Dear Ms. Auel,
I have just read that the The Land of Painted Caves will come out next spring, and I want you to know that I am delighted. Not so much because I want to read it, (although I do, and plan to buy it) but because I am hopeful that it will free you up to write the book we have all been waiting for.
You see, The Clan of the Cave Bear was an excellent book, and all of your Earth’s Children books are stunningly detailed, if somewhat idealized, picture of this cold and ancient land. Ayla is a lovable, if frustratingly perfect, character. Jondalar is a bit of a whiner, but basically a nice guy.
However, it is time for us to be honest with you – the reason everyone keeps reading each book that you produce is because we want to find out what happened to Durc and Uba and Broud and the rest of them, and we keep hoping that the NEXT book will finally address this.
Seriously. This is what everyone says. Whenever someone sees one of your books on my shelf, they ask how I like it. I say that the first book is amazing, and you keep reading the others in the hope that you’ll find out what happens. The person always says “that’s what everyone tells me…”
This is the book that we really want to read:
Durc’s story.
Did he remember his Mama leaving? Did he believe that she was really dead, or did he inherit Ayla’s ability to question the world as it is presented to him? How did the Clan react when Broud cursed their luck, as well as pieces of their own spirits (because they were never reclaimed from Ayla) to the underworld? Did this motivate them to help protect Durc against Broud’s hatred? Did Durc grow up loved and protected by the clan, or did Broud make his life a misery? Did he hurt Durc? Did he curse Durc? Did Oga stand up to Broud again for Durc’s sake? Did Vorn protect the adopted son of his hearth, for Uba’s sake? Did Grev stand up to his own father to protect his “milk brother”? Did Brun restrain his son?
We keep reading each book you produce, hoping to find the answers to these questions. Maybe The Land of Painted Caves will address them, but I think that’s unlikely. Even if it does, we want more. We want a whole book of Durc. We want him reunited with his mother, or at least, we want to know that he’s ok. I don’t indulge in fan fiction, because I believe that the world and characters belong to their author, and that other people can not come in to that author’s reality and tinker around with it, so I have no outlet for my frustrations.
He’s the son of everyone, remember? He’s ours, too. People have been worrying about him since 1980. Please put us out of our misery.
Respectfully,
Me.
If By Yes 
Oh, gosh. I probably haven’t read those books in about a decade. (But I probably read them a dozen times in the decade before that.) Gonna have to re-read the series now. *deep sigh*
I *so* want to know Durc’s story, too! But I ain’t getting my hopes up, ’cause you’re probably right. Oh, well. A new book is still an exciting thing, since they’re so few and far between.
I loved Clan of the Cave Bear. Still do. But once Ayla left the Clan and the books became Cro-Magnon soft porn I kind of lost interest.
Now, if the final book could have been about the Clan, I would be all over that. But I suspect there never will be that book. After all, the whole point to Clan of the Cave Bear is that Neanderthal man is dying out while Cro-Magnon is developing. From a narrative point of view, I suppose Jean Auel would say it makes no sense to spend the time further developing the Clan characters when their story is ending.
Stupid Jondalar. I never liked that guy.
Amen. But the point of Durc was that he was supposed to carry on the Clan’s legacy, right? That was Creb’s vision – Durc was the “only son of the clan”. So I think his story, with the Clan, could and should be written.
I agree! However, if you look at the number of pages spent on the story and the numbers spent on descriptions of cultural artifacts in these books, you’ll know that the point was never to tell a story but to communicate historic information about early civilization. I don’t think she has any interest in continuing the characters per se.
She has said in interviews for Shelters Of Stone that Ayla (and we) will learn something new about the Clan and Durc in this book. But she also said that they would not be reunited.
For all we know, this could be bait-and-switch…Auel may have written about Durc but did not wish to tip her hand before the bookwas published. Whether it’s in LoPC or some future book, if Durc should actually come into contact with Ayla, I hope we get to read about his journey, as it happens, and not just hers.
Now…you mentioned “fan fiction.” Not that I would indulge, but…where exactly would one find this? 🙂
LOL I’m sure you could google “Clan of the Cave Bear” and fanfiction and you’d find tons!
I’m guessing that in LoPC, Ayla may “see” Durc in one of her drug induced Zelandonia trances…
I have to agree with everyone. I completely lost interest in this series after the second novel. Yes, we WANT to know about the clan, what happened to everyone…..I don’t get how the author could just forget them…they are very important to the storyline….I won’t read another of her novels until it goes back to the clan.
Seriously. Her last book really skipped over jonayla’s whole babyhood so I didn’t feel the connection to her that I did to Durc. Forget Ayla. Tell us about Durc!
Oh, this post and the replies made me so sad. I realize I’m late to the party but I couldn’t help but comment even if no one reads this. It doesn’t matter because it’s Auel who matters when it comes to this comment. Why, why, why won’t she do what everyone is dying for her to do? And if she were to invent Ayla’s stupid little daughter why wouldn’t it be to tie her in to Durc in some way? Wouldn’t it be great if Ayla’s daughter carried on her mother’s tradition of befriending those considered to be outcasts, such as her brother Durc? I’d love for them to meet. Or for Jonayla to have a brain or a personality. See, now you’ve upset me.
I know! I was deeply disappointed by painted caves. Jonayla sucks. Do does Jondalar, a little bit. Suck fest.
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I too would like to know what happen to Aylas first son Durc and the clan. Will it be when they begin trading with the others? Just love the story and just want more..
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