Several of my friends have read these books, and we all love them. Valley of the horses was a bit too long between happenings, but altogether they were great. They're also interesting because some real archeological have been taken into the story (I've read this somewhere). But we're all waiting for the next book (or wasn't it supposed to be two more?), and we're still waiting... as many others, as I've read on these pages. If I could get some update on when they will come, I and my friends would be happy...

I have read the 5 books of the series at least 10 times each, in German and in English, I am so fascinated with the story. The characters are absolutely captivating, and there is so much suspense and drama, you seriously can't put the books down when you start reading them. In the very first book, the little girl Ayla will capture your heart, as you go on this journey with her when she is growing up, and she turns into this beautiful and intelligent woman - i bet about every male reader would love to be with her and get to know her, whereas female readers will envy her and want to be like her. But it's not just her, all the characters have so much depth to them, and it is so easy to picture them in your mind, as they come across as very real. I grew to love each and every one of them, including all the animals as well. This is a great story about love and friendships among people & animals, and a story about survival in harsh conditions and encountering and fighting enemies. A story about a time when great discoveries and inventions were made, a truly fascinating era.

This is my favorite story of all times, and I know I will read all the books again someday. So if you are just bored and are looking for something very good to read - this is it! Too bad the fourth and fifth books - The Plains of Passage & Shelters of Stone - aren't included with this package, but I guarantee most people who pick up those books and read them will probably read them as well, since it is an ongoing story, and you can't wait to see what is going to happen next. I can't wait for the last book to come out... hopefully that is going to happen soon.

In this third book Ayla and her lover are involved in many complicated situations, adventures and difficulties. There is even a third man seeking Ayla's interests. A triangle develops. The tribal customs and traditions of a new clan are now involved and Ayla must show skill and performance in many areas in order to achieve respect and acceptance. We get bogged down a bit in this book, but we are ever hopeful that Ayla and Jondalar will endure for Ayla is a great girl with a strong (totem) spirit!<...

What a terrible book. I thought I had read some bad books before, but this takes the cake.
Auel tried to create a love triangle with Ayla, Jon and Ranec. And it was so stupid. If the characters just had the sense to talk to each other, it would have been over in a couple of seconds. But noooo, Auel has to save that moment for the very end as her "climax". She draws out the story forEVER and repeats herself so many times that I was mentally beating myself up for reading such an "abomination" of a book. (pardon my pun)
Ayla becomes God in this novel. Sorry, but its true. Everyone else in the clan all but prays to her might and you get a sense of deja-vu when she adopts yet another animal after killing its mother. She invents all this stuff and the Spiritual Dude of the Mammoth Hunters tells her she has every Gift in the book. It's just too unrealistic.
A waste of three good hours (I skim-read all the boring parts). If I hadnt borrowed it from the library, I would have asked for my money back. A sad thing to happen to what was otherwise a good series. Skip this book and go on is my humble advice.

A chance to be trasported to the times when humans are trying to set off into a world when the only other humans are are the small clans or tribes scatered over the earth. Alya and Jondlar are taken in by a tribe of people that rely on the Wholly Mammoth to suvive. While waiting out the winter in the cave the Lion Camp the relationship between our two heros is rocked by Alya who is not shore if she realy is in love with Jondlar. Will they get back together or will Ayla stay with her new friends

Loved the first book, second book OK, never made it through this one. The tedium of a prehistoric soap opera finally defeated me. The concept of prehistoric hunters and gatherers who live a difficult subsistence life involved in all this love and jealousy nonsense is just ludicrous. I do not have a problem with the notion that women were more or less equal to men in prehistoric times as gathering no doubt provided the majority of the meals. We have seen in similar societies still exhisting today that women do most of the work while men have a great deal of free time between hunts -- no doubt devoted to inventing things like religion, rites and rules for the tribe between sessions of telling tall tales about hunting prowess. It was not until man settled down to farming that inequality between the sexes became the rule. Of course a book that was less romance novel with a blond heroine no less (I wonder what the chances of blondeness were 25 thousand years ago) and more a story of what life really might have been like in those times would probably not attract many readers.

Un resúmen:
El clan del oso cavernario: EXCELENTE, INSPIRADOR.
El valle de los caballos: BUENA SECUELA, RECOMENDABLE.
Los cazadores del mamut: SOLO PARA FANS. Repite algunas recetas, aunque mantiene el interés.
El libro de los viajes ("Plains"): REPETITIVO, LENTO Y ABURRIDO EN DOS TERCERAS PARTES (LA'ÚLTIMA PARTE, COMO EN "cazadores", PARA FANS).
....LA ESPERANZA...."The Shelter of stone"...donde los que admiramos a Ayla, esperamos reencontrarnos con ella...

Upon beginning The Mammoth Hunters, I expected to enjoy the book. I liked the others in the series after all. As I have heard other's say, the book was a little bit slow to start and was a bit dragged out.However, I think that this tension added to the total effect the reader feels when all the conflict is resolved.
In the book, Ayla is in love with Jondalar, and he is, in turn, in love with her. They leave a secluded valley and meet people from a new and unique culture. There are misunderstandings between the two lovers and Ayla comes close to "joining" with another man. Of course, she ends up with Jondalar.
I can't help but feel that this book is not what my ninth grade Pre-Ap teacher calls a "Mc Donald's book" rather, it is what we call a "Dell Frisco book." I believe the book has much to say about outcast in society and them finding a place in the world where life will go on. Additionally, I think the book also has a theme dealing with Love, but not just the corney themes about love you usually incounter. It's about learning to accept people as the are and learning to appreiciate your loved ones.
All ages of people could learn from this book;however, there are quite a few passages in the book devoted to sex. Thus, the book might not be all that appropriate for younger readers. All in all, I really did enjoy this book and I find the series Earth's Children wonderful and most interesting.

I think this is a wonderful seires for lots of people to read I first found the seires on a book shelf at home and started reading Clan of the Cave Bear because I didnt have anything else to read. At once I was caught up in Alya's life I couldn't put it down untill I finished it. Since then I have bought the other three books and am waiting for number five I found this series fasinating. Wonderful detail I felt that I was watching Alya grow throughout the seires. I realy liked Baby and Wolf

I know, I know, Clan of the Cave Bear was fantastic, and Auel is a great writer... BUT, this book nearly ended the series for me. I simply could not believe how trashy and juvenile the plot was: a prehistoric love triangle... how exciting. And whatever happened to Ayla's strong, independent nature? Watching her chasing along behind the jerky Jondalar literally made my skin crawl. I wished I'd skipped this book and gone right to the next which was, thankfully, a little better.

I love the Earth's Children series and re-read them often. The Mammoth Hunters is overall very entertaining and interesting. One compaint is that Ayla is supposedly so tuned in to the nuances of posture and expression that it's difficult to believe she could misread Jodalar so badly. But that's really the only complaint about this installment of Earth's Children -- obviously I love it if I gave it five stars!

Those of you who are posessed with this book being completely acurate and Ayla always inventing everything before everyone else does, then I have one word for you . . . FICTION. As far as I could tell, this book was in the fiction section, not the Text Book of Evalution section labeled NON-FICTION. Just sit back and read the book for what it's worth. Sure, the sex is a little over done, but if one turned on the TV isn't there just as much on TV as there is in this book?

Auel's writing was entertaining enough to keep me interested throughout two thirds of the book. Then I got bored and skip-read the rest, suspecting that the "fateful decision" announced in the inside cover (of the hardcover edition) would be something very predictable, namely Ayla and Jon settling their petty squabble, having sex, and riding off into the sunset on Whinny, their (not quite white) horse.
The book was a nice easy read for a rainy Sunday, though, and it didn't annoy me too much, so I'm giving it three stars.

This is definitely my favorite book in the "Earth's Children" series. As a history buff, I enjoyed reading Mrs. Auel's detailed descriptions of the lives of the Mamutoi: their ceremonies and celebrations, their hunting and cooking, all of it. I find it interesting to look at the things their culture considered taboo and place those things side-by-side with how society regards those same things today. I am really waiting on the next book to come out!

I only made it through half this book before giving up. Having loved Clan of the Cave Bear, I really wanted this series to keep me captive. However, about half way through Valley of Horses and continuing well into Mammoth Hunters, the author goes from story teller to erotic novelist. The amount of explicit sex in these books should get an advisor warning on the cover. I found myself skipping the sex scenes to look for a plot that wasn't there. The love triangle was absurd and intangible. I was sorely disappointed with the direction the author went in this series.

What we have here is modem day men who are compassionate and understanding of women's thoughts, feelings and pleasures.. add in some 1950's soap or toothbrush commercial type conversation and finally set it in a caveman period. We have obviously gone backwards since in this book, all men think about is ensuring that their women feel pleasure. The pain and guilt that men feel if they do not bring her to orgasm is too much to bear and I am surprised they do not go running and screaming into the night to immediately committee suicide when they fail. Seriously, every woman in this series experiences intense orgasms, every time.

Examples of breath taking writing :

"Do you also have a ceremony initiation into womanhood with understanding and gentleness. First rights? Yes, of course. How could anyone not care about how a young woman is opened the first time."

&

"This time he hesitated, he had also felt a terrible guilt afterwards for using the deeply secrete ceremony to satisfy his own needs for the deeper feelings it invokes."

The repetitiveness of stuff in previous chapters or books is extremely annoying. Hearing people discuss new techniques and discoveries every paragraph would have put us at a rate to invent the airplane by 2000BC instead of 1904AD .. I really find it difficult to say anything good about Jean Auel's books since the excellent `Clan of the Cave Bear'. Had she taken the story in this book and condensed it into 300 pages, it might have been half decent.

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.

That's pretty much all I have to say.I HATE when people fell the need to be big shots and pick apart a book down to every sentence, then complain about it.Not in all the reviews does anyone mention the great characters, richly described.I thought it was sad when Rydag died.And another thing that bugs me is why do people hate that Ayla invented stuff?Somebody had to do it, why not her.And I have to say, IF YOU WANT A GOOD BOOK, WHY DON'T YOU WRITE ONE YOURSELF?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?It takes time and effort to put together a great piece of work like this, believe me, I know.Oh yeah!In the beginning of one of the books, I'm not sure which one, in the acknowledgements, Jean M. Auel mentions that she did not aim for accuracy in her books, AND COMPLETELY MADE UP THE CULTURE!So there!And how DO you know it's not right?We don't exactly have a written book called A CAVEPERSON'S LIFE DAY BY DAY, so we don't know what they did.Maybe they did have tangled love lives.Maybe some woman did invent the sewing needle and domesticate dogs and wolves.Maybe people should shut up about books that they hate and just be grateful that people spend their time writing them for others' enjoyment.

Most reviewers agree that Clan of the Cave Bear - and to a lesser extent, Valley of the Horses - are masterpieces. Fun, engaging, luxurious in their premise, polemics and details. Mammoth Hunters degerates into a soap-opera-ish love-triangle that becomes tiresome rather quickly - and then down-right annoying. For diehard fans of the first two installations of the Earth's Children series - don't expect the wonder and depth... but being addicts, you won't be able to resist - and will probably be disappointed.

Many readers have complained about how it takes Jondalar and Ayla 300 pages to get over their romantic misunderstanding. I am male, more action than romance oriented, and I can honestly say the romance aspect did not detract at all from my enjoyment. This is mostly because other things are happening to develop the plot all the time -- new discoveries, Ayla demonstrating her amazing powers to new people etc. The author in a sense has clothed our early technological history in fiction, speculating how the first humans to domesticate wolves and horses might have done it. Why shouldn't the same be true for romantic relationships? True, both Ayla and Jondalar show a sometimes frustrating romantic ineptitude, but for me the message is that these skills needed to be developed just as much as leather working or spear throwing. In fact, to take it one step further, judging from the romantic ineptitude that surrounds us even today, these skills STILL need to be developed!

Do the words historical fiction ring a bell here? Can't anyone read a book for the enjoyment of a good story anymore? I could care less how accurate the history is. I liked all of these books, because they are good, heartwarming stories.
Some of the reviews here have me afraid of what some people think is a good story. Sounds like most would enjoy text books quite readily.
As I have said before, and I will say always Ms. Auel is a master book writer, she puts forth warm, pain, love, and hate. But more importantly she allows the readers to feel what her characters feel. That is what is important in a book that is labeled FICTION, not how accurate it is.
I would highly recommend this series to anyone to read, with the exception of fairly young people.

I liked getting to know the Mammoth Hunters..but Auel
has lost much of the "magic" that made Cave Bear so wonderful...
the interesting characters and the feeling of deep understanding of a
culture are missing..

I fell in live with Creb and Brun and Iza...
yet I barely feel much for even Ayla after these last
two books..

When I feel down and troubled about my life, I pick up the Jean M. Auel series (thus far) and read, read and read. My particular favorite is Valley of the Horses. What that girl did and the stamina it took for her to do it....Amazes me. I know this is a fictional work but I always get motivated and start again.
I suffer from some vague mental disorders and this is like a "bible" of sorts. Thank you Ms. Auel

I've loved these books since I first began Clan of the Cave Bear my freshman year of high school. I, like the rest of the reviewers, have been anxiously awaiting the fifth book. When I inquired about it at my local Waldenbooks, the salesman checked on his computer and told me that he had no listings for Jean Auel until 2001... then again, when I asked it was 2000. The date for its release seems to keep getting pushed back. So nobody, apparently not even Jean's son, knows when the fifth book will be published.
p.s. The fourth book is called Plains of Passage and it can be found at most bookstores.

That is what I felt after finishing this book. The quality
and interest of the series has been continuously declining
since the first book. The idea behind the series is extraordinary and the first book is excellent. I could not wait to see what will happen to Ayla... But then, Ayla's character becomes
so disproportionately strong that shadows the other elements
of the story and undermines its credibility. I suspect Ayla is a projection of the author's
inner heroine, with everything he wants to be. A nice job in
destroying an initially lovable character. After this book I do not care about Ayla anymore! And it's a pitty because I think that the idea
and the first book deserved a much better follow-up.
Two more books to go: I do not think I can stand more
super-Ayla!

This book was another great book in Jean Auel's Earth's Children series. There are some slow parts to the book, but they are not too common. I read this book in under a week, and with my schedule, I haven't been able to do that for a while. I definatly suggest that if you want to read a very enjoying, insightful book, you pick this one up. The entire series is good, and will always be recommended by me. Enjoy!

I read this book as an assignment in 7th grade. I'm now 21, and I still think about it, and get tears in my eyes remembering the awe and wonder I felt when I read this book. What does that say? 10 years later it still occupies a special place in my heart! It makes me so sad to think how Jean would feel reading some of these reviews. I think I speak for everyone who loves these books when I say that this series exists on a higher playing field. Those of us who are intelligent enough to actually "get" this book know what I'm talking about.
How could anyone dare call it trashy? (makes me wonder how great their sex life is) So maybe there was a little bit too much description. The sex still has a very relevant place in these books . It symbolizes her cross-over from trying so hard to be someone you're not so you can fit in, to giving herself permission to be happy and love/be loved and feel good. Sex in the clan and sex with the others are two totally different concepts! She doesn't know it's supposed to be beautiful and pleasurable. - Thank God for evolution :) - Her only knowledge of it for a long time was that it's something men do TO you, not WITH you. No one seems to remember she was raped! And on top of it she had a baby no one wanted around! Of course she's strong and self reliant. Would you read this series if these experiences turned her into a whiney, crying baby of a woman who can't move on from the bad things that happened to her? No. That would suck! Don't forget Jondalar has his own sexual issues, or was that to subtle for those of you that think it's trashy? You have to look at this as a whole series, because it is the life and times of Ayla - all of them - the good and the bad. Aren't there stupid arguements in your past that lasted a little too long? Come on!
It is not meant to be examined and poked and prodded for it's historic accuracy either. That information is there to ENHANCE the story. And last time I checked we don't have a nice, neat record of what it was like to live 35,000 years ago. Who are we to say she's wrong or right, she's not trying to be right or this book would be in the NON-Fiction section. So relax your brain and just read it to enjoy it.
Yes the love triangle was a little frustrating but that's what writers call SUSPENSE! This is a very important part of their relationship's growth. They learn to trust in their love. What doesn't kill your relationship will make it stronger. That is the lesson here. Can their love stand the test of time? How could some people miss that?? "Will they ever get back together"? "Will Ayla be left alone again, or with a man she doesn't really love out of convenience"? Her struggles are the same ones we deal with today and I think the whole series is totally relatable. Last but not least, the best part of these books is that through her incredible ability to be so descriptive about what it's like to be Ayla, we are able to feel exactly what she feels. All of these books are spectacular works of literature. I am just dying for the next book or two to come out. Jondalar still has to break the news to his people that his brother is dead. And isn't someone expecting a baby? There is so much more to be told. Jean, we're ready and waiting.

These books were soo good, I read Clan of the cave bear, then found out that there was a second book called Valley of the Horses, and Now I am reading third book called The Mammoth Hunters. I am intranced with the romance of Ayla and Jondalar. I love Winney and Racer the horses. I now know that there is a fourth book to the series but I have no Idea what it is called or where I can get it. If anybody knows could you please tell me?

the mammoth hunters taken in conjunction with the other titles in the series have become my bible - reread all the books several times - if we looked to the great mother as we do to god we might find that not only us, but the whole planet would benefit. look deeper than the sex (and sex should be taken as being a most natural instinct, such as eating and sleeping) and think about the actual philosophy of their lives

This book was over 600 pages, and I finished it in just under a week. I love the story of Ayla and the trials that she goes through to survive. This book, I think, touches on the part of human nature that can be very confusing to all of us - love and communication. I feel that everyone can relate to the pain and agony that Ayla and Jondalar are going through. Never had I been so emotionally moved by a book as when Ayla and Jondalar finally came together at the end. I could hardly read through my tears, but I couldn't put it down. I would recommend this book to anyone that beleives that love is the only thing worth living for, and anyone that enjoy's learning about the frightening and simplistic world of Ayla and Jondalar.

Like so many, I became captivated by the great fiction and history blend in the first book, that put real characters in the concept that Neanderthal and Modern man blended. The first book was 4.5 stars in my opinion. The author included plenty of facts, and had evidently done her homework.

Then, in book two, yet another terrific story develops with plot flow that alternates back and forth between Ayla and the Jondalar and builds to a SINGLE story of pure and perfect love. It solidly was a 3.5..and I wouldn't argue with anyone that gave it a 4. It was easily good enough to have me pick up this 3rd book. (sadly)

This 3rd book was just terrible!! I feel like I have been psychologically broadsided by exposure to the private sex fantasies of the author in real life, INCLUDING but not limited to infidelity, cuckhold and exhibitionism, group sex, child pornography and last but MOSTLY...inter-racial BETRAYAL sex. All that was needed was for Ayla to experiment with lesbian/Bi love and the author could have covered all the classic sex fantasies known to womankind. Her inclusion of a distasteful affair with "a dark man" must be a private fantasy for the author, because the Period, Location and Other Book Characters do not support there being a "dark man" in the bunch.

Ayla is transformed from this wonderfully pure and innocently perfect woman who loves a man with all her heart and soul, and who wants nothing more than a wholesome relationship with HIM (alone), to a whore too stupid to know that she doesn't have to "pleasure" everyone that asks her to, and too heartless to care that she is only a few feet from the man "quote" she loves "unquote" while she is being ridden by her dark stud and while their moans of pleasure torment the man she loves and trusts deeply inside her heart ,. While the author finally did spare us more blow by blow pornongraphic imagery the story implies that this heartless torment continues again and again over 6 months of sheer agony, constantly having her IN BED. All while Ayla (who can't lie) LIES to herself. It's just plain sickening.

Rather than taking these two wonderful characters, and putting them in the exact same plotline YET having them enjoy fidelity and devote love deeper than sex, she turns poor Jondalar into a spineless wimpering FOOL and Ayla into a Sex Slut Dumb Bimbo incapable of resisting another mans approach. The author blames this, of course, on a twisted form of Pre Historic PTSD caused by Ayla's time with the clan.

The torment goes on for what feels like an eternity, and I mean READING THE BOOK. I reached a mind numbing place where the sex fantasy, explicit pornographic detail of the tasteless betrayal of Jondalar, disappointment in the main characters, constant repeat facts already OVERSPOKEN in the first two books and I found myself SKIMMING the last 5 or 6 chapters to try to get to the happy promise the rear book cover provided that it turns out just fine.

I wish I had never started it. Hopefully you might read this and think more than twice before you do.

I really love the story and have enjoyed the books, but I have to admit that the pages long sex scenes got old and I just skipped them to get back to the storyline. After the first round or two in Valley or Horses, it just seemed gratuitous.

This book was full of detail and color. The characters plights were acutly felt by the reader. I nearly screamed aloud about the misconceptions between Ayla and Jondalar. It seemed as if they would never see the mistakes each had made. I could bearly put the book down. The details and turns in the story kept the ending a secret. This is defently a good read for a rainy day.

Okay, now I am caught up with where I was in seventh grade...
It was about what I remembered, fair, not great, historically disastrous, but written with enough feeling to make me care about the characters.
I had to laugh out loud when I was on the part of the acknowledgements where she goes SO far in detail trying to say how well researched the historical aspects were... Okay lady... I liked the book, but I wasnt born yesterday.... I suppose she thinks we actually landed on the moon too....

Senores ya e leido, el clan del oso cabernario,el valle de los caballos,y tambien esta edicion pero en espanol, me parecio fantastico y en la actualidad estoy interesado en optenerlo de nuevo en espanol debido aque mi profesor de historia en la universidad le mostre este y desea uno para si. Cuento con ustedes y asi poder disfrutar una ves mas de las aventuras y prehistoria narrada por JEAN M.AUEL. GRACIAS

The author planned to write six books in the Earth's Children series, and I hope she sticks with the plan. However, I wanted to answer the question about which everyone seems to be confused--the fifth book. Its title is **SHELTERS OF STONE** ... . Anyway, the first four books are not only completely absorbing plotwise, but Ms. Auel's obvious research into the history of the periods about which she writes adds to the value of reading her books. Don't wait! Read the first four as soon as possible--at least in time to get a copy of her unpublished paperback.

I have read and reread all four in the series. As soon as another comes out, I'll be reading that one. If you are a real, avid reader then you can appreciate the book for what it is and not for what "it might mean". Just read it. Don't get so analitical, it's a waste of your time and everyone elses time who reads your comments.

I have read and reread all four in the series. As soon as another comes out, I'll be reading that one. If you are a real, avid reader then you can appreciate the book for what it is and not for what "it might mean". Just read it. Don't get so analitical, it's a waste of your time and everyone elses time who reads your comments.

Clan of the cave bear. This book & the following three in the series, would have to be four of the best books I have ever read. I was quite upset when I finished the last of the four that I know of. I was wondering if anyone
could tell me if that was the last of them.
Donna Ellement ([email protected]) Perth
Australia

Each book does as promised, stand alone, and also as part of the larger story it melds into a great whole. I waited impatiently for each book as it came out, and because of the many years wait for The Shelters Of Stone, I was somewhat dissappointed in the book, because in my opinion all it really did was do a further buildup for the final book in the series, and I am so afraid that there will be another extended waiting period and let-down, but over-all I have to give the series a huge thumbs up and say that this series is definately part of my "Keeper" and "Re-readable" list and is now part of my personal Library.

I am re-reading the series in preparation for the finale. I think I will lightly skim the last half of this one. Auel falls in love wirh her own words as so many authors do around book numer 3. The love triangle is just too much to bare - way too much graphic sex. Also, way too much perfect Ayla. As I remember it the rest of the series is better so I will continue. If they don't get better, I'm not buying the last one.

I'm a true Jean M. Auel fan. I recommend this book, and the entire Earth's Children series to any one that enjoy's sagas, well-researched history, romance and adventure.
***Parents warning*** There are some instances of intimate relations that may not be appropriate for your teen or pre-teen. I suggest parents read first and judge whether it is suitable for their child.

I'm a true Jean M. Auel fan. I recommend this book, and the entire Earth's Children series to any one that enjoy's sagas, well-researched history, romance and adventure.
***Parents warning*** There are some instances of intimate relations that may not be appropriate for your teen or pre-teen. I suggest parents read first and judge whether it is suitable for their child.

This is a silly book. Nothing like a series to expose the banality of the writer's soul, I guess. But it is fun to see Paleolithic society portrayed as an evening at Studio 54. Both social systems are defunct. Coincidence? I think not.
Ayla will no doubt invent the wheel in the next book. I'm sorry she ever started. Someone invented written language and Auel is threatening to finish the series. Oh, I hope not.

Clan of the Cave Bear was excellent, though a little hard to chew. What happened with the rest of the series? I found Valley and Mammoth to be lost among the reeds and both novels could have been paraphrased within a few pages to spare us the outre desires and lusts ill-afforded to cave women, much less to any enlightened female in this age.

the clan of the cave bear lay around our house for several years. i passed it by many times thinking it would not be my kind of book. at last due to the urging of my wife i began to read clan of the cave bear! from that time until i had completed all five of the books in the earths children series,i absolutly could not put them down.i have read many book series. but never have i been carried away so by an author.the depth of auels research will pull at a very primitive and forgotin place in your being.however i must warn you! when you have completed the series thus far the knowledge of the as yet unwriten or at least unpublished climax to this series will leave you feeling incomplete!! so please Miss Auel finesh the series soon

I've read all the Earth's Childrens books and I think they are fatastic. I have read a lot of books, and the The Clan of the Cave Bear and Valley of the Horses are two of my favorites. I loved how Ayla is the herion and how she work to get where she ended up being.

Another riveting piece of work from an author obviously dedicated to 'teaching by entertainment'. I have read all the books in this series and have enjoyed every single one. Ayla is an example to all women. If this the girl power of the stoneage then ROCK-ON!!!

Mrs. Auel's History lessons are the best written evidence of another lifetime. She makes her reading audience cry for more stories, more tales. The story's end is not in sight...not by a long shot... Please Mrs. Auel, let there be many more in the series.

The Mammoth Hunters is one of my favorites in this series - not really for the main plot, but because this is where Ayla finally gets to really meet "the Others" and learns to understand their society (sort of).

I love the series, but I have to say I do skip the sex scenes... after you've read one of Auel's sex scenes, you've pretty much read them all. It's not that I object to them being there... it's that they're boring.

Mrs. Auel has done it again! This third book in the Earth's Children series opened my eyes to prejudices, especially those that have existed for millenia, as shown throughout this series. People fear and become prejudiced against that which they will not or cannot understand and accept. These individuals wrongly concentrate their energies on finding the differences between people. This is a waste of time and emotion. In order to live in harmony with others, people must instead concentrate on the similarities among themselves and others, then forget the differences and live in peace. I cannot wait to explore the adventures which the next book will hold!

I've read and reread all of these books and thought that all were wonderful, can not wait till the next book is released. Seems to me I'm always searching the bookstores for it but it never comes. PLEASE don't leave us hanging, write the next one.

Think "Clan of the Cave Bear" drowning in the raunchiest porn ever written. There are chapters of loins tugging, breast caressing, oral fellatio, and completely graphic sex. I enjoyed "Clan of the Cave Bear" very much indeed. "Valley of the Horses" started to get sexed. The third book leads me to wonder about the author's view of the importance of massive amounts of sex in the formation of man. I'm trying to read "The Plain of Passage" right now but almost didn't make it past the glorified sex scene between a bull and cow mammoth, described in all its humongous splendor. What is it with this author and sex?!?! There were two or three episodes in "The Mammoth Hunters" when she simply wrote about sharing pleasures and left it at that. If it can be said so simply and concisely, does the author need to devote pages to turgid manhood (woman-making) members and moisture in the corresponding female regions? Enough already! These very good works are only cheapened by the massive amounts of sex. If you want hardcore porn without the pictures, this is a good place to start. Voyeurism plain and simple. If I could give no stars, I would.

If Ayla was really as smart as she's supposed to be, she wouldn't be appearing in any more sequels.
The love triangle is straight out of daytime TV: "he acts one way, but for some reason I'll just assume he feels completely the opposite". Ayla's accent is continuously described as too small to notice...but everyone does the instant she opens her mouth. Everyone in the book is just great, except for the token one-dimensional bad-guy who turns good in the end.
These savages are so elegant, we expect to see a pre-historic Martha Stewart behind the next mammoth hide. Ayla is already Amelia Earhardt, Joan of Arc and Mother Teresa rolled into one. Read it if it's the only book in the house (this includes the dictionary and the phonebook).

Let's start with the positives...the Mammoth Hunters as a tribe were interesting, and the details of how their survival was linked to the many versatile uses of the wolly mammoth were engaging. The Mamutoi social systems, customs, and interpersonal relationships kept me reading to the end.

The real problem with the book concerned the personalities of the central characters, Ayla, Ranec, and Jondalar. Jondalar comes off as incredibly whiny and insecure...nothing he does or says is particularly interesting and he spends most of the book annoying the reader by moping around the camp worrying about his "pleasures" as if he's a bit player on "Sex and the City". He did the same thing throughout the Valley of Horses, too.

Ranec plays the cocky rival for Ayla's affections, but the minute he gets her in the furs he too is reduced to a whimpering mass of desperate neediness, and begins following Ayla around all day nipping at her heels.

The real tragedy here is that these are the first men of her species Ayla encounters, and she feels compelled to entertain their childish behavior and return their affections whenever they manage to get their act together and stop feeling sorry for themselves for 5 minutes (a character flaw developed by years of flathead oppression). By the end, I was rooting for her to let Jondalar split, take the horse and the wolf and go back to the cave in the valley and wait for a REAL caveman to show up.

Good lord, this is one of the worst books I've ever read. Auel's technical writing background stood out as I slogged through page after page of some of the weakest dialogue I've EVER read. Did her publisher make her throw in all that romance???? I thought I was reading a Danielle Steele novel!

"Clan of the Cave Bear" and "Valley of Horses" were interesting, with "Valley" coming in a late second due to the overwhelming romantic drama that occurs once the two main characters meet. But "Mammoth" was no better than a soap opera, and the male protagonist, Jondolar, had to be one of the most irritating, feeble males to grace the literary world.

Good grief! Don't waste your time. You'll end up throwing it across the room 1/2-way through like I did.

I Can't put the books down, the detail Jean M.Auel puts into the books are great but when u start reading them for the 4-5th time it can get a bit boring but yet I still love the series!. WHEN IS THE 5TH BOOOK COMING OUT?????????

Jean Auel does it again, painting a picture so vivid, you think you live in the ice age, developing charactars with so much emotion and compassion you wish you could step inside the book and guide them. Auel does not accomplish this by the seat of her pants either. She has done meticulous research, adding accurate details which serve the legitimacy of the entire epic. Of course there is fictitous surmise, but done in the style of an historic novel, putting a make believe story in the context of a true back drop. Read these in order and then read them again as you wait ofr the next installment!

Good lord, this is one of the worst books I've ever read. Auel's technical writing background stood out as I slogged through page after page of some of the weakest dialogue I've EVER read. Did her publisher make her throw in all that romance???? I thought I was reading a Danielle Steele novel!

"Clan of the Cave Bear" and "Valley of Horses" were interesting, with "Valley" coming in a late second due to the overwhelming romantic drama that occurs once the two main characters meet. But "Mammoth" was no better than a soap opera, and the male protagonist, Jondolar, had to be one of the most irritating, feeble males to grace the literary world.

Good grief! Don't waste your time. You'll end up throwing it across the room 1/2-way through like I did.

I Can't put the books down, the detail Jean M.Auel puts into the books are great but when u start reading them for the 4-5th time it can get a bit boring but yet I still love the series!. WHEN IS THE 5TH BOOOK COMING OUT?????????

Jean Auel does it again, painting a picture so vivid, you think you live in the ice age, developing charactars with so much emotion and compassion you wish you could step inside the book and guide them. Auel does not accomplish this by the seat of her pants either. She has done meticulous research, adding accurate details which serve the legitimacy of the entire epic. Of course there is fictitous surmise, but done in the style of an historic novel, putting a make believe story in the context of a true back drop. Read these in order and then read them again as you wait ofr the next installment!

This book is slow and very distracting.Ayla gets herself into too many weird,but wonderfull situations.She does with Ranec what we wish we could do with people that we see that are diffrent and wonder,what if.But it backfires on her because she does not understand the concept of being jealous.In the end it sorts it's self out but it made for a tedious read,very good but with patience,the next book make up for it.

I though this book was great. It explored history and had deep symbolc meaning. Some passages were a little slow and the sex scenes were a bit unessessary, but the rest of the book was interesting, as all of Auel's books have been.

This book was better than the last book (Valley of Horses). I liked that it was so realistic and the way Ayla invented items that we use now days. I also liked Ayla's way of taking care of the animals and the way people treated her. I like that Ayla is strong and honest in this book. She would not lie about her strange background with the Clan. One thing I didn't like was her fight with Jondalar. It made me mad that they didn't talk about it earlier in the book. They waited until the very end of the book to resolve it.

Although it really wasn't up to par with the other, first two books in the series, it definantly had a literary merit, all it's own- it showed how the Ice Age people might have lived. It is awesome!!

I love this book series! I have read the series over and over again. I love her details and description of, well, everything. She sometimes goes overboard with some descriptions of flora and fauna, but with these books it seems right. Some of the parts are pretty graphic and not the best for younger kids. I started reading her books when I was 13 and eagerly anticipate each one. I never want the saga of Ayla to end.

The "Clan of the Cave Bear" books are simply the best reading you will ever hope to have in your lifetime. I have reread them for the past two summers now. It's sort of a tradition for me. Rereading them just makes my summer that much more enjoyable. Please, I need to find out when the fifth book is coming out! Is there anyway to let the faithful readers of these books know, so that we can finally stop wondering? I think its time we've stopped waiting.

I read all four books this past summer/fall and could not put them down or get the story out of my head! It is hard to say which book I liked best. One reviewer found the inventions unbelievable. I disagree. They were natural accidents of discovery. Because of Ayla's hunting skills and medicinal knowledge, she was the only one likely to have survived alone. I thoroughly enjoyed this vicarious time travel and the plausable evolution of customs, religious beliefs and relationships. Is anyone aware of a website for the Earth's Children?

This book was a little too predictable and frusterating. I didn't like it how Ayla and Jondalar were always assuming the opposite of what the other person was thinking. I think Ayla was a little too talented.

Another Jean Auel masterpiece! The descriptions of the terrain, the flora and the fauna of the Ice Age are incredible. Auel has obviously done her homework and become an expert on the era in which the story is set. The story line progresses meticuously as characters are developed so well that the reader feels that they are old friends. An excellent read for mature readers. I await the last (6th) installment of this series.

One of the first reviews I saw concerning The Mammoth Hunters ranted on and on about how bad it is and how he will not buy/read any of the others. I will admit that the sex is a bit over done, but the basic story line is still excellent.

The reviewer seemed to be criticizing Mrs. Auel for using her imagination in weaving a great story around what we have been able to piece together about life and conditions during that period of our history.

Anyone who doesn't read the entire "Earth's Children" series is missing a great read.

I read the Clan of the Cave Bear for a project in school and thoroughly enjoyed the entire book. I decided that I would read the entire series. The Valley of Horses was a good book but the chapters I enjoyed dealt mainly with Jondalar and his brother Thonolan, not Ayla. I pushed on to The Mammoth Hunters and decided to stop reading the series here. This book basically bored me to death. As in the other mostly negative reviews I have the same beefs: too much sex, Ayla can do no wrong, and things are repeated far too often. Props go out to anyone who finishes this series.

The thought and attention to detail in each of these books is exceptional. Characters are well developed and complex. The time and places they live are well researched and well presented. When will we see the next in the series???? Have been waiting for several years now.

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.

As a college student, my time is limited. However, when introduced to Clan of the Cave Bear, I finished the book in under three days. If you don't like the evolution theory, don't read it. Excellently researched, Auel creates a fantastic journey for Ayla, the woman with no people. I cried, I laughed, and I gawked. I recommend this to anyone who has half a heart. This series really makes you think about our distant ancestors and the hardships they had to endure for survival.

I bought this book for a friend who is thoroughly enjoying reading it. I prefer Danielle Steel, Mary Higgins Clark and the like so what I am saying is, if you bought this book for me, give it to someone else, thank you.

The author does a wonderful job of portraying the complexity of human relationships, but the story is beginning to seem a little too unbelievable. It's very well written, and still enormously entertaining, but Auel's talent seems to have waned slightly in the telling of this portion of the epic tale.

In my opinion, this is definitely the best Earth's Children novel that Ms. Auel has written so far. Putting together a spiritual life for a fictional group has got to be a difficult task and Auel has succeeded for the second time! If you want a fantastic read, pick up this book. Highly recommended.

This whole book seems like filler that Jean M. Auel inflicted on us just because she decided this series should have six books in it before she started the series. The main plot line isn't that great; Ayla is torn between sex partners. Oh wow! The book is over flowing with boring sex scenes -- if I wanted this much sex in a book, I think I know where to look for something like that, but it wouldn't ever be anything by Jean M. Auel.

I was thrilled to discover that the book following The Clan of the Cave Bear(which I thought was fantastic) was both captivating and interesting. Unlike most sequels, this book does not dwell on the events that occured in the previous book. I encourage all readers to dive into this wonderful story of love and strength.

This book fascinates me. The intricacies of paleolithic life portayed in this story are fascinating. The wrenching love story kept my eyes glued on this book, and the beauty of language and imagery were wonderful. I love the entire Earth's Children series, but especially recommend this one. It is a fascinating telling of a timeless tale set in an entrancing setting.

It was well done and informative, I always thought about how the Neanderthals communicated but did not think about a whole hand language. the story was good and the fact go along with what we know today.

All four books are excellent reading. I have a personal copy of all four. The research work carried out by her right from the prehistoric times is indeed worth mentioning. We have left Ayla just in front of Joandalar's home, when are we going to get the next book? I am waiting rather anxiously for it. Hope Jean Auel does not dissapoint us any longer.

The main character who has been left alone for a long time is now in love with a man and has become loved by her own kind. Jeleousy get in the way of the two lovers and lots of misunderstandings, between them. Very detailed, which i pictured in my head the whole time. Once you start you cant stop!!