My thoughts and feelings about the Earth’s Children Series by Jean Auel

Buckle up, this is a lengthy post. I guess I had a lot to say about these books.

Also, major spoilers if you haven't read this series yet!

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So, I just finished reading the six volumes of the Earth's Children Series by Jean Auel and I'm conflicted. I want to say I'm disappointed in how the series ended, because I am, but despite the harsh criticism that I intend to deliver in this post, I must also acknowledge that I was captivated by the story of Ayla and her journey through Ice-Age Europe.

I honestly can't remember the last time I felt such an overwhelming need to finish a book as when I was reading The Clan of the Cave Bear. I devoured that book. And also the next three books in the series, more or less (though there were times when my desire to finish one of them stemmed more from frustration than fascination e.g. The Valley of Horses and The Mammoth Hunters). I say this because although I have many critiques of the series, the feeling of loss and disappointment that I am left with after finishing it wouldn't cut so deep if I hadn't been so enamored with the story to begin with. In other words, it wouldn't hurt so bad if I didn't care.

My biggest disappointment about the series is that the last two books failed to expand upon the storyline that I felt was the most interesting: Inter-species Relations (i.e. the relationship between "The Clan" and "The Others"). After finishing Book 4, The Plains of Passage, I imagined that the story might continue something like this:

Book 5 begins a few years in the future. Jondalar and Ayla have mated, settled into life with the Zelandonii and pumped out a couple of kids. Meanwhile, tensions between the Zelandonii and neighboring caves of the Clan have continued to flare (as foreshadowed in the Plains of Passage when Charoli's band attacks Gruban and Yorgya).

Ayla is, of course, singularly equipped to bridge the gap between the two factions. With her help, the Zelandonii are able to not only ease tensions with the Clan, but demonstrate sentiments of goodwill towards them, eventually allowing trade relations to be established and safe passage for The Others through the Clan territory that spans the land north of the glacier.

This then opens up easier access to the Great Mother River and the lands to the East for the Zelandonii, effectively reconnecting them with the Losadunai, the S'Armunai, the Sharamudoi, et. al. And of course, since Ayla and Jondalar had previously Journeyed through that region and were almost universally loved by all the peoples they met along the way, they are at the forefront of all of these developments, spearheading trade and other relational ties.

Their travel back to the far East eventually leads them all the way to the territories of Ayla's original Clan where her story is able to conclude appropriately with a reunion with her son Durc, closure between her and the Clan who raised her, and perhaps also an answer regarding the mystery of her lost family and home.

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Instead, what we got in books 5 and 6 was something entirely different. The last two books of the series largely revolved around Ayla's development into a Zelandoni which seemed to serve primarily as a plot device to take the reader on an extensive tour of the prehistoric sites of southern France. Auel obviously researched the sacred caves and living sites of that area extensively and it seemed to me that she utilized the final books of her series to present that research. Kudos to her for sharing so much about those incredible sites where our ancient ancestors once lived in this fictional saga.

Unfortunately, however, that presentation came at the expense of many of the major plot lines of the series that were all but abandoned. (Having now learned more about Jean Auel and how old she was when she concluded the series, it seems that she may have just run out of time to complete it as she might have wanted. Wikipedia mentions a supposed 7th book that was officially scrapped upon release of book 6.)

I noticed early on through book 5, The Shelters of Stone, that the focus was very "location-centric" and that descriptions of the many Caves of the Zelandonii and the surrounding areas featured heavily throughout the narrative, and I began to get the idea that that was all we were really going to get – a book that served to present her research.

So when I began reading book 6, The Land of Painted Caves, I was fully prepared for what was coming. (Fool me once, shame on you.) It's right there in the title! And sure enough, what I found in book 6 was endless Donier Tours of Painted Caves!

Don't get me wrong, I did appreciate all of the information provided about the prehistoric sites in books 5 and 6 – it was very interesting! But little else went on in the last two books to further develop the characters, much less drive the story forward. (The same could be said of The Plains of Passage and its exhaustive descriptions of the lands, climates, flora and fauna along their route, until Jondalar was kidnapped by the Wolf Women.)

Book 6 being divided into three parts gave me some hope that interesting developments could occur in the latter parts. Then, sure enough, part 2 did jump four years into the future – oooh! Then immediately, the First Among Those Who Serve the Mother decided it was time for another, longer Donier Tour to the Painted Caves of the Southern Region – D'oh! (Fool me twice, shame on me.)

The final part of the final book then sought to, finally, wrap up the actual story but left much to be desired. The ending definitely felt rushed. Would Ayla become the First? Did she make the wrong decision to leave the Mamutoi with Jondalar since she never received a sign from her Totem to signify that it was the right decision? And there was so much talk about Brukeval and his love/hate relationship with Ayla (not to mention his threat to kill Jondalar back in book 5) that I was expecting him to somehow play into the ending.

e.g. Jondalar has to rush back to save Ayla after she has taken the sacred Clan root and is lost in the void, but he has run off far away. While he is alone and unarmed, Brukeval and Madroman attack him. Luckily, Danug and Wolf are able to rescue him so he can then go to rescue Ayla.

But instead Brukeval just runs away and is never seen again. Madroman also leaves the Summer Meeting with a stare full of malice for Ayla and disappears.

Then the whole series randomly ends with Ayla and Jondalar riding off on their horses – without their daughter – and reflecting on their happiness of finally being back together despite everything about their temporary separation being asinine to begin with. (I have a lot more to say about Ayla and Jondalar's relationship in the "Things I didn't like" section below.)

So, yes, I was definitely disappointed in how the series ended and wish it could have been different but there's nothing that can be done about it now so, oh well I guess? Wikipedia also mentions an animated series that began production in 2025, maybe that will be better? I imagined several times while reading the series that it could be adapted into a really entertaining TV series. I think people would love it. I wonder if anyone has ever approached Auel about developing it?

Things I liked:

• What drew me in and kept me reading through all six books was Ayla, of course. Her story of personal growth and the many struggles she had to overcome was very compelling. She is such an extraordinary character in so many ways, and through the first three books Auel keeps upping the ante until finally Ayla is hinted to have spiritual or supernatural powers on top of it all. (This is part of the problem I have with Jondalar's character as I will explain more in "Things I didn't like." Ayla is extraordinary on every level, while Jondalar is really only physically extraordinary. The gulf between the two characters becomes so vast it's almost comical. He offers so little in comparison to the innumerable unique qualities of Ayla that their relationship and supposed "greatest love of all" romance is diminished and less believable in my eyes.)
• I also enjoyed Auel's vision of ice-age societal structure, with it's worship of the Great Earth Mother and the respect and recognition it afforded women and their live-giving gift. Such a matriarchal, matrilineal, society felt very utopian in a good way. And when reading about it and comparing it with modern society, I often wished that we could shift back towards that system of beliefs. Not to mention, communal living where all people work together to provide for everyone, and an equitable distribution of wealth and resources. As well, I appreciated how their close-knit communities better held everyone to account – men were held to a high standard of honor and consideration, with the expectation that they always work to provide for their mates and their mates' children.
• Similarly, I appreciated how sexually enlightened the society of Auel's story was. The sexual freedom (with a strong emphasis on consent) that everyone except Ayla and Jondalar seemed to enjoy in the story may not be very realistic in today's society but I do think it would be beneficial. Just the idea of sex as a Gift of Pleasure from the Divine Mother would be revolutionary. Sex in today's society feels like it has become so cheapened through commercial exploitation that it has lost much of its importance. To believe rather, that sex is a sacred gift is, to me, a very attractive idea. I even felt the concepts of First Rites and Donii-women would be beneficial to us in today's society. Who among us really had a deep and meaningful first sexual experience? A formal, if not ceremonial, first time with someone more experienced and with proper oversight would certainly be better than most of us had. Additionally, women in the story also seemed to enjoy greater bodily-autonomy and reproductive rights than in many places in the world today (sadly).
• I did also enjoy the many immersive descriptions of ice-age daily life, how they cooked and cleaned, constructed their dwellings, made and used tools and the many uses they had for animal parts and products. All of the exhaustive information Auel provided about the various terrains, climates, flora and fauna, as well as medicinal and edible plants was also really informative and interesting. I definitely learned a lot by reading this series.
• Lastly, I especially liked the aspect of how Ayla's high character forced "The Others" to rethink their prejudices of "Flatheads." Her mere existence disputed their notion that Flatheads were animals. If they were, then how could they have raised Ayla (and raised her so well)? Her skills and abilities challenged The Others' belief of their own superiority. While her many exceptional human qualities proved that Flatheads were not only equal to The Others, but in some ways better than their own society i.e. her kindness, compassion, magnanimity, and acceptance of those who were different or disabled.

Things I didn't like:

• Jondalar couldn't hold a candle to Ayla: That's understandable to a degree, Ayla is the heroine of the story and is therefore extraordinary. But that is also all the more reason one would expect her male counterpart to be at least worthy of her. But upon analysis of his character, it is demonstrated that Jondalar had little to offer beyond his physical attributes. Essentially he was a tall, blue-eyed, blonde-haired fuckboy with a massive penis. With his two greatest skills being flint-knapping and making girls cum. Of course I didn't expect Jondalar to be Ayla's equal – it's her story and her character is very compelling. But for him to, time and time again, be reduced to a jealous, pathetic, whiny, self-pitying, man-child just felt incongruent. Yes he loved Ayla deeply, but that was a given – the whole point of his character was to love Ayla. Beyond his exceptional physique and his love for Ayla, his character seemed bereft of intellectual and emotional depth. Him being prone to fits of uncontrollable rage also did him no favors, and the excuse that it was because "he loves too much, and feels too much" fell flat.
• Repeatedly dragging the reader through never-ending "will they, won't they" romance nonsense: I've never read romance novels, is this the norm? After The Clan of the Cave Bear, I was not expecting the series to turn into a kind of romance saga. So really, I was unprepared for any of the "will they, won't they" plots that repeated throughout the series and suffered accordingly. I remember a couple of times while reading books 2 and 3 I became so disturbed by the endless ineptitude of the two characters to see that they loved each other, that I was literally losing sleep. Which is why I wanted to finish reading those books as fast as possible – because it pissed me off so much. I suppose some amount of that is forgivable to generate drama within the narrative but it went so beyond the extreme it became ridiculous. Because once Ayla and Jondalar finally came together in The Valley of Horses, they shared a love so sweet, so pure and so strong they were painted as the greatest lovers ever – soul mates who were fated to find each other; yin and yang, the inseparable halves of a single entity! And they were that, right up until they come into contact with other human beings…
• That their "unfathomable love" was so easily made into a mockery in The Mammoth Hunters forever tainted that love in my eyes. And Auel took it to such an extreme: Ayla gets lost in the void with Mamut after consuming the sacred Clan root. Only the intensity of Jondalar's love and need for Ayla is able to bring them back! Surely that moment would bring them back together and push Ranec out of the picture, right? Nope! Then Ayla and Jondalar finally go out riding together on Whinney and he very quickly gets rock hard being so close to her. Then, yes, they passionately make love with the intensity and urgency one would expect after their prolonged, though self-inflicted, separation! Surely that moment would bring them back together, right? Nope! Jondalar inexplicably thinks he forced himself on Ayla. The dialogue that follows is absurd, it basically goes: "Oh no, you're hurt!" "No, you didn't hurt me." "Oh no, I forced you!" "No, you didn't force me." "Woe is me, you will never want me because I am so despicable because I forced you!" "No, you didn't. I wanted you too, and my pussy will always be wet for you." And then they part and the same shit continues on until the very end of the book when suddenly Ayla realizes she can still choose Jondalar and ditches Ranec to be with him. Surprise, surprise! (See my complaint about predictability below.)
• Once Ayla and Jondalar finally reunite in the end of The Mammoth Hunters, the book wraps up faster than the last season of Game of Thrones. Bye everybody, we're leaving now! All that stuff about becoming a Mamutoi, and being a daughter of the Mammoth hearth, and bride prices, and all the delegations from different Camps, not to mention Ayla mating Ranec – gone. Nevermind! Bye! And the book ends.
• Later, the "will they, won't they" drama returns to close out the series in book 6: But this time it's not only hard to fathom, it's derivative and uninspired. Ayla's decision to get drunk and hook up with the most despicable character, Laramar, for petty revenge was extremely out of character. Which brings me to my next point…
• Inconsistencies of character: Ayla is shown to have almost supernatural sensory perception and ability to "read people" yet whenever there is a problem between her and Jondalar she can never understand him or "sense" that he loves her desperately. The same cannot be said for Jondalar, he is just an idiot who doesn't understand women at all – in the author's own words he never had to because he was always god's gift to women and they always flocked to him.
• The ignorance of The Others regarding how babies are made: This was hard for me to accept. Sure, this knowledge had to be acquired at some point in history. It just seemed unbelievable that such a developed society – one that was entirely dependent on the natural world for its survival and would therefore be very deeply connected to nature – wouldn't be able to connect those dots. Nobody ever saw a fish fertilizing eggs in a river? Really? Unfortunately, this ignorance became the central premise of the whole story. Everyone was stuck in the dogma that the Great Earth Mother alone mixed the spirits of men and women to make women pregnant, and only Ayla was observant enough to see the truth, and this became her ultimate spiritual realization that was revealed to her only through extreme sacrifice.
• At multiple points throughout the series I was also frustrated by predictability, here are some examples that I recall: 1. Baby will attack Jondalar, then Ayla will rescue him and treat his wounds. (This was obvious to me the minute that she adopted the lion cub.) 2. Baby will unexpectedly come back and jump down onto the ledge of the cave from above and scare Jondalar before Ayla intervenes. (I also had this thought as soon as Auel first described Baby's tendency to jump down onto the ledge outside Ayla's cave.) 3. Ayla will take the hallucinogenic root again and only Jondalar's love will be able to bring her back again. (I figured something like this would occur again when Ayla found the sacred root near the Sharamudoi settlement.) 4. Ayla and Jondalar will always end up back together. (Yep, all of that doubt and intrigue was just manufactured drama.)
• Repetition: Having so much backstory rehashed over and over again in each successive volume of the series was also difficult to get through at times.
• So much left unresolved: I guess I covered this well enough in the first section. I've been writing this post for three days already now. Who is even reading this now, I don't know?

Final thoughts: Despite my numerous gripes regarding the series, I certainly don't regret reading it. The ending was a disappointment, but it's easier to understand why it turned out the way it did when viewed through the lens that Auel's research was her primary focus (which is solely my interpretation based on what I know). In the end, I learned a lot about the time and places in which the story took place and something about myself as well. And I will not soon forget the story of Ayla and her amazing journey through life in prehistoric Europe. Thank you for reading.