2024-07-19 - Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel ================================================== Chrono Trigger was my favorite game on the SuperNES, and Ayla was my favorite character. When i learned that Ayla was named after and based on the protagonist in Clan of the Cave Bear, it added it to my to-read list. Recently someone else recommended the book to me, and i bumped it higher on the list. As a child i avoided Clan of the Cave Bear because it seemed too popular. I sought out books that were more obscure or somehow interesting. My loss! Reading this book now, i thoroughly enjoyed it. I liked the natural outdoor setting in the unspoiled prehistory of continental Europe. I liked the strong shamanic element woven into the entire story. I loved how Ayla approached major life problems as tests from her totem (patron spirit), tests of her worthiness; the greater the challenge, the greater the reward. Ayla is a cro-magnon child who loses her family to a natural disaster, and is then adopted by a neanderthal tribe. Ironic that Ayla was the blond haired, blue eyed character while the neanderthals were brown eyed and darker. Current models reverse this dynamic. To be fair, the book was published in 1980 with less complete knowledge about neanderthals. The neanderthals in this book communicated primarily via sign language. In 1980, it was supposed that neanderthals could not make nor hear the same range of sounds as cro-magnons. In this book, sign language permits more nuanced and rich communication, and it is woven into ritual like a dance form. I look forward to reading more books in this series! See also: author: Auel, Jean M. detail: LOC: PS3551.U36 C57 tags: book,fiction,outdoor title: Clan of the Cave Bear Tags ==== book fiction outdoor