Talk about your long-awaited sequels. About once every couple of days, down at the bookstore, we'd be confronted by a hyperventilating just tell me when the-next-bloody-book-is-coming-out! Auel fan. We weren't able to be much help...rumour had it (in 1997) that she'd gone off to Siberia to research. Later suggestions that she'd gone native - or been eaten by mammoths - strangely failed to pacify the faithful.
In short, any information would be greatly appreciated. I'll pass it along to the gang at my old stand, and who knows, you may just prevent a heart attack or two.

So we're still stuck at the end of "The Plains of Passage"?

Yep. At this point she's gonna have to come out with the most incredible literary sensation of the decade in order to justify all this secrecy. (I was exaggerating her fans' enthusiasm above, but not by much.)

I hope she cuts down on the sex. It was fun for a while, but we get the point... they were Earth Mother worshippers!

Yeah--by the time I was skipping 5-6 pages at a time, I decided to move on to other books.

You can go to amazon.com and read the first chapter of the new book. Picks up right where the last one left off.

According to Amazon, the hardback release for The Shelters of Stone is April 30, 2002.

So...anybody read/reading the new one yet? (Me, I'm still recovering from the shock of having one of the Great Mysteries of Bookselling so abruptly solved.)

Was it worth the wait? Apparently the amateur reviewers at amazon.com sure don't think so...

I'm still waiting for the LA Public Library to get me a copy. I did see it for $15 at Costco, though.

At last! LAPL's web site says my copy is "in transit", so I should have it in my hot little hands within a few days. I'll post my impressions when I'm done.

I'd like to see less of the gratuitous sex (yes, we know that they did it to honor the Mother, we get the point!), but I'm not hopeful...

12 years for THIS?????

I was not impressed. I thought it was a very predictable book. Of course, I doubt that anything could live up to 12 years of hype (cf. The Phantom Menace), but it sure could have been better!

WARNING: Spoilage follows (though most of it's probably predictable, except for the last.) Highlight below to read.

Ayla and Jondalar arrive at the Ninth Cave o the Zelandonii. People greet them and are surprised by Ayla and the animals (DUH!). Everything seems to be going swimmingly, until Jondalar's ex-Promised (Marona) gets jealous. She plays a trick on Ayla by giving her inappropriate clothes. Of course, Ayla turns the tables by wearing them with pride.

Ayla and Jondalar have sex.

Meanwhile, we also meet the cave's "trailer trash", Laramar and his mate (who's name I can't be bothered to look up). We also meet all of Jondalar's family, plus Zelandoni (who you all remember from Valley of Horses, Jondalar was in love with). But it's ok, now. We also meet Brukeval, another person of mixed spirits.

You know, for group of people that think Clan are animals, and mixed children are an abomination, there's an awful lot of mixed people around...

Ayla and Jondalar have sex.

Anyways... Ayla and Jondalar are Promised (surprise, surprise). They show off the animals and the spear-throwers (again, surprise surprise). They hold off on the firestones at Zelandoni's request. They reveal that the Clan are not animals after all!

Ayla and Jondalar have sex (are you beginning to see a pattern?).

During a hunt, somebody is killed (he's trampled by a bison). Ayla does her best to save him an fails.

Ayla and Jondalar have sex (yawn).

They go to the summer meeting. Some of the zelandoni of the other Caves have a problem with the concept of the Clan as people. Jondalar and Ayla have their Matrimonial. But a problem occurs when Joplaya mates with Echozar (see Plains of Passage). Marona, Laramar, and Brukeval all object because Echozar is an "abomination". Zelandoni overrules them and saves the day.

Ayla and Jondalar have sex (and more sex, and...).

During their Matrimonial trial, Ayla and Jondalar run into another hunting party. This one has someone who's gored by a rhino. Ayla manages to save him.

Ayla has her baby girl, named Jonayla (after both of them). Whinney has her colt, named Gray (after the color).

Did I mention that Ayla and Jondalar have sex?

During all this time, Zelandoni is trying to get Ayla to join Those Who Serve. At the very end, Ayla agrees. Book ends there.

End Spoilage.

Dunno if it makes you feel any better, ScottN, but if you check out the reviews at amazon.com you'll find a whole lot of other fans feeling just as let down.

One came up with an interesting theory: that Auel didn't actually have a workable manuscript at all, just masses of notes, and an editor was hired to cobble them together into some semblance of a plot.

Thanks, kerriem. Oh, did I forget to tell everyone that Ayla and Jondalar have sex?

Oh dear, I'm on Chapter 5...any point in going on with it?

Is Jean Auel planning another one after this, does anyone know?

I believe that she said that she was going to do six of them, so there should be one more.

Is Jean Auel planning another one after this, does anyone know?

I don't know, but if she does, I bet Ayla and Jondalar have sex....