perelgut@utai.UUCP (Stephen Perelgut) (01/13/86)
The Clan of the Cave Bear Jean M. Auel Bantam Books, 1980 (paperback) This is my second time through this book, in preparation for reading the third book in the series, "The Mammoth Hunters". The Earth's Children Series is not really science fiction. And it sure isn't fantasy. But it seems appropriate for this group. The series deals with the life and times of an early homo sapiens forced by circumstances to live with Neanderthals. This book is excellent, the woodlore seems as completely researched, and the characters are vivid. The author has taken very few liberties, all required to advance the plot. For example, Neanderthals have a form of tribal memory that can be brought out by a sort of telepathic trance. I doubt there is hard achaeological evidence of such a trait. Also, our heroine stands a bit larger than life, constantly making startling discoveries or drawing conclusions that are very far removed from her own experience. In spite of what I perceived as inconsistencies, the book hangs together remarkably well. It is very easy to visualize yourself in the correct environment and to empathize with the characters. Even on second reading, the detailed descriptions of the people and the land held as much interest as they did the first time. On my scale of -4 to +4, I'd easily rate this one a +3. There are a few flaws, but they are minor and easily overlooked as you consume this slice of life from the end of an Ice Age. -- Stephen Perelgut Computer Systems Research Institute, University of Toronto