Product Description

The story of Ayla begins when, as a five-year-old orphan, she is adopted by the Clan, a group of Neanderthals. Initially she inspires surprise, then wariness and finally acceptance by the Clan. She is cared for by its medicine woman, Iza, and its wise holy man, Creb. But she makes an implacable enemy of the group's future leader, Broud. He will do all he can to destroy her - but Ayla is a survivor.

Jean Auel's imaginative reconstruction of pre-historic life, rich in detail of language, culture, myth and ritual, has become a set text in schools and colleges around the world.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6031 in Books
• Published on: 2002-04-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 592 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
The Clan of the Cave Bear is the start of Jean M Auel's epic Earth's Children series. When her parents are killed by an earthquake, five-year-old Ayla wanders through the forest completely alone. Cold, hungry, and badly injured by a cave lion, the little girl is as good as gone until she is discovered by a group who call themselves the Clan of the Cave Bear. This clan, left homeless by the same disaster, has little interest in the helpless girl who comes from the tribe they refer to as the "Others". Only their medicine woman sees in Ayla a fellow human, worthy of care. She painstakingly nurses her back to health--a decision that will forever alter the physical and emotional structure of the clan. Although this story takes place roughly 35,000 years ago, its cast of characters could easily slide into any modern tale. The members of the Neanderthal clan, ruled by traditions and taboos, find themselves challenged by this outsider, who represents the physically modern Cro-Magnons. And as Ayla begins to grow and mature, her natural tendencies emerge, putting her in the middle of a brutal and dangerous power struggle.

Although Jean Auel obviously takes certain liberties with the actions and motivations of all our ancestors, her extensive research into the Ice Age does shine through--especially in the detailed knowledge of plants and natural remedies used by the medicine woman and passed down to Ayla. Mostly, though, this first in the series of four is a wonderful story of survival. Ayla's personal evolution is a compelling and relevant tale. --Sara Nickerson, Amazon.com--This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Review
'Beautiful, exciting, imaginative' -- New York Times 'A major bestseller ... a remarkable work of imagination' -- Daily Express

Review
'Beautiful, exciting, imaginative' (New York Times )

'A major bestseller . . . a remarkable work of imagination' (Daily Express )

Customer Reviews

A thought provoking read
Clan of the Cave Bear is set in Neanderthal times, and follows the path of Ayla, a little orphaned girl born to Cro-Magnons (fore-runners to modern humans) and adopted into a Neanderthal Clan, the Clan of the Cave Bear. The differences between these two early humans are brought out in some considerable detail, with some very thought provoking ideas on why the two races developed along such different lines, and hinting at possible reasons for the eventual extinction of the Neanderthal race. As Ayla grows up, her Clan struggle to accept the differences between her and them, from simple things like crying (she does, they don't) to more complex issues such as the Clan way of living life by a strict segretation into men and women's domains, with deviation from the traditions potentially punishable by death. Ayla remembers none of her past life, yet instinctively finds herself unable to conform fully to life as a female member of the Clan, which often brings her into conflict with the other members, particularly the future leader, who quickly becomes a strong enemy. Ayla's biggest difference from the Neanderthals is probably her ability to learn new things. Their skills are passed down in memories, stored in their large hind brains, and quite literally as the generations pass, their heads become ever larger to accomodate all this information which is passed on and added to. Ayla on the other hand has to learn everything she needs to know, but this enables her to far surpass some of the abilities of Clan members, again, causing some discomfort, fear and jealousy.

The book not only goes into considerable detail about the Clan's own immediate traits, but also includes fantastic descriptive narrative about the landscape around them, the plants and animals they encounter, enabling the reader to visualise what the earth they walked on must have been like. How much of this information is known fact, and how much is surmised from archeology, I don't know, however it makes fascinating reading nonetheless and gives an insight into the origin of our species, and how we came to be the people we are today.

This book was recommended to me by a friend, and I simply added it to my basket while doing some Christmas shopping. It was hard to put down, and having finished it, I know I am guilty of having done a little skim reading here and there and will be picking it up again soon to read at a gentler pace. I have no doubt there is yet more for me to discover in this book, and I can't wait to see how Ayla fares in the sequel.

Couldn't Put It Down!
Not for a long time have I read a book which I literally could not put down. However, since picking up this book on a whim, I was enthralled by the way Auel treats a difficult subject, totally immersing the reader into the life of the main character, Ayla.

Based in Upper Paleolithic Europe, the story revolves around the adoption of a Cro-Magnon child by a group of Neanderthals, who eventually accept her as one of their own. The story develops around Ayla's journey of self-discovery and maturation. This is an excellent book and a must read for just about anybody.

What an adventure
What a marvelous book this was. I loved the journey this novel took me on and the prehistoric setting was very beliveable.

Jean M. Auel is a wonderful story teller and it's a colourful and wonderful world she's given us in this novel, setting it in the ice age.
It was gripping, reading about Ayla's journey from a young child to adulthood and the trials she faces living with the Neanderthal tribe who found her.
There is everything one could ask for in a novel, adventure, fun, danger, jealousy and love and romance.

I especially liked the extensive research J.M.A. has done, and her detailed knowledge of plants and natural remedies used by the medicine woman and passed down to Ayla, was extremely fascinating.

I have read the entire series and must say, it was riveting.

There are 5 books in all:

1:The Clan of the Cave Bear
2:The Valley of Horses
3:The Mammoth Hunters
4:The Plains of Passage
5:The Shelters of Stone