Jean M. Auel's "Earth's Children" Series

[Menolly]

The one that begins with The Clan of the Cave Bear...

Has there been any rumors of the next novel after The Shelters of Stone? Talk about the wait between books! :::sheesh:::

[duchess of malfi]

The wait between books 4 & 5 was so long, I had often wondered if something bad had happened to the author.

I haven't heard any rumors about book six.

Here is an interview with the author after the release of book 5:
www.randomhouse.com/features/auel/webroot/authorqa.html

[Avatar]

Apparently, rumors abound about her supposed death, but it seems that they are only rumors.

I enjoyed the first two very much, but they did get rather repetitive and almost formulaic. Book 4 was pretty awful, and book 5, while a definite improvement, not really fantastic. (Will still read book 6 if it ever gets done though. )

--A

[Menolly]

I agree, Avatar. I guess I just liked the hook up of Jondular and Ayla so much, that when that was threatened in The Mammoth Hunters it turned me off. And the constant traveling in The Plains of Passage did not an interesting plot to me make. But, I suppose it had to be written to get them from one side of the glacier to the other.

I am finding certain plot lines begun in The Shelters of Stone intriguing though.

Will Ayla overtake Zelandoni in abilities?
How will Ayla and Jodular be as parents?
Is there any possibilty that Ayla's mixed child will ever come into the story again?

I also loved the mating ceremony, and Jondular's reaction to both his mating cloak, and Ayla's outfit. But, that's probably my sentimental side coming through again...

[duchess of malfi]

I thought that the first three were much better then the last two...but now that the long journey is over, and Ayla has been accepted at her new home, I hope that the author will return to form for the last (sixth) book.

I hope that the publisher also does a better job editing book six then books four and five. The pages long descriptions of plants and microclimates made my eyes glaze over in the travel book. In the last book, after the thousandth long formal introduction involving everyone's titles and kin ties I wanted to scream. There were a lot of intriguing hints of things to come, which make me look very much forward to the next book, but book five could have stood a bit of trimming, IMHO.

[Menolly]

Agreed on the editing.

Thank you for posting the interview with Auel. I never knew the next book was going to be the last until now.

[Avatar]

From the beginning, she always said that she planned 6 books. I have no doubt that the mixed child, and the new one, will meet, perhaps even with one killing the other.

What I meant by formulaic, was that it all followed an already established pattern. Travel far, meet new people, have origins discovered, be ostracised, win them over with remarkable healing act, leave as best of friends. Got a bit boring. The only bit in 4 that I really enjoyed was the encounter with Neandertals.

Agree about the editing as well, (and it's not often you'll hear me say a book is too long. Usually, they're far too short for me.)

--A

[Menolly]

^
| Referring to myself

Brian, do you think a thread here about Chaim Potok books would be appreciated? Or is there one already I don't see?

[Edge]

Brian, do you think a thread here about Chaim Potok books would be appreciated? Or is there one already I don't see?

Uh... as the only Brian here that I know of... I'm wondering if you're asking me, or confusing me with the other South African (Avatar)?

In any case: my advice is to go for it!

[Menolly]

Yep, I'm terrible with names.

I did mean Avatar, is that David?

[Dragonlily]

Chaim Potok? Definitely!

Jean Auel lives in my area. She was busy having grandchildren during that long gap before SHELTERS OF STONE.

I agree or even raise you one about PLAINS OF PASSAGE. I thought it was ghastly. The Amazon women were so unbelievable they knocked the book dead. I suppose a dedicated botanist might have liked it. SHELTERS OF STONE didn't get the emotional hold on me that VALLEY OF HORSES and MAMMOTH HUNTERS did, but the children brought it alive at last. Isn't Rydag a wonderful character? One of the best things she ever created, imo.

She left much unresolved in SHELTERS, so she has a lot to bring together in the next book, if indeed it turns out to be the last.

To be redundant for anyone who has read my review, she originally intended CLAN OF THE CAVE BEAR to be a short story. No Earth's Children at all. Can you imagine?

Also, she used to be a poet. That's why all the descriptions of scenery -- she hasn't quite left that behind.

[Avatar]

David? Fraid I don't know any David.

Not having seen this 'til after the thread where we mentioned them, I've already replied a little extensively there, but hey, I say go for it too.

--A

[Menolly]

David? Fraid I don't know any David.

Hmmm...OK.

I'll stick with Avatar then. I am really bad with names anyway.

[onewyteduck]

Clan Of The Cave Bear and Valley Of Horses were beautiful stories. I've reread them on more than one occasion. Mammoth Hunters was....alright. I enjoyed it once but never had a desire to reread. Plains Of Passage bored me stiff and I couldn't believe the money I wasted buying it. Checked out Shelters Of Stone from the library, it was pure tripe. I doubt very seriously I'll even check out the next one.

[Encryptic]

I read the first 4 books quite some time ago and enjoyed them, but had more or less given up on the series during the big gap between Plains of Passage and Shelters of Stone.

I think I'll wait for the final book to come out before I attempt to pick up the series again, though....

[Khat]

I enjoyed all her books in the series and waited (and waited and waited) for Shelters, re-reading the books to remember all that happened while I waited for it to come out.
if you go to: ecfans.com/news/
You will see that in January this year (2005) JMA said:
Quote: "Book Six is coming along."
Quote: "There will be more than six books before the series is finished."

So It really won't be the last. Book six will be about Ayla sticking to her decisions of what she plans to do...

[duchess of malfi]

One of the ladies I work with has discovered this series this year, and we have had some great discussions.

Still no firm word (as far as I can tell) about book 6, other than a rough form of it was written at the same time as book 5.

THERE IS A BIG WHOPPIN' SPOILER ABOUT BOOK 6 IN THIS LINKED INTERVIEW!!!!!!!!!!! YOU ARE WARNED!!!!

www.bookpage.com/0204bp/jean_auel.html

[Dragonlily]

Spoiler

I've always figured that was just pipe dreaming on Ayla's part anyway.

[Avatar]

I wonder if book 6 is ever going to actually happen? I read the first of these when I was 14... And that article is a couple years old already, isn't it?

--A

[Dragonlily]

SHELTERS came out in 2002. I'd like to see that next book happen, too.