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Science Fiction & Fantasy |
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Valley of Horses, The (Earth's Children®) (Earth's Children®)
written by Jean M. Auel
Studio : CD Unabridged
by CD Unabridged
Release Date : 2002-02-28
Publisher : CD Unabridged
Released : 2002-02-28
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Number of Items : 18
EAN : 9781590860885
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 191 reviews)
List Price : $49.95
Our Price : $32.64
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Product Description |
A timeless epic of the dawn of civilization.
In The Valley of Horses, Ayla, the unforgettable heroine of The Clan of the Cave Bear, sets out on her own odyssey of discovery away from the nurturing adoptive family and friends of the Clan. She is in search of others like herself and in search of love.
Sharing a hidden valley with a herd of steppe horses, Ayla finds a unique friendship with animals as vulnerable as herself and ingeniously discovers the complex skills needed to survive -- skills no Clan member was ever able to master. But none of her experiences prepares her for the emotional turmoil she feels when she rescues a young man -- the first of the Others she has seen -- from almost certain death.
Torn between her desire for human companionship and her fear of the unknown Others, she struggles against her deep attraction to the handsome Jondalar. It is Jondalar who teaches her the meaning of true friendship and love. |
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A pathetic prehistoric loincloth-ripper |
I couldn't even get halfway through this one because Ayla's character just becomes too ridiculous to believe. Clan of the Cave Bear was a decent book, but this sequel finds her inventing and discovering so many more things completely on her own that the plot loses all credibility. Between CotCB and the first half of this book, she:
Discovers the connection between sex and pregnancy
Invents the bra
Becomes the greatest hunter in the Clan and invents the double-stone throwing technique
Creates weavings, mats, and other wares that *of course* surpass everyone else's
Invents the hairbrush and the concept of braiding hair
Domesticates a wild horse, decides to ride it, then turns it into a draft animal after inventing the travois
Discovers how to make fire from pyrite and flint
And so on. All of this completely on her own. Plus, she's tall, blonde, and perfect with no character flaws. Or any broken bones or illnesses despite living alone for years (because she's a medicine woman, natch). I won't be reading any more of the series, but I wouldn't be surprised if Ayla winds up inventing the wheel, agriculture, aquaducts, and call waiting.
The part of the book I was not prepared for was the sex. I don't read romance novels, and I really didn't want to read a Pleistocene loincloth-ripper. I never did reach the part where Ayla meets Mr. Stud Muffin, but given the three-page description of how he brings a young girl to gasping ecstasy as he ravages her maidenhood, and the constant reminders of his throbbing manhood and chisled good looks, I knew immediately where the book was heading and I gave up in disgust. |
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Mystically fantastic |
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I loved this book about the same as the first. Some say that it was unrealistic, too sappy, and Ayla wasn't more like today's progressive woman. I say, that that is kind of the idea. Auel's books are not meant to be taken as factual. Much of her research is only to enrich the story - a made up story. The religions and social order of the people in her books can only be assumed. Why not make it mystical. I totally enjoyed reading this book. Though, I admit, the first half is slower than the rest, I was still captivated by the loneliness of Ayla, her inevitable ability to invent, her constant discovery of who she was. I couldn't wait for Jondalar to meet her and show her the deep kind of bond she could not have ever known with the clan. He showed her and taught her so much and she to him, that they became like a supercouple. More advanced than any human on earth. They conflicted due to differences in culture and ways of communicating that the tension between them was so unbearable I had to read read read nonstop until it was finally satisfyingly released. Anyone who has ever been through the bliss of new love will surely appreciate the bond and expressions of that love between Ayla and Jondalar. I cried out of happiness for both characters, particularly Ayla as she was lifted out of the recurring darkness her life had always been. Don't go in reading this book thinking you're going to learn all about how people were back then, go in for the story, and happen to learn a little along the way. Enjoy! |
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Little More than Cave Man Porn |
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I was given Clan of the Cave Bear and found it to be a compelling,interesting book. So, I followed up with Valley of the Horses.I can't make it past the first 100 some pages. It is a soap opera type romp through the sex lives of early man. Maybe the people had very little else to do. The diaglog is silly and contrived. I am donating mine to Good Will. |
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Great escape from modern life |
This is the Sequel from the Clan of the Cave Bear. It takes place in the Paleolithic age. Neanderthals and Cro Magnons share the earth, although not always willingly. Ayla, a young Cro Magnon woman, Has been cast out by the Neanderthal clan who had raised her. She is on a journey to find her own kind. Her travels are scary and lonely. The Author put so much reference material in the story, you can imagine Ayla searching for edible plants and hunting small game animals.
On another part of the continent, 2 young Cro Magnon Men are on a journey of their own. They meet many people along the way and learn many languages while having great adventures.
A chance meeting brings Ayla to encounter the 2 men in a tragic event that changes all of their lives.
I loved reading this book. I could relate to Ayla's feelings of loneliness. I appreciated her struggle to survive. I understood her love of animals and her insecurities about herself. This book was a great escape from the problems of modern life. I enjoyed reading about the daily struggles of a people who can appreciate a planet that has so many resources to offer. I would recommend this book to anyone. |
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Waste of time |
Auel used all her talent in her first novel, "The Clan of the Cave Bear". This book, and the others after it, follow the same formula. Mary Sue character meets Gary Stu. Mary Sue is gorgeous, intelligent, gorgeous, resourceful, gorgeous, tough, gorgeous, courageous, gorgeous, kind, gorgeous, loving, and gorgeous. Gary Stu, equally gorgeous, is also very well hung, as the book reminds us constantly.
The books go even further into fantasyland as the series progresses, with Ayla Mary Sue given more and more amazing qualities, so that she achieves near-superhuman status, while Gary Stu Jondalar is, as we all know, very well hung. |
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