Clan of the Cabe Bear - Jean Auel

[Alastair]

She is best known for her Earth's Children books, a series of novels set in prehistoric Europe that explores interactions of Cro-Magnon people with Neanderthals. As of 2010 her books have sold more than 45 million copies worldwide in a series of 6 books completing the set.

Just found out that the first volume was made into a film and found it was available on YouTube...

Alastair

[Alastair]

Re: Clan of the Cabe Bear - Jean Auel

I might add that in the book the Neanderthals used mainly sign language. They had massive memories in that they could remember how they came out of the sea and then walked on land. However at this current stage of their development their brains had great difficulty in learning new knowledge and so any further development was not possible. The Mog Ur, the medicine man of the clan, was considered to be the most advanced of the clan and thus at the peak of their development. Men and Women had developed to have their own place in the clan and so women were prohibited from hunting as that was a man's role. Isa in the book was considered to be like Mog Ur, in that she was the medicine woman from a long line of medicine woman and thus had her own special status.

The book is actually a lot better than the film but if you had read the book first the film would have made more sense. Isa knew that Alya would not survive in the clan so she taught her about plants and medicine so she would be considered to be a medicine woman and thus have her own status which she thought would help to protect her. Mog Ur knew there was something special about her and as this was the only person of the "Others" he had met he learned that they were the future and that his race were the past.

Men ruled and women obeyed although there was some warm feeling between them but not always. Alya learned to hunt with a sling and became very good at it but she was discovered and thus was condemned to death. Broud the clan leader had some feelings for her so he made her death conditional in that if she survived a whole moon cycle she could rejoin the clan. By condeming her to death she wasn't actually put to death but the result was that the clan would not see her or respond to her as if she were dead.

Hope this gives you a wee bit of background to better understand the film.

Alastair

[Euan]

Re: Clan of the Cabe Bear - Jean Auel

Al, Sue has read The whole series a few years ago and really enjoyed them. Sue says the movie was ordinary at best, but I have neither read the books or saw the movie.

[sandyc]

Re: Clan of the Cabe Bear - Jean Auel

I remember buying that book 'on sale' and then giving up on it. We probably have it still somewhere between here and Canada~~

[FriedaKateM]

Re: Clan of the Cabe Bear - Jean Auel

HI, all...I saw the movie, & I think I might still have it. I enjoyed Ayla's acting, & the things she did to make herself stronger as a woman in this civilization. I also read the book, but the one Jean Auel book I liked the best is THE VALLEY OF HORSES. I still have this one.

Joan

[Alastair]

Re: Clan of the Cabe Bear - Jean Auel

That was my favourite one as well Joan.

Alastair