The Shelters of Stone, by Jean Auel

The Shelters of Stone is yet another of Jean Auel’s mighty tomes about our paleolithic ancestors–Book 4 in the series, and I will admit that I found all four books very engaging indeed.  The writing is not brilliant certainly, but competent enough, the stories are excellent, and there is a stunning richness of plant and animal lore, geography, and even geology. And the detailed descriptions of stone age technologies are simply fascinating. The author took the time to study how to knap a flint, make a fire, skin a beast–and her accounts are very convincing indeed. We discover–among other things– how to butcher a mammoth and preserve the meat, what plants to use for what medicinal effect, and how to prepare them. I noticed that one of the Nobel Prize winners for medicine this year won with her discovery of a novel treatment for malaria, an extract from the wormwood plant Artemisia. Plant lore! Wormwood is mentioned in one of the Auel books for its medicinal properties.

I was very glad to finish this one, as I had been reading the ACTUAL PHYSICAL book, which weighs about 15 pounds or so. My backpack is SO much lighter now! And why did I choose to read the physical book instead of listening to the light-as-a-feather iPod as I had for the previous 3? Because the reader suddenly decided to give Ayla a heavy brutish accent. While it is true that her outlandish accent is constantly harped on in the text, the reader (who is none too skillful in any case) had read her without an accent in all the hours and hours of the previous books, and this sudden change was unsettling. A little bit–garish.

Anyway, I just had to continue with our love birds, and all that prehistoric lore, so got the enormous book out of the library.
In this book, Ayla and Jondular are finally married, and she has a baby. LOTS of other stuff happens, but that is the gist of it. There is another book (Ayla becomes a priestess) but I think I can do without that one. These books achieve their mighty size from an AWFUL lot of repetition. You know, “Ayla recalled the time that <insert text from previous books>” . And some really REALLY awful poetry*. The song of the Earth Mother. In rhyme–a TEENSY BIT embarrassing.
And of course, the lurid sex scenes. MUCH easier to skip these in the paper book, and in any case, it did seem–after 10 thousand pages or so– that our Jean was content to just leave some of it to our imagination this time–didn’t have to describe EVERY thrust and groan, which was a blessing.

And so we bid adieu to the Ice Age.

*Example of  Verse I doubt was Chanted by Our Paleolithic Ancestors At Religious Ceremonies

To Woman and Man the Mother gave birth,
And then for their home, She gave them the Earth,
The water, the land and all Her creation.
To use them with care was their obligation.
It was their home to use. But not to abuse.

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It’s Prehistoric!

The Science of Discworld, by Terry Pratchett

This is a charming book discussing science from the viewpoint of Discworld–the wizards have made a little universe, and what do you know? In this universe, the WORLD IS ROUND–not a turtle in sight, let alone elephants! And, it ROTATES ABOUT THE SUN rather then the other way around! And other obviously unrealistic features. During the process of building the thing, all kinds of observations are made:

 “I mean, things fall down because they’re heavy, you see? The thing that causes them to fall down because they’re heavy is, in fact, the fact that they’re heavy. ‘Heavy’ means inclined to fall down. And, while you can call me Mr.Silly”– “Oh, I wouldn’t do that, sir” . . . “I somehow feel that a crust of rock floating around on a ball of red hot iron should not be thought of as ‘solid ground’ “.

Each part of the wizards’ experiment is followed by a chapter explaining the science, in clear and cheery language. Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen, two men who are not only eminent scientists but also fine writers provided these interludes. This book, though perhaps somewhat dated–science always moving forward!–presents a fascinating account of the origins of the universe, the earth, mankind–and speculations about the future. In the introductions, the authors state that “We have, we are afraid, mentioned in the ensuing pages Schrödinger’s cat, the Twins Paradox, and the bit about shining a torch ahead of a spaceship traveling at the speed of light. This because, under the rules of the Guild of Science Writers, they have to be included.”  And of course, there is mention of that excellent answer to the traditional question involving infinite regression, “if the world is supported on a turtle, what supports the turtle?” Answer: “It’s turtles all the way down“. This was supposedly said by a sharp little old lady in response to some eminent and sarcastic scientist, though to whom and when is not clear).

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Evolution Man: Or, How I Ate My Father, by Roy Lewis

Pratchett praised this book in The Science of Discworld, and I instantly purchased a copy.  I found it absolutely topping–elegantly written, and very witty to boot! Along the lines of Cosmicomix, but not nearly so precious. The cave family father (who speaks in the educated tones of a 19^th century upper class Englishman) is determined that they shall advance the species—develop larger brains, learn how to make fire without actually having to visit a volcano (he accidentally causes a huge forest fire during his research) and develop the skills of the cuisine (=fishing the meat out of the fire before it becomes a cinder). His uplifting message is often gainsaid by Uncle Vanya, who makes occasional visits to the cave, always lamenting the day they ever climbed down from the trees. And this notion of eating meat!! Nuts and berries were good enough for HIM! However, he enthusiastically joins in the feasts, begging his nephew to pass another auroch haunch. Silly wonderful book! Unfortunately out of print, but still, I shall be giving it to family and friends for birthdays and Christmas.

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Clan of the Cave Bear, by Jean Auel

I read The Clan of the Cave Bear long ago and dismissed it as Cosmo Cave Girl, which still fits actually–but rereading it I find again what I liked so many years ago–accurate and clear descriptions of flora and fauna. Lots of herb lore, combined with careful accounts of hunting–not only small rodents and deer, but even mammoths, woolly rhinoceroses, aurochs–and how our ancestors used every single bit of the animals they killed, the hides for shelters and clothes, the bones for implements, the intestines for storing the rendered fat, the stomach for carrying water–fascinating stuff, really. Even if not very well written. But the author often steps back to describe the overwhelming beauty of the scenery, the plains and tundras, the blooming meadows in the spring, the glacial streams and lakes and high desolate peaks. And, after all, she can write a good story, if not very elegantly. There are several more books in the series, and while there is a certain amount of dubious social history, and a certain amount of sex, there is an underlying structure of actual history, so far as it is (or was, though I don’t think the theories she espoused have been proven wrong) known. Indeed, there has been modern scientific proof, using DNA research, that the Neanderthals did indeed interbreed with our ancient ancestors. We are ALL part Neanderthal!

A (fairly crappy, alas) movie was made of the Clan of the Cave Bear, which I haven’t seen. Though the beauteous Daryl Hannah plays the heroine, and she might be fun to watch, swathed in her furs.

See also this review-written on my other blog. Can’t shut up about this book!

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