# Jean M Auel's THE LAND OF PAINTED CAVES



## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

106 reviews at Amazon with a 2.5 star average 

After waiting 10 years for this final book, the consensus seems to be, "It coulda been better."

Anyone here finished with it yet? and what did you think of it?


----------



## Emily King (Jun 9, 2009)

I loved the first 3 or 4 in the series, but the one before The Land of Painted Caves (Shelters of Stone??) came out so long after I read them that I had a really hard time getting into it and never ended up reading it.  I probably won't even give the newest one a shot.


----------



## Lisa J. Yarde (Jul 15, 2010)

I hate to say this, but I don't think this is one I will finish.

Without spoiling anything, if you've read Shelters of Stone, this one feels somewhat similar - a rehash of certain events that took place in previous books. I've been a faithful reader of Auel up through the Plains of Passage (her Mammoth Hunters is my favorite), but there's a tendency towards repetition. Which is okay, except it shouldn't happen so often in a series. I love Ayla and Jondalar's story and have faithfully followed their mutual adventures. I don't need to be reminded of the time when he / she / they did X. It's almost as if the author doesn't trust readers to remember. Also, the opening chapters of this one did not grip me. An introduction of several people and their relationship to each other does not make for a thrilling opening. Even the lion hunt bored me a little.


----------



## zombee (Apr 2, 2011)

I also liked the first three okay but Shelters of Stone was underwhelming. I tried the first chapter of this one and wasn't engaging at all. It starts with what's supposed to be a dangerous, tense scene, but it's full of information dumps and the dialogue is really contrived.


----------



## LaRita (Oct 28, 2008)

I finished this last Saturday and was underwhelmed as well.  I was disappointed that the cultural differences between the Clan and the Others were not better addressed, and I thought what became the main point of the story was too contrived and melodramatic. All in all, I would have liked an entirely different focus.  Just my 2 cents.


----------



## yomamma (Feb 10, 2011)

Are we allowed to post/discuss spoilers here? I'm wondering if she ever wrapped up the Durc storyline and the dreams that Ayla was having of her two sons meeting. That is my main reason for wanting to read it right now.


----------



## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

Spoilers need spoiler tags like usual.. that's why I didn't post specifics in my original post.


----------



## Christine Kersey (Feb 13, 2011)

I bought The Land of Painted Caves last week. I haven't started it yet, but after reading some of your comments, I'll go into it with low expectations and then I won't be disappointed.


----------



## Mrs. K. (Dec 31, 2010)

I'll wait to get this one from the library. Sam Becket Never Made It Home, the Tribe lost the 1995 World Series, and I'm just not in the mood for anymore huge letdowns.


----------



## Tippy (Dec 8, 2008)

I was really excited about Auel's latest novel, Land of the Painted Caves.  In fact I went back and re-read every book to make sure I was fully up-to-date.  The Clan of the Cave Bear was published in May 1980, over thirty years ago.  Few series can stand that test of time and remain fresh.  Land of the Painted Caves was a rehash.  Ayla is superwoman, true love conquers all, oh and we must not forget Darwin.  All-in-all it was about what I expected.  I am glad I read it.  I don't need to re-read any of her books again.  Having said that, I remember how much I enjoyed this series back-in-the-day!  I will forever remember her with great fondness.


----------



## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

zombee said:


> I also liked the first three okay but Shelters of Stone was underwhelming. I tried the first chapter of this one and wasn't engaging at all. It starts with what's supposed to be a dangerous, tense scene, but it's full of information dumps and the dialogue is really contrived.


Pretty much that. I loved Clan but Shelter of Stone was a real disappointment and I'm afraid I won't bother with this one. I'd rather just keep my fondness for the early ones.


----------



## Shayne Parkinson (Mar 19, 2010)

Jean Auel was interviewed on Radio New Zealand recently. She's an interesting lady, and certainly does impressive amounts of research. I enjoyed the first book a lot, and the second book somewhat, but haven't been drawn to read further. I found I wasn't involved enough with the characters to want to follow their story any longer - not a criticism, just a "not for me".

I love the real life painted caves, though. I've been lucky enough to visit several in France. Not as many as Auel, I'm sure.


----------



## Dee_DeTarsio (Oct 26, 2010)

Wow--I can't believe Clan of The Cave Bear came out 30 years ago (ouch!). I loved the series and I'm looking forward to catching up and reading The Land of Painted Caves...I'm hoping it takes me right back (to the prehistoric times as well as to my younger self who was totally engrossed in the story).


----------



## slpierce (Mar 2, 2011)

I did read Land of Painted Caves, or should say started reading, then skimmed.  The title is exactly right.  It is a book about painted caves with a little Ayla thrown in.  I can't tell you how heartbroken I am with this book.  I thought, since it is the last, there would be some great conclusion.  That all the things that were hinted at in the earlier books would come to a head.  But nothing!  Don't waste your time.  Not even worth getting from the library.


----------



## PinkKindle (Sep 10, 2009)

I finished it yesterday -- and I didn't totally hate it. Yes, it's kind of boring for the first two thirds, especially the painted caves --


Spoiler



go into a long dark cave, there's a mammoth painted in black, then 2 bison, then some red dots, then a horse head, then some more dots, then we sing the Mother Song AGAIN -- repeat 50 times -- look I summed up about half the book!


. And yes, there's way too much repetition of things that happened in the past or even just things of their daily lives (I mean come on, it's the 6th book, I've picked up on how the whole "cooking over fire" thing works!). The third part does get more interesting than the first 2 parts at least, but it kind of seems like she wrote all the different sections separately and stuck them together and no one edited it at all to take out the repetition. However, despite all that -- and despite my biggest gripe that the story doesn't come to a satisfying conclusion and just sort of stops -- I still kind of liked it and I'm glad I read it. I can't really explain why I liked it. I guess I was glad to visit with these characters a little longer. If she puts out another one (yes, this is supposed to be the last, but it really didn't conclude) I'd read it. I probably would not re-read all the previous ones again to do so (she's going to repeat everything that happened anyway!), and I probably wouldn't just decide to read the series again, but I'm glad I read it and finished it. I definitely liked it better than _Plains of Passage_ -- I had to force myself through that one! If you could get through that, then you can get through this one!


----------



## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

Ok, I finished it this weekend. I totally agree on the WAYY too much repitition of the "Mother's Song". I skipped all of those pages completely. I liked most of the book, but I definately agree with PinkKindle that it ended much too abruptly. I kept trying to click next page because I thougth there was more. 
I think it was better than both "Plains of Passage" and "Shelters of Stone" and possibly "Mammoth Hunters". I really got tired of the whole Rance/Ayla/Jondalar triangle in that one.


----------



## Guest (Apr 12, 2011)

I finished it, but mainly because once I start a book series I want to finish. To be fair, it was better than some of the preceeding ones, but there were sections I skimmed because of the constant repetition of titles and the Mother's Song.  Although I finished it, it felt unfinished - not so much a cliffhanger as too many loose ends.

On the other hand, I've read worse, and I'm glad to have finished the series after all this time. I can't believe it's been thirty years.


----------



## Barbara M (Nov 21, 2008)

I was looking forward to reading this but deleted it from my k less than 50 pages in.

They were hunting and I felt like I was reading about a bunch of modern people deciding how to do something.  It's been a long time since I read the other books, but I seem to remember that she was able to make conversations sound less modern/sophisticated without condescending to the character. but this was like: Do you feel comfortable going to the left?  Why yes, that would free you to go to the right, and we would have them surrounded.  Yawn.


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I quite enjoyed the first three titles of the series.  The 4th was only o.k. and and the 5th was barely o.k.  Seemed to me like the same thing as the 4th but in a slightly more eastward location.  I had pretty much decided not to even bother with the 6th, and the comments here haven't made me change my mind.


----------



## mcblanchfield (Jan 4, 2010)

I'm about a 1/3 of the way into this, and everything everyone is saying is true, but I'm still enjoying the read.

But...I've got it on Kindle, and I don't have the map that is typically printed inside the cover of hardbacks.  
It is driving me crazy...guys like maps.

Does anyone know where I can find a copy of the map ?
I've done some internet searching, and can't find it.

Am I going to have to buy the hardback version to get it ?


----------



## Jon Olson (Dec 10, 2010)

Shayne Parkinson said:


> Jean Auel was interviewed on Radio New Zealand recently. She's an interesting lady, and certainly does impressive amounts of research. I enjoyed the first book a lot, and the second book somewhat, but haven't been drawn to read further. I found I wasn't involved enough with the characters to want to follow their story any longer - not a criticism, just a "not for me".
> 
> I love the real life painted caves, though. I've been lucky enough to visit several in France. Not as many as Auel, I'm sure.


I read two, and decided, finally, that they were just, sort of, glorified porn -- a cheap thrill. What was that about chancing upon an herbal contraception. Hogwash. The woman lead character -- I forget her name -- wouldn't have been out of place on the Upper West Side.


----------



## PinkKindle (Sep 10, 2009)

mcblanchfield said:


> But...I've got it on Kindle, and I don't have the map that is typically printed inside the cover of hardbacks.
> It is driving me crazy...guys like maps.


The map is in there.  You have to remember that where Kindle books start where you open them up isn't really the beginning -- in my opinion anyway. I like to see the cover and read the acknowledgments, etc. So, if you hit Menu then Go To and choose Cover you'll be at the very beginning. Then you can page forward -- the maps are actually right after the table of contents. It's small, but it's there! 

I've gotten in the habit with Kindle books of always going to the cover first thing and going from there -- otherwise you really do miss stuff! For example, there were a bunch of negative reviews on Amazon for the George R R Martin book bundle saying that there wasn't any TOC with links to each book. There absolutely was -- but you had to go back to the cover to get to it -- it was before what the Kindle deemed "the beginning."


----------



## Christine Kersey (Feb 13, 2011)

I finally finished The Land Of Painted Caves yesterday. Overall I liked the book, but it definitely didn't get interesting until about 500 pages in. I skipped over all of the Mother's Song and since I had reread all the previous books in preparation for this one, I didn't need all the rehash of old stuff. It's funny because it reminded me of when a television series comes to an end and they show bits and pieces from all the past seasons to remind you of the important parts. I think it was just  her way of saying good-bye to the series so I didn't begrudge her that. I thought it was a good wrap-up of the story and I felt satisfied at the end.


----------



## Jon Olson (Dec 10, 2010)

Mrs. K. said:


> I'll wait to get this one from the library. Sam Becket Never Made It Home, the Tribe lost the 1995 World Series, and I'm just not in the mood for anymore huge letdowns.


*Smile*

I'll say this: Clan of the Cave Bear was way too much Auel for me.


----------



## Asphodel (Jul 19, 2009)

A couple of months ago I re-read the first five books in anticipation of reading _The Land of Painted Caves_. I'm not sure why, but _The Plains of Passage_ was easier to get through this time, maybe because I have more patience now than I did when I first read it several years ago. 

Unfortunately, I opted not to buy _The Land of Painted Caves_ since the current price is above my desired Kindle book price threshold (not a value judgment, just my personal preference). I'll wait until the price drops, or maybe when library lending to the Kindle becomes a reality, I'll get it that way. (Has that happened yet?)

I read that there was a special first print edition that included access to see a virtual representation of Ayla that seemed interesting, but I didn't find out about that until it was too late.


----------



## mcblanchfield (Jan 4, 2010)

Well, I finished.
This last book can easily be characterized as a very unremarkable read.
I finished because I have a couple decades invested in this series...I had to see it to the end.
I may not have the 'memories' being born of the Clan, but you remind me a few times and yes, I remember. 
The repetition is unnecessary.  Almost painful.
Nothing of any significance happens in this last book.
 
Jean, thank you for one of the most powerful reads I have ever enjoyed.  The first one.
Each book gets progressively less interesting. Painted Caves completes the series with a thunderous low.

I have always thought Jean left great story untold.  (I wish I could pen a novel)
Hasn't anyone else ever wondered how Durc survived under the rule of Broud ?
I have ideas of several different story lines.
Does anyone have Ms Auel's email address so we can ask permission to expand the story of Durc ?


----------



## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

Oy, this is disheartening.  My mom LOVES these books and has devoured each one eagerly.  When I bought her the last one for Mother's Day, the look in her eyes was amazing.  She was so excited.  Now to hear that people are thoroughly disappointed, I wonder if I should have just bought her flowers and dinner!


----------



## Coral Moore (Nov 29, 2009)

mcblanchfield said:


> I have always thought Jean left great story untold. (I wish I could pen a novel)
> Hasn't anyone else ever wondered how Durc survived under the rule of Broud ?
> I have ideas of several different story lines.
> Does anyone have Ms Auel's email address so we can ask permission to expand the story of Durc ?


You know that *was* always something I wondered too! Seemed like so much got left in that first book that could have made some great reading. I read through _Plains of Passage_ but never made it any farther. I actually can't even recall if I finished that one now. The first book was great and each one after that less so. Guess I won't bother to read the end of the series now, considering how underwhelming it seems to be, but maybe I'll pick up the original and reread it one of these days.


----------



## mark1529 (Aug 26, 2011)

i finished very disappointed


----------



## BRONZEAGE (Jun 25, 2011)

The above opinions do seem to be representative. Not the best volume of the bunch.

How might that happen? Suspect she got burned out, churning out a series for a mainstream publisher. The research for this subject matter -- to do justice to only one such novel, to get it right and not just write crap -- can take ten years. Easily. That's a fact. Auel began slowly, doing the research. Then the contract demanded a series. That "grab and startle" blather took over in her stories. Never mind accuracy or original treatment of the subject. Put in a sex scene every 40 pages, she was told.

In the interim while novels are falling off the assembly line in the series, the archaeologists make more discoveries and their views change. This series became dated before it was completed.

Doing these novels _en masse _ to fit a commercial schedule is not really possible, not for a mortal. And this series was chained to only a few characters, which limits how much scope it can have for setting and action, not just the factual underpinning.

She did re-vitalize novels set in prehistory, Auel's work and the Gears' novels of north America, and deserves much credit for that.


----------

