Review of _Land of Painted Caves_ by Auel

This is the most recent installment of the well known Clan of the Cave Bears series. I have listened to most of them on CD in my car. They are all quite lengthy works, and this new one is no exception. Ayla, Jondalar, and their child Jonayla and the animals are living with the Zelandonii, and Ayla is an acolyte to the First Zelandoni. Her training and the ramifications for their family are a focus of much of the book, which I found fascinating. The style of writing here is the same as the previous novels. I enjoyed seeing things from Jondalar's perspective occasionally, although Ayla is the primary focus. I liked the background and information about the people and environment of the time, but felt that it was sometimes a bit lengthy (as in the innumerable descriptions of caves). The book works okay as a stand-alone novel, but if you have no knowledge of characters and connections from the previous novels, you might be confused at times. Overall, the book was an interesting read. If you have a problem with graphic sex scenes, you need to watch out. There are only a few though. I find Auel's writing to be curiously suited to the prehistoric nature of her subject, with an almost halting speech style and naive feel to it. I enjoyed reading the book but was a little relieved to be finished with a nice resolution to many plot lines, simply because of the length of the novel. Those who liked her earlier works, even if disappointed in the last few, will probably greatly enjoy this one.

Thank you to Lorien Forrest for her review.