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# 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.
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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:
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