Clan of the Cave Bear series.....

[Kresselack]

I was just stating my observation about the characters in the book, they just seems to be better than modern ones and I do admit that primitive people are are not savages, no less than modern ones.

Saying that I would to change my reply that "I hope that the next book is more true to human society (wars n conflicts).C'mon don't you feel that the Cavemen in the book live lifes of more social and religious harmony than us advanced people!
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[Roxi]

Ahh, my first visit and I find a thread I can't resist posting in.
I've read the series 3 times now. Great books imo. Jean Auel did a fantastic job in creating this ice-age world. What research! So much dedication. I've an interest in writing too, and I don't know if I could accomplish half of what she did in the research field.

Anyway, from what I've heard, she had some difficulties in entering the areas where she needed to further her research for books 5 & 6, which is why there was such a delay. Someone may want to correct me on that if my information is wrong.

[Epona]

Kresselak, I think we'll have to agree to differ on that - I don't think of human history as one steady advance towards a state of perfection, so believe that while we have made advances in some areas, we have taken massive steps backwards in others. There is more evidence to support peace and harmony than war and conflict in pre-agricultural societies - for a start the conditions for war and conflict are largely shortages (whether natural through famine or unnatural through economic conditions) and it is over-reliance on agriculture which set up the conditions for shortages of food! Hunter-gatherers have no such problems unless there is natural catastrophy, or in modern times shortage of land as it is built up.

Roxi, I agree with you, Auel is a great researcher and puts many academics to shame with the sheer time and effort spent researching her books. Most of the settlement sites she uses are based firmly on good, well-researched archaeological evidence, all the tools, carvings, food etc. that she has her characters making and using are attested in the archaeological record for that period, and she has used both anthropology and experimental archaeology extensively. She is meticulous. I think part of the reason for the long delay is the huge amount of archaeological discoveries for this period of pre-history that have taken place over the last decade - I think she was fitting them all in somehow! (and lets face it, she has helped to renew interest in prehistoric archaeology!!)