Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6122 in Books
• Published on: 2003-05-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 800 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Jean M Auel's The Shelters of Stone, is the latest title in the Earth's Children series--undoubtedly one of the most celebrated works in publishing history--and includes The Clan of the Cave Bear, The Valley of Horses, The Mammoth Hunters and The Plains of Passage. Each of these books enjoyed long runs on the bestseller lists across the world and have sold more than three million copies in the British marketplace. There are 28 foreign language editions of Auel's books in print and 34 million copies have been sold worldwide.

The Shelters of Stone continues the story of Ayla who lost her family to an earthquake and was raised by the people who call themselves the Clan of the Cave Bear. She arrives in the land of the man she loves, but his people are wary of her and think of the Clan who cared for her as animals that resemble people and who are not much smarter than beasts. Ayla has brought with her two horses and a wolf over which she has uncanny control. Ayla vows to learn from the Zelandonii and hopes, in turn, to teach them. She is particularly pleased to meet the spiritual leader of the tribe, a fellow healer with whom she is able to share medical skills and knowledge. But Ayla's greatest problem is to convince her new hosts that she is from a tribe of human beings, not the subhumans they are regarded as. And when she gives birth to her eagerly awaited child, she is forced to accept that she and her child will have to play a very significant role in the clouded destiny of the Zelandon.

Auel is particularly sharp in her characterisation of Ayla, the woman who is foreign and strange in this new land, and her heroine's clashes with her new-found people are handled skilfully. The reader is immersed in another world, one whose every detail is skilfully evoked, while the writing has all the colour and vividness of Auel's previous books.--Barry Forshaw

Daily Express
'Impeccable research makes this much more than a fantasy reconstruction of prehistoric life.'

Review
'Jean Auel's greatest achievement is to have created a plausible primeval community where men and women love and sometimes hate, and learn to survive in a harsh environment that demands rules and co-operation.' (Daily Express )

'Meticulously researched . . . fascinating . . . course-by-course menus for Upper Paleolithic blow-outs . . . that Joanne Harris might envy. Jean Auel is as remarkable a figure as J R R Tolkien.' (Independent Magazine )

'Jean M. Auel has meticulously researched her subject and this latest book should continue the huge success of the series.' (Hello )

'As always, Auel has meticulously researched her prehistoric subject and this latest offering is a triumphant continuation of the saga.' (The Irish News (Belfast) )

'Massive in scope' (Daily Mirror )

'Impeccable research makes this much more than a fantasy reconstruction of prehistoric life.' (Daily Express )

'Bursting with hard information about ancient days and awash in steamy sex . . . Auel's latest will not only please her legions of fans but will hit the top of the list, pronto.' (Publishers Weekly )

'Enthralling, exciting and impossible to put down.' (York Evening Press )

'A rewarding read. A brilliant work of imagination' (Good Book Guide )

Customer Reviews

Oh dear......
I have come late to this series of books - like some other reviewers I have had people recommending that I read them for some years, and indeed I did have all five books (a special offer pack from somewhere) waiting on the shelf to be picked up. After another session of "you really must read these" from a friend, I committed myself to reading the lot. I have to admit that I did enjoy the first two books quite a lot, and I sort of liked the third but I really think Mrs Auel should have left it there. Lots of reviewers have noted how much they loved the main character, Ayla. I'm afraid she got right up my nose! The more things we found out she "simply excelled!" at, and the more like "Ice Age Barbie" she got throughout the series (complete with 6ft 6in blond, blue eyed, very well endowed "Ken") the more detached I became. I was so used to Ayla being the very first person in the whole world to do this, or to have this, that or the other idea, I was half expecting her to invent the wheel! Oh, and she's also a 1950's model of a perfect wife - she gets up in the morning to make hubby a cup of tea before he gets up. Aaaah!

The sheer amount of repetition in this book is enough to grind you down, particularly if, like me, you have read all books in succession only recently. The wandering into panoramic descriptions and detailed instructions on how they made all manner of things "in the old days" was reminiscent of sitting listening to a centegenarian aunt go on and on and on. Very knowledgeable to be sure, and delightful and fascinating in small doses, but not page, after page etc..... Like many others who have reviewed before me, I too skipped huge sections looking for something interesting to happen.

The bit that really finished me off I think was Zelandoni. We knew that Jondolar had really been in love with this fabulous woman at his home camp, and she had in effect "taken the veil" as a result of their affair. She was still there however, and I was looking forward to see how Mrs Auel would handle it when all three met. Would he still be in love with Zolena? Would she be a threat to Ayla? Would she try and put between them?OOOOhhhh!! Don't get your hopes up.

I was hoping that at some stage in this story, Ayla's true orgins were going to be revealed, or that Durc, her little son, somehow came back into her story but it was not to be. All we see is Ayla and Jondolar, the happiest, handsomest couple anyone could ever remember, and what do you know, fast forward to the birth of their (wouldn't you know?) perfect baby, who popped out after a few pushes, and slept right through the night from the start. We leave this picture perfect family just as their horse has foaled, and they are talking Pony Club - sorry riding lessons. Honestly - I kid you not! They have made some enemies, yes... but is anyone surprised? To all those who have felt like me about this book, I really wish I'd read your reviews first. Someone mentioned that a sixth book is planned - for heavens sake, please tell me that's not so!?!

More of the same, in both good ways and (some) bad
This has all the strengths and weaknesses of the earlier post-Clan of the Cave Bear novels in the series. There is a beauty and purity about the story that is moving and touches something deep within me; and the author's research is impresssive and has re-boosted my youthful interest in human pre-history (this is really historical fiction, though it is wrongly categorised as fantasy in many UK bookshops). There are some interesting philosophical discussions, such as the one between Ayla and Zelandoni about the nature of life, procreation and the role of the sexes, and the many conversations and arguments about the relations between the Cro-Magnon peoples (though the term is not used here, of course) and the Clan.

But on the downside, there is just too much repetition, the author both telling the reader background details and then showing them through dialogue again later, e.g. the role of the fa'lodges. A good bit of this could have been edited out; the book weighs in at 780 pages in a small typeface. Also the romance between the ridiculously perfect main characters borders on the Mills and Boon at times, and they have perfect earth-moving sex every time, "She was so ready. He was so ready. They were both so ready" - We should be so lucky all the time! ;).

Despite these flaws, this is a brilliant series of novels, one that I will undoubtedly return to throughout my life. But I can understand the point of view of those who gave up after the first book or two thinking it was all too much just about "beautiful heroine saves life of handsome hero and they travel together across the known world meeting people who tell them how wonderful they are". Those who think that should persevere, but I can see why they probably won't.

Judge for yourselves
Having read the reviews for this book, I put off reading it for quite a while. However, I finally decided to read it anyway and I am really glad I did. Yes, there is some recapping but not that much. I'm really sad that this is going to be the last book as I enjoyed all of them.