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    The Clan of the Cave Bear
    The Clan of the Cave Bear
    The Clan of the Cave Bear
    Audiobook22 hours

    The Clan of the Cave Bear

    Written by Jean M. Auel

    Narrated by Sandra Burr

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    This novel of awesome beauty and power is a moving saga about people, relationships, and the boundaries of love.

    Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read

    Through Jean M. Auel’s magnificent storytelling we are taken back to the dawn of modern humans, and with a girl named Ayla we are swept up in the harsh and beautiful Ice Age world they shared with the ones who called themselves The Clan of the Cave Bear.

    A natural disaster leaves the young girl wandering alone in an unfamiliar and dangerous land until she is found by a woman of the Clan, people very different from her own kind. To them, blond, blue-eyed Ayla looks peculiar and ugly—she is one of the Others, those who have moved into their ancient homeland; but Iza cannot leave the girl to die and takes her with them. Iza and Creb, the old Mog-ur, grow to love her, and as Ayla learns the ways of the Clan and Iza’s way of healing, most come to accept her. But the brutal and proud youth who is destined to become their next leader sees her differences as a threat to his authority. He develops a deep and abiding hatred for the strange girl of the Others who lives in their midst, and is determined to get his revenge.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateMay 16, 2017
    ISBN9781543612882
    The Clan of the Cave Bear
    Author

    Jean M. Auel

    In 1980, Jean M. Auel became a literary legend with The Clan of the Cave Bear, the first book in her Earth’s Children® series. Now a mother, grandmother, and author who has sold more than 45 million copies worldwide, Auel is a heroine of history and prehistory alike, changing the world one enthralling page at a time.

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    Reviews for The Clan of the Cave Bear

    4/5

    3,971 ratings149 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I have read this book over 100 times since I first found it on my mother's bookshelf in 1988. It is an absolutely wonderful look into what could have been the life and struggles and wonderment of our forebearers. It draws you in and has you seeing it all like it's your own memory. Absolutely beautiful work of art.
    • 5/5
      Good book. But NOT a children's book. This series has graphic sex. Especially book 3 it goes into some very very graphic details and is NOT FOR CHILDREN......
    • 5/5
      I'm surprised no one has made movies of this book series. It's absolutely riveting. Highly recommend.
    • 5/5
      This is a slow start but an amazing series! The author and story teller made the book come alive..
    • 5/5
      Step back to ancient times, after the dinosaurs, but still very early man, when homo sapiens made some of their first appearances. Ayla’s family was lost in an earthquake and was found by a tribe of man that was preordained to die out. Isa became Ayla’s mother and she grew up with them. Follow her beginnings, trials, adventures. I loved it!
    • 5/5
      Beautiful told, the human and fascinating story of prehistoric survival of a young girl, orphaned, amongst a tribe of strangers of another species , but people all the same. Adopted she becomes a first class medicine woman. First book in a gripping and passionate saga.
    • 5/5
      Wow! This book changed the way I look at our world. These characters may be 30,000 years in the past, but their humanity (and neanderthal-anity I suppose) shows us that no distance nor gap in time can change what it means to be human- emotionally, fearfully, lovingly.
    • 3/5
      Way back when. In desperation. The cave can no longer protect us. Thank goodness for fire.
    • 3/5
      I don't know if it was just the mood I was in or what, but I couldn't really get into this book. Unlike other books that I've had trouble getting into, though, this one I will definitely try to read again because I've always liked the idea of pre-historic fiction.
    • 4/5
      I love the book (and the entire series)! This reading could have been just a tiny bit better, though. There's a little bit of inconsistency in the volume and tone of the audio.
    • 5/5
      WONDROUS-as much a curse to people today, as it is a joy in acknowledgement for good.
      No denying the allegory inherent in the three meanings of a major religious faith, battling and winning against pagan belief.
      The easiness of aborting a child, yet with a Mother's strength to overcome such an easy out.
      Old novel, but modern in its scope- a must read!
    • 3/5
      Fascinating pre-historic fiction, about a girl who loses her family, and is adopted by a Neanderthal clan, in central Europe.

      Brilliantly researched and realistic, with an interesting storyline. But for my tastes there was far too much detail, and more violence than I'm comfortable with.

      But still, for anyone wanting to know what life might have been like 35,000 years ago - or thereabouts - this book gives a good picture of how it could well have been.
    • 5/5
      Such a GREAT BOOK. I love the writer of this series. very good
    • 5/5
      Great book looking forward to the next book .... great read
    • 5/5
      This was amazing!

      There are possibly spoilers in this review, but not so much to ruin the book for anyone, at least I don't think so.

      First, Ayla was an incredible character. She was born of the Others, but found and raised by the Clan. I can almost understand her plight a bit, as a black girl who grew up in predominately white neighborhoods and schools, I know what it was like to be the odd man out. To have people stare at you because you look different, to be treated as though you didn't belong. But there was always a person(s) who looked at you for who you were. Ayla found that in Iza, Creb, Uba, and many others. Iza loved her more than her biological daughter and Creb loved her as if she was his daughter as well. Uba loved her like a sister.

      She proved that though she looked and even had different feelings and emotions, she could love and learn and work just like everyone else in the Clan. In a lot of ways she was better than the Clan. She didn't have their inherited memories, but she could learn and comprehend things that they couldn't. Creb knew it and it frightened him. I think he knew all along that the coming of the Others would mean the end of the Clan.

      I didn't expect the amount abuse that she endured. Having watched the movie, can I just say it was a sad, sad representation of this book! She endured hate and ostracism and just flat out physical and emotional abuse--particularly from Broud, who was also not like the typical clan. He hated Ayla because she was not of the Clan; she looked and behaved differently. She was stronger and braver, and smarter than him and he envied her that. But that is not the way of the clan. He had violent tendencies and exhibited jealousy and yearned for revenge. Broud was very egotistical and cared more about his estimation of himself than he did the well-being of the Clan. These were definitely not traits of the Clan, so for as much as he despised Ayla for her differences, he was equally as different.

      The Clan had very short life spans, they became men and hunters, women and mothers very, very young. Boys were hunters at 12 and some women were mothers at 10. They became physically old and died young as well. If a member of the Clan made it to their 30's it was ancient! For some people the ages at which certain events took place could be considered shocking, but to me it makes sense. They were cavemen. They lived hard, short lives; their brains and bodies were not developed the way people are today. They were short and bowlegged and barely stood upright. They were very stout with thick bones and protruding brows. Their brains were made for instinct and the memories they inherited at birth; they couldn't really learn new things, or think in new and critical ways. Ayla was thin and tall with straight legs and a 'flat' brow. She didn't develop into the Clan's expectation of womanhood until much later, and I expect she (and the Others) have a longer lifespan. She didn't have the same memories and instincts, but she could think for herself, and question things. Creb knew she was bright, but didn't think she was as smart as him. I think she was smarter. She just didn't have his life experiences to draw from.

      I loved that Ayla was strong despite what Broud did to her over the years. For every rotten, hateful, and abusive thing he did to her, she came out of it a little stronger and braver than before. This, of course, only made Broud hate her even more. It was no surprise what he did to her when he finally became leader. I cannot believe that Brun was so blinded by his love for his son that he could not see that there was no changing Broud. More than that, I HATE that the bastard got to curse her in the end. I really wish she would have left with Durc before he became leader. I know Durc had a mate waiting for him when they came of age, but but with Ayla gone, he's at Broud's mercy. Iza, Creb and Ayla are gone, the cave is destroyed...what will happen to Durc, to the Clan? Will they have to move again? Will Ayla find the others? Will she return for Durc? Will Broud cause his Clan to fall apart because of his selfish tendencies? That's a definite yes if you ask me. But the only way to learn these things is to read the next in the series. I am so glad I finally took the time to read this book.
    • 5/5
      This book series is by far the BEST novels I have ever read. Her romance tic approach yet detailed truth in our history and ancestors of the human race was simply captivating. I couldn’t stop listening! Ever sing book kept me on my toes and wanting more. Honestly, she could easily have kept going with book 7-9 … I wish she would!
    • 4/5
      Very interesting and gripping. I'm afraid I got bored with all the sequels, though.
    • 5/5
      Binged this in 2 days. Excellent writing, characters, and narration.
    • 5/5
      Compelling story about a family of cave people that kept me wanting more. I would like to continue the series.
    • 4/5
      I don't think I've ever read a book quite like this one. It seems third person at times and then in a second changes to first person. It took some time to get used to. By the end I was comfortable with it, but it did make for slow going. Also the story takes place over a range of years, which always makes for a long read. It shows you the character's growth and development. I enjoyed the story as much for the story itself as for my appreciation for evolution and history. You don't find many books that center around the Homo Sapiens and Nethanderals. Recommended if you enjoy historical fiction.
    • 5/5
      Ayla loses her family after an earthquake and is not another Cro-Magnon group that finds her but a group of Neanderthals. This book basically tells the story of how she has to get used to the ways of The Clan (the way the Neanderthals call themselves) against what her brain and past tells her. Don’t worry she makes it. However if you have strong feminist feeling, I would strongly recommend to take the book slowly. You see, The Clan ways often portray way too obedient women…what the man says goes…literally. At the same time, Ayla is such an empowering character that you will be happy to know that she breaks a lot of rules. Don’t forget however that this Clan become her family, so sometimes the love she feels for the group will make her overlook a lot of things that we would not accept now. The book ends sadly, so be sure to have the second book close to you to know what happens next.
    • 4/5
      This book took a bit to get started. It's obvious that the author did a lot of research and wanted to communicate as much of that as possible. It's a long book and some of the explanations became repetitive, but the plot kept me reading. I felt there were a few plot holes and facts that didn't seem to add up but in the end, I enjoyed it quite a bit. The story is original and the clan traditions were unique and interesting.
    • 5/5
      I read this book about 25 years ago and it stays with me today. The story was so well written that you felt like you were right there with Ayla experiencing her life with the Neanderthals. A truly fascinating prehistoric journey!
    • 4/5
      Whoa I remember when this book came out! Not enough printed and everyone wanted this book!. Was a good story
    • 4/5
      The ultimate girly book that has really stayed with me over the years. I loved her voice --- and still so amazed that this was written by a man.
    • 5/5
      Excellent book based on prehistoric fiction and the whole series is a Must read

    • 4/5
      Very intriguing book about a long extinct band of cave people who come across someone they have never seen before and from that point on their lives change forever. Author does a fantastic job of explaining the differences of these people and how they are a victim of their own ways.
    • 2/5
      This book has a poor writing style, I read the book and 5 of the other books in the series because they are on our bookshelf. I thought it might improve as the series went on, but I like the series less and less with each book. My wife keeps telling me to stop reading the series since I don't care for it, but I had kept hoping it would improve.
    • 3/5
      Ayla is just a young girl when the earthquake takes her family and leaves her alone in the great world. She wanders, looking for help, until she stumbles into the hunting ground of the cave lions. Only through great luck is she able to hide herself in a crack in the rock and escape. Weak, injured, and depressed, Ayla collapses. She is discovered by a group of the Cave Bear Clan, who are also looking for a new home after theirs was destroyed in the earthquake. The medicine woman, Iza, nurses her back to health and raises her as her own. Creb, Iza’s brother, the clan magician, also welcomes her to the Clan.The rest of the Clan members are not as accepting of Ayla. She is one of the Others, not of their people, and she shouldn’t be allowed to be a part of their Clan family. Over the years, Ayla’s actions alternately both entrench and alienate her from the Clan.This book covers the span of many years. The small Clan Ayla is now a part of goes through many changes, including births, deaths, and a partial acceptance of Ayla and her strange ways. Ayla’s birth of a strange looking son, one that is a mix of her people and the Clan, further divides the group as there are those who believe the baby should be killed for his deformity and those who share Ayla’s opinion that he looks as he does due to the mixing of herself with the Clan.Superstitions and spirit interactions guide the Clan through their everyday life. Through it all, most believe Ayla to bring luck to their group. There is one though, Bruid, who has never accepted her and in fact hates her for the perceived slights she has given him. Their conflict grows throughout the book, until the end when Bruid is made Clan leader and has the power to carry out his threats.I didn’t absolutely love this book (though I didn’t hate it either). It was well-written and had a steady pacing. There were some disturbing scenes, but they did contribute to the overall realistic feel of the book.
    • 3/5
      This is a well loved series so thought I would give it a go. This series starter was entertaining but I did find it predictable. I thought it pointed how the feminist bent of the book is so applicable today. Female hero making discoveries and teaching clan there is no particular virtue in doing things they way they have always been done. However, I did think some of the characters were right out of central casting and the progress of the story was somewhat predictable. Good if you like this sort of thing.