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Jean M. Auel

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muggle

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I have looked and looked and have seen no mention of one of my favorites, Jean Auel. Her Earth Children books are wonderful reading although the last one was below par for her. She is an author that I eagerly anticipate the next book in the series.
 
I really liked the first 3 Earth's Children books and I haven't read the 4th yet, it is on my list but I keep debating whether to read through the others prior to reading the 4th since it's been so long. Did you finish the other 3 right before you read the 4th? Do you think I could just pick right up on the story again, or should I start all over?
 
I could only stomach the first three. By the third book, it had begun to get REALLY repetitive and a bit dull. I loved the first book, but the rest seem mediocre. :rolleyes:
 
I read the first four books and then when the fifth came out, I felt obliged to read that one too. It was absolutely horrible and it made me dislike the first books too.
 
Ronny said:
I really liked the first 3 Earth's Children books and I haven't read the 4th yet, it is on my list but I keep debating whether to read through the others prior to reading the 4th since it's been so long. Did you finish the other 3 right before you read the 4th? Do you think I could just pick right up on the story again, or should I start all over?
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I believe that you could read the 4th book, The Plains of Passage, without going back and re-reading the previous book. It will come back to you after reading the first few pages or so. I enjoyed the Plains of Passage very much although my favorite has been, a tie, between Clan of the Cave bear and Valley of the Horses.

I was a little surprised to read the less than flattering remarks about Jean Auel's books from others posting. Of course that is why there are different authors. We frequently have different likes and dislikes. :) The series so far in order:
The Clan of the Cave Bear
The Valley of the Horses
The Mammoth Hunters
The Plains of Passage
The Shelters of Stone
 
I enjoy Jean Auel's writing though was far from impressed with SOS. I read the first four when I was about 13 then waited almost 10 years for the 5th - I was very disappointed with it but saying that I will still buy the 6th as soon as it is published.

My two favourites are probably COTCB and TMH. VOH was fairly good, though i thought by POP it was getting rather repetitive.

Personally I would read the first three again before starting the fourth but that's just me - I often re-read the preceding books when a new one in the series is published.
 
Ice said:
My two favourites are probably COTCB and TMH. VOH was fairly good, though i thought by POP it was getting rather repetitive.
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that's exactly how i feel about all of them. i did read SOS when it came out and i was really really really disappointed. it was almost terrible. might have been good had i not read all the others already.
 
Jenem said:
might have been good had i not read all the others already.
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I doubt it. SOS was really, really bad. I wonder why she wrote it. It doesn't add anything...
 
I'm a fan of this series as well. I've loved them all except for the last one which I thought was terrible and needed a good editing. This is one of those series, the other being King's Dark Tower series, that I have been reading for over 20 years now. Man do I feel old now.

How many more are there supposed to be? When The Shelters of Stone came out, I remember reading a interview with Auel, where she said, I believe, that there would be 2 more and fans shouldn't look for Ayla to be reunited with her child.
 
When she first started writing them she had planned for there to be six books in the series. She apparently did the research for the fifth and sixth books together, so the wait for the sixth shouldn't be as long as the fifth :rolleyes:

However, in an email to her son, she is reported as saying "There will be more than six books before the series is finished." I remember reading somewhere that she didn't think she would be able to fit all the research she had done into only one more book - I'm not too sure of how much truth in this though.
 
Ah ok - I have found the interview I read:

When I originally realized that I had a series, I was fairly certain it would be six books and I have been working from my original first draft as an outline. The series has an overarching story, and I know where I want it to go, but over the course of writing the books, the characters have developed more fully and parts of the first draft were no longer working. One of the things I did during the interim between books 4 and 5 was to write a somewhat more complete rough draft to the end of the series so I would know how I was going to get to where I wanted to go. I'm still not certain, but I don't think I can fit everything I want to do with this series in only one book. There may be more.

HTH :)
 
These aren't my favorites but every now and again there's a surprise in there. These are pretty good reads...If I was going on a trans-oceanic flight and needed a good long read, I might take one of these--or probably the first two or three--if there was no other choice. It would be iffy.

I have to say, though, that it was quite a relief for them to finally get home.
 
The Earth Children Series is one of my favorites. This is one that I have read several times, and still can't get tired of. There are five in the series now, with a sixth on the way. If you know when it might be released, give a hint.

The Clan of the Cave Bear
The Valley of the Horses
The Mammoth Hunters
The Plains of Passage
The Shelters of Stone
 
I read and enjoyed the first 4 a few years ago and I recently purchased the fifth, now I am debating whether I should reread the first 4 and then continue on with the series or just jump into the fifth. Decisions, decisions :)
 
I read the first 4 one after the other about 3 years ago, and was so burned out by the end that I never got onto the 5th book - I stopped about 3/4 of the way through the 4th book now that I think about it. I really did enjoy them, though - they were extremely well researched and taught me a lot about that period in time (Auel is actually a member of Mensa). It makes me laugh now that I look back on them and notice that Ayla is depicted as the inventor/discoverer of almost every major find made during that period - such as using flint to make fire and training horses :D
 
I own the first three books but read them when I was like 17 and don't remember them very well. and just when I was on vacation and needed something to read! Thank you! Off to start the Clan of the Cave Bear!
 
I've enjoyed them all except the last one, The Shelters of Stone. It's complete lack of editing made it extremely hard to get through. I will get the next one, though. I love prehistoric fiction like this. I like how she ties in stuff to actual artifacts and cave paintings found in Europe.

I remember reading a interview with her around the time of the last one's release and she said not to get your hopes up that Ayla will be reunited with her child.
 
Dude! Spoiler tags! :( (I haven't read the fifth book yet.)

Anyway. I agree with Monkeycatcher that it's funny that Ayla (and Jondalar I guess) are portrayed as having invented practically every major invention of the period. But I guess the point is to show the reader how those things might have come about. Maybe.
 
Ayla and Jondalar are fictional characters. Auel is only telling how fire, horses, etc may have come about. Her books are well researched and very informative. I have enjoyed Auel and look forward to her next book. of the five books I least enjoyed Shelters of Stone and enjoyed the most Valley Of Horses and Clan of The Cave Bear.

Wow, how can you start one of her books in the series and not finish it. I am patiently waiting for her next book. :)
 
I've got all the five books to. Must admit that I haven't read 50% of the third and haven't even started on number four and five. I started reading the serie ages ago (book number one and two). Last summer I desided to start over. I manage to read 1-2,5 before I got tired of reading about Ayla. I love the books, but have to read them mixed with other books.
Will by book number six when it comes on sale (witch will take some years, since no one know when it will be out yet).
 
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