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From: perelgut@utai.UUCP (Stephen Perelgut)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers,ont.sf-lovers
Subject: "The Earth's Children Series: Mammoth Hunters", Jean M. Auel
Message-ID: <1153@utai.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 12-Jan-86 17:20:09 EST
Article-I.D.: utai.1153
Posted: Sun Jan 12 17:20:09 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 12-Jan-86 18:44:07 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: CSRI, University of Toronto
Lines: 63

The Mammoth Hunters
Jean M. Auel
Crown Publishers, 1985	(paperback)

This is the third (and so far last) book in the Earth's Children Series by
Jean M. Auel.  It deals with the lives of humans during the ice ages 30000
or so years ago.  In particular, it deals with Ayla, a homo sapiens who was
brought up by Neanderthals until she turned 15, then lived alone for 2 years,
and started this book by living with a tribe of homo sapiens from a large
group known as the Mamuti.

The book starts out great, and goes into the usual detail of the lives and
customs of the first humans.  Because of the writing style and imagery, you are
willing to accept almost anything Ms. Auel felt had to be added to advance the
plot.  Our heroine has discovered modern medicine (including stitches), Bic
lighters (sort of), spear throwers, and animal husbandry (including being the
first being to ride a horse).  In this book, she discovers sewing (needles with
eyes for threads), etc.

However, the last 400 or so pages (out of roughly 650) are shit.  Ms. Auel has
a talent for making a scene of tender, romantic lovemaking about as interesting
as eating raw liver.  The last 2/3 of the book deal with Ayla's true love for
Jondalar, how they love each other soooooo much that they can't see it (???),
how Ayla makes every man's blood boil, and how she lives with and loves another
man for a good 250-300 pages in spite of all that.  Even the other characters
in the book (who take a decidedly second-row seat to this crap and suffer as
a result) can see what's happening.  

The "other man" is black, beautiful, has a large cock (all the main characters
are well endowed), makes love like anything, is an artist, and has rythym.
He's also the only black in the book.  I would usually say SPOILER here, but
if you miss this on or about page 1 you shouldn't be allowed out in public
without a keeper or seeing-eye dog.  Ayla and Jondalar meet in a tender and
yet boring and meaningless scene with only 5 or so pages to go.  Some
cliffhanger romance.

The magic and beauty of the first two books is so completely subsumed in this
non-existent romantic triangle that everything stands out in sharp relief.
Where I forgave artifices meant to advance the plot in the first two books, 
they stand out and act further against the book and the plot.  The mysticism
that was kept only in the background for the other books becomes a major force
with the Mamut (medicine man) constantly saying Ayla has a destiny.  Even Ayla
worries about this.  As a reader, it makes me wonder why Ms. Auel had to 
include it after writing such excellent books without resorting to it in the
past.

I figure that Ms. Auel:
	a) hasn't made love in years
    or	b) had a major stroke after writing the first 1/3 of the book
    or	c) was given a subscription to Harlequin romances and it warped her 
	   mind.
    or	d) had the book ghostwritten by someone named Bambi.

On my scale of -4 to +4, this book rates a -1.  I'd have gone for -3 except 
for the first 1/3 and the occaisonal (but very infrequent) bursts of magic like
those that fill most of the first two books.  Don't rush to read this one,
wait for it in used paperback shops or borrow it if you're bedridden.

P.S.  The worst (or best?) thing about this book is that it is obvious we can
expect at least one other book and probably many more.  I don't think I'll be
sucked into paying hardcover prices again without seeing a review first.
-- 
Stephen Perelgut    Computer Systems Research Institute, University of Toronto