Gone
with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Since
its original publication in 1936, Gone With the Wind—winner of the Pulitzer Prize and one of the
bestselling novels of all time—has been heralded by readers everywhere as The
Great American Novel.
Widely considered The Great American Novel, and often remembered for its epic film version, Gone With the Wind explores the depth of human passions with an intensity as bold as its setting in the red hills of Georgia. A superb piece of storytelling, it vividly depicts the drama of the Civil War and Reconstruction.
This is the tale of Scarlett O’Hara, the spoiled, manipulative daughter of a wealthy plantation owner, who arrives at young womanhood just in time to see the Civil War forever change her way of life. A sweeping story of tangled passion and courage, in the pages of Gone With the Wind, Margaret Mitchell brings to life the unforgettable characters that have captured readers for over seventy years.
Widely considered The Great American Novel, and often remembered for its epic film version, Gone With the Wind explores the depth of human passions with an intensity as bold as its setting in the red hills of Georgia. A superb piece of storytelling, it vividly depicts the drama of the Civil War and Reconstruction.
This is the tale of Scarlett O’Hara, the spoiled, manipulative daughter of a wealthy plantation owner, who arrives at young womanhood just in time to see the Civil War forever change her way of life. A sweeping story of tangled passion and courage, in the pages of Gone With the Wind, Margaret Mitchell brings to life the unforgettable characters that have captured readers for over seventy years.
Published & Release Date: Original published in 1936
Time
and setting: Civil War, Georgia
Genre:
Historical Fiction/Epic/Romantic Elements
Heat
Level: 1
Rating: 5 Gold Crowns
Vikki’s musings
The first time I read Gone With the Wind, I was around sixteen years old. It made a
lasting impression on me. I have probably read this book at least ten times
during my youth and my young adult years and watched the movie as many times. I
realized that it must have been thirty years since I last read it and decided
it was time to read it again with new eyes. I downloaded it and also purchased
the audio book to go along with it. I must say this has been a different
experience listening to the audio along with the book.
Linda Stephens is the narrator and truly brings this
huge cast of characters to life. I could easily distinguish the different voices.
She does an outstanding job with all the varying accents from Scarlett, to
Rhett, to Mammy. Now at times, I did cringe when I listened to all the racist
dialogue, but I tried to remember this is written when this was the normal
attitude of that time, not how we feel today. Obviously Gone With the Wind is NOT politically correct to say the least!
I think that it also important to understand that
Margaret Mitchell was a gentile southern woman and her upbringing was vastly
different from how my generation was raised. My mother was also raised during
the same time period and even though she grew up in the north, her attitude was
a bit prejudged as well. I thank God I became an adult in the seventies and
have a much more enlightened attitude.
With that being said, I also listened/read with
knowledge of books written in my time. While Margaret Mitchell’s writing style
is vastly different from the norm today, I am sure it was brilliant in 1936. I
kept that in mind and focused on this epic story that swept me up in the midst
of a war torn world and the aftermath of that war. I can understand why Ms.
Mitchell took ten years to write this story. I cannot even imagine the amount
of research she must have done to get the historical details accurate.
I am not going to do a synopsis of the book other
than to say that it covers the years of the Civil War and the reconstruction
period that the south endured. Most individuals today have either read the book
or watched the movie, at least my generation. Our children are aware of it as
well, even if they have never read the book or watched the movie.
When I read Gone
With the Wind as a young girl, I think I concentrated on all the
history and pageantry and not the character’s defects. While Scarlett is an incredibly
narcissistic character, she does have an indomitable spirit and personality. I
am not sure I could have grown up in those times where a woman’s only purpose in
life was to be ornamental and where men believed them hen-witted and should not
be concerned by any issues beyond beauty and refinement and the need to be a
lady at all times, and not have been just like her. I would hope I would have
been more like Melanie, but I doubt it. I am as strong-willed and as stubborn
as Scarlett. I just do not like to admit it.
Scarlett is a complex character with many layers to
her personality and while I do not like her character, I do admire her tenacity
and determination to survive and flourish in a changed world, so different than
what she could have imagined as a young girl. Margaret Mitchell has written a
character with such depth that it takes my breath away. If I could write a
heroine with a tenth of her depth, I am sure it would be an immediate best
seller.
Rhett Butler is a rogue that as a reader I always
love. For some reason, while it is not acceptable for a woman to be scandalous,
it is desired in heroes as long as there is a tender, caring side to them. Rhett’s
character has a huge arch that satisfied my need for ‘a bad boy gone good’. While
I wish that their love story could have had a ‘Happily Ever After’, it is much
more realistic for Rhett to give up on ever having Scarlett return his love and
to grow so cynical that he finally does not “give a damn”. It would have been out of character if he had
been able to forgive and forget.
Well my musings are getting a bit deep so I will
close. If you have not read this amazing book, I highly recommend it, but do
read with an open mind to fully appreciate the artistry of the writing and the
pageantry of a time long dead. Happy reading!
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