Friday, finally
Jun. 8th, 2018 10:57 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lunabee341. I am really sad about Anthony Bourdain. I have always enjoyed his TV persona, and I think the world will be a little less rich without him.
2. So, guess what I just hit on the Re-Read My Own Shelves project? That's right--Earth's Children by Jean M. Auel. I have such nostalgia for this series. I started reading it as a pre-teen and then had to wait like 14 years for Shelters of Stone to come out. LOL Ayla is a running joke on FFA for good reason. She invents whistling! And Oil of Olay! And needles! And surgical stitches! Jondalar is so sad; he can't fall in love because his dick is too big and ladies are first scared of his enormous manhood and then they get addicted and clingy. But Ayla's vagina is the only one cavernous enough in the Paleolithic to accommodate him. That's how he knows they're meant to be! As much as these books are ridiculous in multiple aspects, they are fun reads even if they don't live up to my memory of how awesome they were when I was 11.
The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I think I first read this when I was 11 and in the 6th grade. My best friend brought a copy from her house, and we made a book cover out of construction paper so the teachers wouldn't know what we were reading. LOL
I loved this series when I was a kid/teen. Unfortunately, I don't think it holds up to my memories. The characters are compelling, the plot is interesting, and all the information about how ancient peoples lived (hunting, making clothes, foraging for food, etc) is really interesting (although it can be tedious at times to read three pages of description of deciduous tree leaves). But the writing is not that great; the strength of this series is in the story and not in the beauty of the prose.
If I remember correctly, the series also doesn't live up to the promises it makes all the way back in this first book. Creb sees that the Clan is going to die out and that Ayla's people will remain; he also sees that Clan/Other hybrids will survive. I'm pretty sure as the series progresses, Ayla has dreams about her son Durc and some future confrontation with him. Conflict between Clan and Others is continually referenced. The series pretty clearly telegraphs to me that it will end with Ayla seeing her son again and/or somehow brokering some sort of peace between Clan and Others. And none of that happens. If I remember right, that outcome is being hinted at even in the penultimate book. Such a wasted opportunity.
That being said, I really enjoyed the re-read, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series; I don't think I ever read the final book, but I read the wikipedia summary of it, and I am skeptical that it's going to be a satisfying ending. I remember when it came out, people were annoyed with the ending (although to be fair to Auel, when you take GRRM lengths of time to finish a series, people are going to be annoyed regardless).
View all my reviews
The Valley of Horses by Jean M. Auel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I had forgotten how much of the narrative of these books concerns where babies come from. I find that part extremely tedious.
But Ayla invents the domestication of animals! And the bra (although, technically, she does that in the first one)! And the headband (although technically she does that in the next one)! LOL
I still find the story very compelling; Ayla surviving on her own is fascinating. Jondalar and Thonolan travelling is also very interesting. The writing is still not great.
Jondalar's magnificently sized organ of manhood gets way too much page time. I just about died laughing when I re-read that part where Ayla is the only woman whose womanhood can accommodate Jondalar (so she's got a cavernous hoo-ha? Jondalara's rattling around in there? IDK LOL)
Definitely a good read if very silly in places.
View all my reviews
The Mammoth Hunters by Jean M. Auel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This one is my favorite of the series.
It's got the strongest writing and the biggest cast of characters. I think part of the issue with The Valley of Horses is that Ayla is in isolation for so much of it; talking to other characters is naturally more exciting and dynamic.
I love Rydag and how Ayla brings him so much joy and changes his life. That part is genuinely moving. The Mamutoi are good people, and I enjoy Ayla and Jondalar interacting with all sorts of people.
As always, all the parts about how to make stuff like lotion and lodgings and clothing are very cool, and the parts about sharing Pleasures are ridiculous and tedious.
View all my reviews
3. Bonus book:
Limericks: Too Gross by Isaac Asimov
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
Well, that certainly is a thing I read.
View all my reviews
Understanding Writing Blocks by Keith Hjortshoj
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is a slim volume but worth reading. Because it's published in 2001, nothing he's saying about the writing process is very new--just standard comp 1 textbook writing is recursive and etc. What I do think is valuable is insight into why doctoral students and faculty often falter in their efforts to produce dissertations, books, and publishable articles (especially in the humanities). Everything Hrjortshoj has to say about the lack of support and direction for humanities doctoral students was true in my personal experience. He's also got some clear solutions to prevent doctoral students from being paralyzed and stalling out on finishing their dissertations; I think this would be very useful for anyone who's directing graduate work (along with admin like chairs and deans) to read.
View all my reviews
2. So, guess what I just hit on the Re-Read My Own Shelves project? That's right--Earth's Children by Jean M. Auel. I have such nostalgia for this series. I started reading it as a pre-teen and then had to wait like 14 years for Shelters of Stone to come out. LOL Ayla is a running joke on FFA for good reason. She invents whistling! And Oil of Olay! And needles! And surgical stitches! Jondalar is so sad; he can't fall in love because his dick is too big and ladies are first scared of his enormous manhood and then they get addicted and clingy. But Ayla's vagina is the only one cavernous enough in the Paleolithic to accommodate him. That's how he knows they're meant to be! As much as these books are ridiculous in multiple aspects, they are fun reads even if they don't live up to my memory of how awesome they were when I was 11.
The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. AuelMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I think I first read this when I was 11 and in the 6th grade. My best friend brought a copy from her house, and we made a book cover out of construction paper so the teachers wouldn't know what we were reading. LOL
I loved this series when I was a kid/teen. Unfortunately, I don't think it holds up to my memories. The characters are compelling, the plot is interesting, and all the information about how ancient peoples lived (hunting, making clothes, foraging for food, etc) is really interesting (although it can be tedious at times to read three pages of description of deciduous tree leaves). But the writing is not that great; the strength of this series is in the story and not in the beauty of the prose.
If I remember correctly, the series also doesn't live up to the promises it makes all the way back in this first book. Creb sees that the Clan is going to die out and that Ayla's people will remain; he also sees that Clan/Other hybrids will survive. I'm pretty sure as the series progresses, Ayla has dreams about her son Durc and some future confrontation with him. Conflict between Clan and Others is continually referenced. The series pretty clearly telegraphs to me that it will end with Ayla seeing her son again and/or somehow brokering some sort of peace between Clan and Others. And none of that happens. If I remember right, that outcome is being hinted at even in the penultimate book. Such a wasted opportunity.
That being said, I really enjoyed the re-read, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series; I don't think I ever read the final book, but I read the wikipedia summary of it, and I am skeptical that it's going to be a satisfying ending. I remember when it came out, people were annoyed with the ending (although to be fair to Auel, when you take GRRM lengths of time to finish a series, people are going to be annoyed regardless).
View all my reviews
The Valley of Horses by Jean M. AuelMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I had forgotten how much of the narrative of these books concerns where babies come from. I find that part extremely tedious.
But Ayla invents the domestication of animals! And the bra (although, technically, she does that in the first one)! And the headband (although technically she does that in the next one)! LOL
I still find the story very compelling; Ayla surviving on her own is fascinating. Jondalar and Thonolan travelling is also very interesting. The writing is still not great.
Jondalar's magnificently sized organ of manhood gets way too much page time. I just about died laughing when I re-read that part where Ayla is the only woman whose womanhood can accommodate Jondalar (so she's got a cavernous hoo-ha? Jondalara's rattling around in there? IDK LOL)
Definitely a good read if very silly in places.
View all my reviews
The Mammoth Hunters by Jean M. AuelMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This one is my favorite of the series.
It's got the strongest writing and the biggest cast of characters. I think part of the issue with The Valley of Horses is that Ayla is in isolation for so much of it; talking to other characters is naturally more exciting and dynamic.
I love Rydag and how Ayla brings him so much joy and changes his life. That part is genuinely moving. The Mamutoi are good people, and I enjoy Ayla and Jondalar interacting with all sorts of people.
As always, all the parts about how to make stuff like lotion and lodgings and clothing are very cool, and the parts about sharing Pleasures are ridiculous and tedious.
View all my reviews
3. Bonus book:
Limericks: Too Gross by Isaac AsimovMy rating: 1 of 5 stars
Well, that certainly is a thing I read.
View all my reviews
Understanding Writing Blocks by Keith HjortshojMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is a slim volume but worth reading. Because it's published in 2001, nothing he's saying about the writing process is very new--just standard comp 1 textbook writing is recursive and etc. What I do think is valuable is insight into why doctoral students and faculty often falter in their efforts to produce dissertations, books, and publishable articles (especially in the humanities). Everything Hrjortshoj has to say about the lack of support and direction for humanities doctoral students was true in my personal experience. He's also got some clear solutions to prevent doctoral students from being paralyzed and stalling out on finishing their dissertations; I think this would be very useful for anyone who's directing graduate work (along with admin like chairs and deans) to read.
View all my reviews
no subject
Date: 2018-06-09 12:15 am (UTC)I can see how reading about Ayla's survival would be really comforting.