Published:1936
It's about: Gone with the Wind chronicles the life of Scarlett O'Hara, starting with her vain and picturesque Southern Belle adolescence before the start of the Civil War. The novel describes the culture of the south during that time and describes her family, history, friends, society, and neighbors. It also depicts Scarlett's relationships, struggles, and triumphs during the war and the devastating aftermath.
I thought: I usually read long books quickly, but Gone with the Wind took painfully longer than I expected. The writing is dense and half-way through the book I couldn't really stand self-centered and superficial Scarlett anymore. I hoped that her character would grow in depth, but that never really happened. It would have been one thing if there were layers to Scarlett's awfulness, but she was a pretty flat character. I could not get understand her motivation for being so selfish. I did appreciate the moments when the book poked fun at Scarlett, but I don't think Mitchell wanted us to hate Scarlett even though that is what ended up happening to me. I soon found myself becoming bored with her antics. I do have to say that some of the supporting characters (Will, Ellen, Rhett, and Melanie) made the book more bearable as they were far more complex than Scarlett.
Gone with the Wind was more of a romance novel than I expected and the descriptions of kisses and embraces unintentionally made me giggle because they were a little over the top. I was also surprised by how racist the book is; I expected racist comments from the characters themselves, but stereotypical and racist characterizations of the "darkies" was a bit much for me. I had really high expectations of this book, but it failed. I guess I just don't get the appeal? And I promise I am not giving it a negative review because Connie didn't like Middlemarch.
Verdict: Stick it on the shelf or Rubbish Bin? In-Between. I'd actually say rubbish bin, but it is one of those books that you need to say you've read hence in-between
Reading Recommendations: Anyone who feels the need to read every classic book. I've read much better books that deal with the same time period
Warnings: As long as the word "damn" doesn't offend you and you don't mind hearing about women "in the family way", you'll be okay. Also, like I said, it's pretty racist.
Favorite excerpts:
"I'm not sure that was a compliment", she said uncertainly. "It isn't," he answered. "When will you stop looking for compliments in men's lightest utterances?"
Scarlett did take pleasure in it. She bullied the negroes and harrowed the feelings of her sisters not only because she was too worried and strained and tired to do otherwise but because it helped her forget her own bitterness that everything her mother had told her about life was wrong.
"Child, it's a very bad thing for a woman to face the worst than can happen to her, because after she's faced the worst she can't ever really fear anything again. And it's very bad for a woman not to be afraid of something."
Melanie refused to change, refused even to admit that there was any reason to change in a changing world. Under her roof the old days seemed to come back again and people took heart...
What I'm reading next: Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Logging you in...
Jenny · 691 weeks ago
stinavw 80p · 691 weeks ago
Christine-Chioma · 691 weeks ago
reading a book in every state sounds really cool! do you have a list of the ones you're doing?
stinavw 80p · 691 weeks ago
I'm really sorry you didn't enjoy it. I know it's not for everyone, especially given Scarlett's extreme personality. I get you- she's not the most likeable character, and I think you're right that Ms. Mitchell didn't intend to coax warm and fuzzy feelings from the reader. But I totally disagree with the idea that Scarlett isn't complex. Yes, she is consistently aggressive, manipulative and self-centered. And kind of cranky. But she learns so much throughout the novel, especially in regard to her relationships with Melanie, Ashley, and Rhett. As a teenager her actions are almost totally motivated by vanity and jealousy, but by the end of the book she's been through so much, she feels more connection to her family, her home, her Southern identity. I actually think Scarlett is a great example of a dynamic yet consistent character: her personality stays the same, but her underlying motivations deepen.
It's been years since I read it, but I think Gone with the Wind is a pretty important and historically accurate representation of the South during the reconstruction years. Mitchell also shows the meaning of the Civil War and the North/South culture clash behind it. I wish I could remember more about the author's inherent racism. Is it something more than what we would expect from a wealthy white Southerner writing in 1936? I can understand how that would spoil the book, but I read it pretty naively when I was like 18. Maybe I would view that aspect of the narrative differently now.
Anyway, your review makes me want to reread this one (though honestly that's unlikely. I almost never reread anything) so that I can see how my relationship to the story and the characters has changed. Thanks for the review!
Christine-Chioma · 691 weeks ago
Some of the things that were racist? The tone about the slaves and submissiveness, the descriptions of their personalities and motivations, the things the black characters said, etc. I understand at 18 you might have overlooked it plus being black myself maybe I just read it differently. But yeah I'm sure the racism is on par with the time the book was written, but it's offensive so even if I had liked the book more in general I still wouldn't be able to overlook it.
stinavw 80p · 691 weeks ago
Jessica · 691 weeks ago
But I did pick out the racists parts in the novel and as I werent expecting them it really shocked me. I ended up having an arguement with my mum about it as she had read it many many years ago and doesn't remember any of it and then tried to explain to me that people back then were quite racist. We ended up having a whole discussion on the difference between characters being racist and in this case the narrator.
songofalbion 75p · 691 weeks ago
As regards racism. I did notice it but I brushed it off as a reflection of the time Mitchell herself was writing in. I think I'd have been a lot more sensitive to it had it been written any time in the last thirty years.
Amanda · 691 weeks ago
Christine · 691 weeks ago
Buried In Print · 690 weeks ago
Clearly my teenage self was not aware of these aspects (I'm ashamed to admit this, but I'm definitely not the same reader now!) and I find it kind of horrifying to think that I didn't notice any of those things on my first reading, but I didn't. So if you are, like me, going on past opinions of the book, it might be worth having another look: I definitely found it an eye-opener.
If you're interested, my thoughts are . (I also read Alice Randall's The Wind Done Gone shortly afterwards, too.) And I do want to read a little more about Margaret Mitchell, just to try to understand her perspective a little more, but I haven't done anything with that yet.
ConnieGirl 69p · 689 weeks ago
It has been a few years since I've read it, so I, too, can't remember specifically how racist it is, though I do remember that bothering me. Just to play devil's advocate, though, Huck Finn has been banned for the use of the "N" word, though it is a reflection of the time period in which he was writing. If I remember correctly, though, I think Mitchell did actually make some racist comments, not just use language.
I don't think you need to LIKE a character to appreciate a book for what it is. Scarlett is insufferable, and I, too, preferred Melanie as a person, but I agree with Christina -- Scarlett's motives evolve throughout the book. Scarlett is a survivalist. In the beginning, she is merely occupied with being at the top of the social food chain by getting whatever beau she wants. As she experiences war, she becomes a LITERAL survivalist, in that she will do whatever it takes to make it through -- surviving, to her, is the greatest virtue.
She is very stubborn and delusional throughout the book, maintaining her obsession with Ashley, which is pretty obnoxious. However, at the very end of the novel, she realizes her stupidity when she understands her dream and understands that true love is not the medieval, courtly love of loving someone who is unattainable (Ashley) but the bond between two equals (her and Rhett). So her change comes at the end. By the end, she has also come to value the land (Tara), which she couldn't understand at the beginning.
Think of this book in terms of Scarlett's development as a story of all the things that needed to happen to Scarlett BEFORE she changed. I think that's why people are so obsessed with writing sequels to this book, because the real change happens right at the end, and the book concludes before anything is done about it.
Though it has been some time since I read it, I can confidently say that I love, love, love this book!
mechristine 36p · 681 weeks ago
"because the real change happens right at the end, and the book concludes before anything is done about it. " True!