Journal Entry 1 by Leukonoe from Berlin, Berlin Germany on Tuesday, April 27, 2004

Couldn't wait, so I bought this to fulfil my wish :-) Now, somewhere in the first half of the book, I am a bit disappointed. Having read all of the Ayla books that came before, I am completely annoyed by being told once again what happened in all of them. And then the sex scenes... I mean, they are nice, but they are so expectable... everytime I think : "O.k., we haven't had sex now for about 40 pages..." - and bang, they are starting off! And they're always doing the same things... very boring. 

Journal Entry 2 by Leukonoe from Berlin, Berlin Germany on Tuesday, November 16, 2004

While finishing the last chapters, I want to start organizing this book's future as a bookray.

Order (subject to change for postage/energy economy):
- GRAN-DUCATO, Santiago, CHL
- RonOren, Amsterdam, NLD
- Pequete, Bragança, PRT
- Elsita, Setúbal, PRT
- Luintaurien, Nebraska, USA (anywhere)
- cisco, California, USA (anywhere, USA preferred) <-- it's here!
- you?

Rules:
- As soon as you get the book, make a journal entry so we all know you got it
- This is a slow-food bookray - take your time reading - some participants may be waiting till they have read the previous volumes :) we can always change the list if necessary
- Read it, ask the next person on the list for his/her address via PM when you're about to finish
- When you're done, send the book along and make a journal entry so we all know it has left you
- In case of problems (people not replying to PMs etc.): PM me so we can change the list 

Journal Entry 3 by Leukonoe from Berlin, Berlin Germany on Monday, November 22, 2004

I liked this book least of all the five volumes published so far, since besides the repetitions of the former volumes' content (which I understand are important for those who haven't read them), Auel also repeats too much stuff which has already been mentioned earlier in this volume. I also didn't like the fact that Ayla and Jondalar's characters became sort of flat and smooth - they almost resemble perfect prehistoric Barbie dolls.

Although I still find that from the point of material culture and probably spiritual culture, too, the book is well-researched and thought-inspiring, the Homo sapiens sapiens people's social life seems more and more too modern to me; they almost reflect the western and maybe even US ideal image. Things we regard as old-fashioned, such as marriage for teenagers, marriage against a woman's will, sex without pleasure for the woman, domination of one gender etc. pp. are always projected into the Homo sapiens neanderthalensis, and the Others are so boring and unexotic. Why not keep with L. P. Hartley: "The Past is a foreign country: they do things differently there."?

Nevertheless, nice to read for the sake of completeness!

Off to Chile tomorrow as media mail! 

Journal Entry 4 by GRAN-DUCATO from Santiago, Región Metropolitana Chile on Tuesday, February 15, 2005

well I thought it would be more interesting than the others one, but I agree with others who read it and said is the more of the same. I think the author run out o ideas and she couldn´t add anything really fun or interesting in this new book. Also she lets the idea of a new book to finish Ayla´s story, and I´m not sure that is going to be the right decision. I posted it today and is travellig to Netherland, so i hope you enjoy the book Ron!!!!!!! 

Journal Entry 5 by RonOren from Cambridge, Cambridgeshire United Kingdom on Thursday, March 03, 2005

Wow, that went a lot quicker than expected ;-). It arrived today, after our neighbour was so nice as to drop it off at the right place (don't worry Gran-Ducato, you had the address right and legible. It seems the mailman has issue, possible connected to unexpected, and hardly precedented, snowfall).

Anyway, it's here, it's safe and it's going to the right of my TBR-shelf (which means I'll read it soon). I'm really looking forward to it, despite all the bad reviews I've had. Hmm, I guess I'll tell you more in a few weeks.

Thanks for sending it, Gran-Ducato (and many thanks for the cards! Chile does look wonderful. Maybe I should put it on my list of places I want to go. Sometime...). And thanks for sharing, and adding me, Leukonoe! 

Journal Entry 6 by RonOren from Cambridge, Cambridgeshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, March 22, 2005

Despite all the discouraging reviews I read about this book, I quite liked it. I do agree that there's a lot of repeating, but I think that's unavoidable. In fact, I felt there was less repeating from earlier volumes than in the first four books...

I don't agree that the characters of Ayla and Jondalar turned too tgwo-dimensional, although I would say that Jondalar's complete about-face with respect to Ayla's background is somewhat unbelievable. True, Ayla is depicted pretty much as a superwoman, who knows innumerable stuff about medicine and whatnot or who won't back down when she's embarassed. But that's hardly new in this volume; she's been that way for a while already.

I think I liked the fact that the story is finally finished (or rather, that the story should be finished. I feel the open ending is forced) and we finally know the people and customs that Jondalar has been talking about. It could've been done in less pages, maybe, but it was worth the read.

I guess I'm less critical than some of the earlier readers ;-). I doubt I'll try hard to read yet another book of the Children of the Earth, but I did enjoy this one. Thanks for adding me in, Leukonoe! 

Journal Entry 7 by RonOren from Cambridge, Cambridgeshire United Kingdom on Friday, March 25, 2005

Sent off to Pequete on Wednesday. If I understood it correctly, she'll try to fiund someone to read it while she's slugging off the earlier volumes. Hope you'll find anyone interested and that you'll like it. Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 8 by Pequete from Bragança, Bragança Portugal on Thursday, April 07, 2005

Just got it! Thanks RonOren. Well, I'm already halfway through the Plains of Passage, so I guess I won't try to find more readers after all - these books are real page turners... 

Journal Entry 9 by Pequete from Bragança, Bragança Portugal on Sunday, May 08, 2005

Finished yesterday night. This was maybe the volume I liked least of the whole series, but just because the novelty is gone and – as Leukonoe points out – it repeats too much of what has already been said. Even so, it was a nice read and left me wanting to spend some holidays in south France looking for the Ninth Cave and all the other places where the story takes place.
It will now go to PreciousArwen. 

Journal Entry 10 by Pequete from Bragança, Bragança Portugal on Monday, May 23, 2005

Mailed today to Elsita, to give PreciousArwen some time to go through her TBRs. 

Journal Entry 11 by Elsita from Worthing, West Sussex United Kingdom on Wednesday, May 25, 2005

It´s with me now!
Thanks, Pequete and Leukonoe! :)) 

Journal Entry 12 by Elsita from Worthing, West Sussex United Kingdom on Saturday, June 18, 2005

Truly a slow-food book...
I can't say I didn't enjoy reading this one, but some of the descriptions are too repetite...

Going to PreciousArwen, asap!
_______________________
03 July 2005

OK...PreciousArwen said that her TBR is monstrous and asked me to pass her along...
So, it's going to cheli-garza, as soon as I got his/her adress. 

Journal Entry 13 by Luintaurien from York, Nebraska USA on Thursday, July 21, 2005

Got it today. Thank you. Will read and send on ASAP. 

Journal Entry 14 by Luintaurien from York, Nebraska USA on Monday, September 26, 2005

Not able to get into this at this time so sending it on. Sorry for the length of time I had it. 

Journal Entry 15 by Luintaurien at -- By Hand or Post, Ray/Ring, Rabck in York, Nebraska USA on Friday, September 30, 2005

Released 6 yrs ago (9/30/2005 UTC) at -- By Hand or Post, Ray/Ring, Rabck in York, Nebraska USA

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

 

Journal Entry 16 by cisco from El Granada, California USA on Sunday, October 09, 2005

Received this one and will read it soon. I'm halfway through the latest Harry Potter (and liking it very much). 

Journal Entry 17 by cisco from El Granada, California USA on Saturday, December 17, 2005

I agree with RonOren. I enjoyed the book. The unavoidable repetition was actually helpful, since it is many years since I read the earlier volumes. I would have liked more character development (e.g. Marthona, Zelandoni, Dalanar, Joharran, Folara). Most of the conflicts were too transaparently the same as the issues we have in our modern society, though. I very much enjoy Auel's description of daily life and its challenges.

Waiting for the next-in-line's address to send this book on its way. Thanks for sharing it, Leukonoe!