nomadreader

Welcome to The Backlist Book Club discussion of The Clan of the Cave Bear  by Jean M. Auel. Need a refresher? Check out my review of The Clan of the Cave Bear . 1. Typically, I'm not turned off by unlikable characters, but in The Clan of the Cave Bear , I was. Broud was too unlikable and no one else was likable enough to compensate. Which characters did you find to be likable and unlikable? 2. Even though I didn't like the book, the setting captivated and fascinated me. Much of the novel seemed hyper-realistic, but at times the Clan's traditions veered into science fiction. Overall, did you find the novel believable? 3. I think one of the reasons I didn't connect with Ayla was her age. When the novel began, she was a child, and I struggled to identify with her frustrations. What did you think of Ayla as she aged? Did your impressions of her change? 4. What surprised you in this novel? 5. To whom would you recommend this title? I encourage you to subs...

The backstory: The Clan of the Cave Bear , the first in Jean M. Auel's Earth Children series, is the December pick for The Backlist Book Club . The basics: The Clan of the Cave Bear  is the story of Ayla, a young Cro-Magnan girl orphaned when the rest of her tribe dies in an earthquake. As she wanders in search of something, she encounters The Clan, who take her in even though she is so different from them. My thoughts: ( Note: this review contains some plot spoilers.)  The set-up of this novel is fascinating. As I began reading, this prehistory is so different from anything I've ever read, it almost seemed dystopian, particularly in the sense of world building. Auel had the challenging task of making her reader understand life then. At times, this education slowed the narrative, but in the early pages, I was riveted. As the novel moved on, however, I grew quite irritated with it. For one, the use of foreshadowing killed any narrative suspense or curiosity. Each...

Welcome back to The Backlist Book Club ! Yesterday we started discussing The Giant's House  by Elizabeth McCracken (there's still time to chime in !) Today comes the announcement of our December pick. When deciding what to pick for December, I wanted to go back into the 1980's. As I thumbed through my virtual stacks and TBR lists, the perfect pick hit me. It's a book I've been meaning to read for most of my life. If that sounds dramatic, indulge me for a moment. I have a vivid memory of one childhood visit to my grandmother's house where my father sat in the living room recliner and read this giant book All. Day. Long. I can't say what makes that literary memory stand out, but I've retained the sense that this book is one of those modern classics a grown up should have read. (I also don't recall if it was this one or another in the series.) Plus it's beloved by one of my favorite bloggers too:  it's one of Jackie of Farm Lane Books favori...