Category: Historical Fiction

Categories
1980s Historical Fiction

The Clan of the Cave Bear – Jean Auel

A few weeks ago I asked the Weekly Geeks to ask me some questions about The Clan of the Cave Bear, the response was amazing, so it has taken me a while to compile all the questions and come up with some answers. Here is everything you wanted to know about The Clan of the Cave Bear!

Gautami Tripathy What is it about and why do you like it so much?

The Clan of the Cave Bear is about a girl called Ayla. She is just five-years-old when she is orphaned by an earthquake and finds herself alone in the world. She is adopted by the Clan of the Cave Bear, a Neanderthal clan, who are very different from her physically modern Cro-Magnons family. The book sees her learning how to interact and bond with a culture completely alien to her, and gives us a great insight into what life was like for the Neanderthal people.

raidergirl3 Were you impressed by the history, or do you think Auel made Ayla a little too intelligent, inventing most everything that could be imagined?

I was very impressed with the research that went into the book. Historical detail was present throughout the book, giving you a real sense of the sights and sounds of their world. I have often read reviews from people who are annoyed by Ayla’s intelligence. So far she hasn’t invented an exceptional number of things, but I have heard that it starts to get too much in the third book, so I’ll let you know once I’ve finished that one!

Claire What makes this one of your favourite books?

The best thing about this book is the unique plot. It is so different from any other book I’ve read. The world of our ancestors is vividly described, and the problems they faced are very different from the ones we do today. Their survival was in the balance on a daily basis and so they clung to traditions to try to ward off evil and remain healthy.

I loved Ayla’s strong personality and the way she dealt with the problems thrown at her. If you are looking for a book with a strong female role model – this is it!

Gnoe After I read The Lord of the Rings trilogy in one flow when I had finished my studies I sort of had enough of fantasy. Anything you can say to change my mind?

I wouldn’t class The Clan of the Cave Bear as fantasy – it is much closer to historical fiction. I appreciate that we can never really know what happened so long ago, but this book gives a very convincing estimate. I have to admit that I’m not a big fan of Lord of the Rings, and this may be due to the fact that I didn’t really connect with any of the characters – they just didn’t seem realistic to me. All the characters in The Clan of the Cave Bear were believable, fully developed and interesting. Other than length there isn’t much similarity between the two books.

Gavin I read the first two years ago. Should I read them again?

I read The Clan of the Cave Bear about two years ago too! I’m not planning to re-read it anytime soon, but I probably will in 10 – 20 years time. Whether to re-read or not is a personal descision, but I think you should try book three soon. I’m planning to!

 Becky Do you have a favorite character (or two)?

Ayla is my favourite character. she is so strong and intelligent. I love the way she questions everything. I’d like to think I’d be like her if I was put in the same situations.

Becky How soon into the books did you know that you were going to love them? Is there anything off-putting about these books that you think might be difficult for readers?

I have to admit that I didn’t like them straight away. The book begins with long descriptions of the flora and fauna present in the world and while it is clearly meticulously researched it didn’t interest me that much. I think other people would find this off-putting too, but I urge them to keep going as by the time you are a few pages in you will discover the magic of the book.

Becky Who would you recommend them to?

I would recommend them to everyone. I think they will have a special appeal to teenagers and women of all ages, but I do think that men would enjoy the series too. Literary fiction fans may find them a bit light, but anyone who loves a plot driven novel should enjoy them.

J.T. Oldfield When I was in college I remember a prof saying that one of the characters was based on a real skeleton–a man with a limp? Anyone know what I’m talking about?

No idea! Sorry! Can anyone else help?

Jacqueline C. I wonder what the main character “sounds” like, since the story is set 35,000 years in the past.

The Clan of the Cave Bear do not really speak, but communicate through hand signals and tiny grunts. Ayla has the ability to speak, but doesn’t learn until she is older. When she does it sound quite modern, but that didn’t bother me.

Louise Raidergirl already mentions it in her comment above, where she calls the series “the prehistoric sex-books”. And yes, there is a lot of intercourse in the first book, and my question is, does this continue all though the series? If yes, do you think the sex is what has made this series famous?

I’ve only read the first two in the series, and yes the sex does continue into the second book. I can’t see it stopping in subsequent books, but please let me know if I’m wrong. I knew nothing about the sex when I picked it up. It was just recommended to me as a really good story. I think some of the sex is very important as it shows the difference in opinion between the two groups of people. They treat sex in very different ways and I found their differing attitudes thought-provoking. 

The Dark I remember being fascinated with all the details about how they lived, found food, and made medicine. Did you have a favorite detail like that? About how to survive in the stone age?

I loved all those details too. I like to think of myself as being quite in touch with nature and able to survive if I was left out in the wild by myself, but although I think I’d be able to find enough food and keep warm, I don’t think I’d be able to make the clothes and water carrying bags out of animal skin. I loved the detailed descriptions of how to make all these items.

pussreboots I can remember the boys in my 7th grade English class reading a tattered copy of the book and giggling. I’ve never been tempted to read it myself. What would you tell me in the review to convince me to read it?

The sex is only a minor aspect of the book. Boys giggle over all sorts of silly things, but this book has so much detail that when the sex scenes are read in the context of the book they are fascinating.

Dreamybee The Clan of the Cave Bear are very different from Ayla and her people-did you prefer hearing about one civilization more than the other?

I think I prefered learning about the Clan of the Cave Bear more. They are so different from our society so their superstitions and customs were all new to me.

Rebecca If you were a bookseller (as I am), how would you pitch these books to customers?

A fascinating book about life in the Stone Age. Meticulously researched, fast paced and cleverly plotted. One of the best books ever written!

WOW! That must break the record for my longest ever post!

Did you enjoy The Clan of the Cave Bear?

Is there anything else you’d like to know about it?

Categories
2009 Historical Fiction

The Lost Book of Salem – Katherine Howe

 

Note: This book is called The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane in America

I heard a real buzz about this book before it’s release. I saw a few people state it was their favourite book of the year, and they mentioned how much they were looking forward to publishing their review after it’s release date. I wanted to get in on the action, so it arrived through my letter box on it’s release date a few weeks ago.

I can see why people love it, but although I enjoyed reading it, it won’t make it on to my list of favourite reads in 2009.

The Lost Book of Salem is set during the Salem witch trials of the 17th century Massachusetts, and also in 1991, where Connie, a history graduate is studying the trials. Connie finds a parchment inscribed with the name Deliverance Dane in an old cottage that belonged to her grandmother, and begins to investigate the secrets hidden in the cottage and in her family history.

The book is packed with 17th century atmosphere, and there are some really good spooky scenes – I especially loved the discovery of the mandrake! The historical sections were well written and had obviously been meticulously researched.

Unfortunately not everything was amazing. I found the central modern character, Connie, very irritating. She is supposed to be a history graduate (22-years-old?) but she behaved more like a 14-year-old. She just seemed slow. I don’t think there was a single mystery in the book which she managed to solve before me, and some of them were so straight forward I don’t know why they were mentioned. Here is an example of one of the worst offenders:

Connie raised her head, thinking. What was a ‘witch-bottel’? Bottel. A phonetic spelling of ‘bottle’. A witch bottle.

Overall, it was a gripping read, full of interesting facts about the history of witches, but it didn’t quite live up to the hype.

 

stars3h 

Have you heard the hype about this book?

Did it make you want to rush out and buy it?

Is this your favourite book of the year?

Categories
2008 Booker Prize Historical Fiction

Sea of Poppies – Amitav Ghosh

Short Listed for the Booker Prize 2008

I had mixed feelings about this book. I loved the first section, set in an Indian poppy plantation. The descriptions of life as a poppy farmer fascinated me and the atmosphere was set perfectly. I would have loved the whole book to be about the lives of these rural Indians. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before the atmosphere of the book was changed by the arrival of the white traders. These arrogant men crashed through the gentle prose and ruined everything for me. I found their dialogue hard to understand, and when the story moved on board the trading ship bound for Mauritius I started to lose interest in the book. Life on board ship would be of interest to those who are studying it, but most of the seafaring terms went over my head.

As the book progressed, the plot slowed, and the writing became weighed down in too much detail. The Sea of Poppies is the first book in a trilogy, and I have heard that it is just setting the scene for the next book. If this is the case then I felt it spent too long doing this. The fact it is a trilogy also meant that the ending was a bit flat – left open to allow for the sequel. I don’t think I’ll be reading the next one unless a trusted source informs me that it is a lot better than this one.

Recommended to anyone with a thirst for knowledge about life on a trading ship in the 19th century, but I’m afraid it wasn’t for me.

stars3

 

Have you read Sea of Poppies?

Did you enjoy it? Are you planning to read the rest of the trilogy?

Have you read The Glass Palace or The Hungry Tide? Are they better than Sea of Poppies?

Categories
2009 Chunkster Historical Fiction

The Children’s Book – A. S. Byatt

I had a love-hate relationship with this book and have to admit that there were several points, especially in the middle, where I nearly gave up on it.

The Children’s Book is set in England in the last few years of the 19th Century and ends in during the first world war. The book follows a vast number of characters, mainly children, as they grow up in this often forgotten period of history.

The book is packed with detail about the news events of the period and the lifestyles they led, but it’s richness was also it’s downfall for me. The book was very long (the hardback I read was 600+ pages of tiny type) and the descriptions so detailed that it lacked momentum. I had to become immersed in the beautiful writing  of each paragraph and try to forget that I still had 400+ pages to go, and I didn’t really know where the story was going. It focused on the minute details of their lives, which although interesting, often failed to engage me and led to my mind wandering. I’m still not sure whether I made the right choice in finishing this book. It took a very long time to read, and although I now know a lot more about that period in history I do not feel I have gained much. It didn’t really entertain me, and the ending didn’t merit the build-up.

I’m sure that lots of people will love this book, but although I enjoy a bit of detail this went a bit far for my tastes. It is a beautifully crafted book though, and will probably win this year’s Booker prize. So if you fancy being transported back to the early part of the 20th century – give it a go.

stars3h

 

This is the first book written by A. S. Byatt that I have read, although I vaguely remember giving up Possession after just a few pages.

Do you enjoy reading books written by A. S. Byatt?

Which of her books is the best?

Categories
Historical Fiction Other Recommended books Weekly Geeks

Weekly Geeks: 2009-22, Catching Up On Reviews

This week’s task is to catch up on reviews for books you’ve completed, but not yet reviewed. I’m all up to date with my reviews, as I like to complete them before starting on the next book.

So I thought I’d use this week’s task as an oppurtunity to review one of my favourite books from my pre-blogging days:


Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel

The Clan of the Cave Bear is the start of Jean M Auel’s epic Earth’s Children series. The story takes place roughly 35,000 years ago, and  follows Ayla, a young cro-magnon girl adopted by a neanderthal clan after she is orphaned. 

I have also read the sequel: Plains of Passage

I haven’t read the rest of the series yet, as I didn’t want to start reviewing books mid-series in my early blogging days, but once I’ve reviewed these two books I will hopefully be able to start reading the rest of the series soon.

The idea of this week’s task is to get you to ask questions about these books, and the I will compile the answers to form a review.

So, what would you like to know about these books?
Have you read them?

Please ask any questions you can think of, and I will do my best to answer them.

Categories
2009 Chick Lit Historical Fiction

A Secret Alchemy – Emma Darwin

The Secret Alchemy is set in both present day and 15th century England. The interwoven stories are seen through the eyes of both Elizabeth Woodville, the beautiful widow of King Edward IV, and her brother Anthony; whilst the modern section is told by historian, Una, who is writing a book on Anthony Woodville’s library. Elizabeth Woodville is the mother of the famous ‘Princes in the Tower’, who were imprisoned in the Tower by their uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, after Edaward’s death.

I was impressed by the way each section came across differently, with all three characters having a recognisable voice, although I’m not sure how accurate the language of the historical section was. I’m not an expert, but it just reads differently from other books written about this period.

I didn’t think that the modern day section was really necessary. I felt the book could have benefited from concentrating on Elizabeth’s story, as I really enjoyed reading about her. Una’s character just seemed to be there to explain the history of the War of the Roses, which although I found useful, should have been able to be achieved within the historical section. I think that anyone who knows much about this period of history would feel patronised by the continual explanations of events, but luckily for me, my only knowledge of this period comes from reading Jean Plaidy books, and that was a while ago now! Towards the end the number of characters got a bit confusing for me, so I had to keep referring to the family tree provided in the front of the book, so I’m really pleased that was included.

This book is light and easy to read, but lacks the atmosphere of a great piece of historical fiction. I can see why this book would appeal to many people, but I felt that it meandered around a bit too much and so failed to really engage me. 

stars3

Emma Darwin’s first book The Mathematics of Love was short listed for the Commonwealth Writer’s Prize (Best First Book, Europe and South Asia) in 2007. It seems to have much more favourable reviews than this one. Has anyone read it?