Book Review: Mammoth Hunters

This book is book 3 of a series that I think is called Clan of the Cave Bears. It doesn't say so on the book.

I've been reading this rather slowly. Since this is a book of fiction, that means that I'm not that into it. But I'm not totally bored either. I just noticed that someone had listed the series as among their favorite books in their profile. My sist-IL always said how much she enjoyed it and that I need to read it. They were among the books my parents left. I know I picked up the first book in the series several times and just couldn't get interested.

This book, starts with Ayla and Jondalar traveling and meeting up with a group of people who they end up staying with, the Mamutoi. The place this band is staying in is a sort of man-made cave, built with dirt and Mammoth bones. Ayla has rescued Jondalar from death after the attack of mountain lion and nursed him back to health (in the 2nd book of the series). They are lovers.

I've basically been skimming past the love scenes. I don't need the aggravation! But I do find the relationship she has with Jondalar somewhat interesting. They have a hard time understanding each other. And since I'm still midway in the book I don't know how it all works out yet. That is is the main tension of this book. Ayla was left an orphan by an earthquake as a child, taken in by a group of people of an earlier sort (the Clan), and then ostracized... somehow she has learned how to take care of herself and live alone. Now she is surprised that the new group of people actually accept her. But Jondalar wants to leave and return to his own people, a year's journey away.

The way she has with animals, her strength and courage in living alone. Perhaps these are the qualities that make her story most interesting.

There are some spiritual dimensions that remind me of perhaps American Indians or other tribal peoples. There is a sort of medicine man, an old man, who communicates with the spirit world, and Ayla is said to have the same abilities, and he wants to teach her. She is knowledgeable about herbs and healing, a talent that often seems to be linked with religious practices.

Age Appropriate

I watched what I guess was the first episode of "Accidentally on Purpose" last night. And I have watched several episodes of "Cougar Town."

I did this post on cougars some time ago. I guess that has something to do with my being interested in this subject, that is the attraction of older women for younger guys. There was this British show I used to like to watch (can't remember the name of it) that was about a younger woman and an older man. It certainly seemed a lot less creepy than either of these shows!

I liked Jenna Elfman in "Dharma & Greg" immediately, and I finally started liking "Friends" and Courtney Cox after it had been on for a long time. Oddly, I didn't take to it at first. So it's not the actresses that I don't like, its the whole way people are looking at relationships (as seen on TV).

The Jenna Elfman character, Billie, goes to a bar with some girl friends and meets this guy. They enjoy a few dances and talking and he says "I'm running out of charm but I have some more at home." She runs over to her friends and says "I've just met this younger guy who wants me to go home with him, is that empowering or desperate?" Friend says, "Is he over 18?" "Yes." "Empowering."

Upshot she gets pregnant. Tells him. He is living with friends and she ends up inviting him to live with her but they agree to "break up." He shows up at her workplace just when a guy at there is finally showing interest, and ruins it by announcing that Billie is having his baby. She is 37 years old, about him, I don't think we know yet.

This premise seems quite believable to me. Sadly.

I don't know what to say about these shows. I have certainly watched plenty of junk in my life. (I wouldn't say that it's "empowering" anyway!) I could find other things to do. Maybe TV is just a bad habit.

I listened to a program on Moody Radio about the sexual confusion of young people (something like that). She mentioned that TV used to have such different standards back in the day, then they made the married people be depicted as sleeping in separate beds (seems pretty silly).

We've come a long way, baby! So where are we now? I don't know what kind of parent I would be. Would I not want my kids to watch any of this stuff that's on TV now? Shouldn't kids be protected, even if stuff does go on out there in the world? And as for adults, how is all of this stuff affecting us (me)?

TV -- some good stuff amidst the junk

Yesterday, I heard a commentary by a lady named Betsey Newenhuyse on Prime Time America, a program on Moody Radio that does news (and has commentaries). She started by saying that she has been watching less and less TV.

I suppose that is because there is less and less TV worth watching. I've been wondering if the commercials are right that have Alec Baldwin, and some others saying that they are aliens and they are using TV to liquify our brains. Well, not literally right, of course, but still... In one of the commercials it says TV is "slowly rotting our brains" and yet we keep watching, "but this whole slowly thing is getting to be a problem". (Yeah, I just googled that, I didn't remember the exact wording, and the ads are for HULU.)

And I am wondering why I keep watching.

Betsey N. went on to say how much she enjoyed the Ken Burns thing, (documentary series),(but I'm sure she didn't say "thing") about National Parks. I watched at least some of this program on PBS, I think it was on several days, some of it I saw twice. I thought it was good too. I'm not sure it was as good as his Civil War thing, but it was pretty good. It was interesting to learn more about John Muir a name I had heard before, and some other familiar names, such as the Sierra Club, and about Teddy Roosevelt's involvement. I wish I could remember better. I think John Muir was a Christian, anyway he quoted the Bible quite a bit. I never knew that.

Not too long before that series aired another program with Robert Redford as the host aired on PBS, called Forever Wild, a program similar in theme. It was about America's designated wilderness areas, and focused on the people who fought to get certain areas so designated. These lands are undeniably beautiful, to be included they have to be untouched, nothing man-made on them, and be deemed to be worth preserving. They had some wonderful quotes by the naturalists in both programs.

At the time I watched the Forever Wild program I was trying to write an article about "local charities" and was focused on this subject of volunteering. So I was really thinking already about people who give their time to some cause they believe in. It made me appreciate the efforts even more, I think.

I have always loved nature since I was a child. I would go walking along the creek behind our house frequently, I loved it. I was in the Girl Scouts, and my group did some hiking trips. I have continued to like hiking all of my life. I don't have anyone to walk with now or I would still be going. I used to not be afraid when I was young to walk alone, but I'm not so free about it as I was then. Anyway, I really appreciate that we do have National Parks and wilderness preserves.

I want to say more about TV rotting our brains, perhaps another post.