Banned Books Week 2008: Clan of the Cave Bear

Banned Books Week 2008: Kristin Laughtin reading Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel
UC Irvine Department of English, Campus Writing Coordinator Jonathan Alexander, University Council - American Federation of Teachers, Associated Students UC Irvine and the UCI Libraries presented "Banned Book Week: Speak Out!" on Wednesday, October 1, 2008.

About Banned Book Week
Interested readers are encouraged to view the list of banned and challenged books - http://tinyurl.com/n6w3et

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• banned_books_week
• banned
• challenged
• UCI
• UC_Irvine
• Speak_Out!
• Librarians
• Lecturers
• UCI_Libraries
• UC-AFT
• BBW

[lindenmeadow]

I've read the book and didn't find it distasteful. I don't think the author was trying to be nasty or pornographic but was rather shooting for very gritty realism. After all, these were supposed to be cavemen (and not the kind in a Geico commercial). They were not only primitive but also suppsed to have been a few pegs down on the evolutionary ladder. Granted, the author surely took dramatic liberties, but that's to be expected in any historical fiction.

[lostpup5]

Though this passage shouldn't be any reason to ban this incredible book, it's good that the ALA is speaking out and promoting no longer banning book. Banning books restricts a person's knowledge, choices, and ability to reason for themselves what is right and wrong.

[lindenmeadow]

It's too bad that the film adaptation of this book was so lousy. It would be great if some gifted writers/directors would give it another try.

[lindenmeadow]

@jendarjen My thoughts exactly. The story dealt with the heroine's severe emotional hardships after being raped. The scene obviously wasn't meant to titillate readers. Rather, I'd say it was exploring social/psychological issues in a very blunt way.

[jendarjen]

@lindenmeadow - i agree- and the scene she read as a depiction of rape. I find bodice rippers where the victim is enjoying it to be far more distasteful.

[SheepDog707]

@bjorntooski there was only one scene which made me cringe and it was the one she spoke of. No where else in the book was there anything to find appalling, In my honest opinion for the time period she was writing about it could have been much worse. Brutal? Absolutely not, to them it was natural. The woman did not fight or even think of it as anything horrible, only Ayla who was different found it disturbing.

[kanakaken]

It would make more sense to ban the Bible than a book by Ms Auel. Her books clearly show that violence is not acceptable within a regulated society. Because the Bible is a "holy book", and all that is written within is sanctioned by God, it's not banned. It has lying rape murder genocide theft pedophilia and incest, all sanctioned by god, which of course tells us, that it is all OK. Sexual freedom in ancient societies always was & still is a necessity for the continuance of the clan.

[MistyOjaiGirl]

I have to agree with greenteeks, she's in a public place reading the rape scene out of Clan of the Cave Bear just because it was banned someplace? It makes me sad for people that have to live or grow up in a place where bans would be placed on a a book of such magnitude like Clan of the Cave Bear, but somehow reading the rape scene aloud to anyone that will listen doesn't help the situation. I wouldn't recommend or read this book to very little kids~ only 13 and up.

[mzdarklight1]

I am shocked this is a banned book. I read it as a teen (14ish). I am 36 now. I just recently re-read the book series as it has always been a favorite. I love the way the world of that time is brought alive and the detailed way doing various activities to survive are described so that I feel I could nearly do them myself. The violence of the rape/rapes wasn't the part of the book that stuck with me. It's such a small but likely accurate part of a much larger story. Censorship at it's finest.

[greenteeks]

LMAO what the hell is this? Is she reading the reason why this book was randomly banned somewhere in idiotic America? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA~ Hilarious.

I don't think I get it.

[calebcakes]

Yes, this story made a lasting impression on me,too. I would read the story to my son, editing out the sex part (he's 12) because that is not the focus of the books in my view. The rape scenes by Broud are brutal but as I remember the people of the Clan themselves did not respect him as a leader - even Ayla knew he was abusing her out of hatred/jealousy of her abilities even though he had the "right" to do what he did to her. As a "good" Clan woman she was had to be submissive to survive.

[bjorntooski]

@calebcakes

please read these with your son . impress on him that that behavour is wrong and not sex but Violence.

show him women and equal to men sometimes better. These books changed my life. I named my first daughter Donayla.. Ayla for the main character ...Hunter /Healer ....Donni .. the goddess figure DonAyla