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Gone With the Wind (Gone with the Wind)

by Margaret Mitchell

4.16 · rating details · 265,870 ratings · 7,238 reviews

Revisit the South and fall under the spell of Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler all over again. After six decades, this sweeping saga set against the backdrop of the war-torn South remains one of the most beloved American novels ever written.

Paperback, 1011 pages

Published April 1st 1999 by Grand Central Publishing (first published 1936)

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Jan 14, 2009

Annalisa rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: book-club, classics, historical-fiction, movies, favorites

It takes guts to make your main character spoiled, selfish, and stupid, someone without any redeeming qualities, and write an epic novel about her. But it works for two reasons. First of all you wait for justice to fall its merciless blow with one of the most recognized lines in fiction ("frankly my dear, I don't give a damn"), but you end with a broken and somewhat repentant character and you can't be pitiless. Secondly, if you were going to parallel the beautiful, affluent, lazy, spi...more

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Sep 29, 2007

Eve rated it

· review of another edition

I honestly do not know whether to give this book 5 stars for being one of the most completely engrossing, shocking, and emotionally absorbing pieces of literature ever written, or to give it 0 stars for being the most tragic, unendingly upsetting, disturbing book I've ever read. I read the last 50 pages or so literally with my mouth wide open, unable to believe that it was really going to be THAT tragically sad. When I finally finished, I walked downstairs in a daze, handed the book to my husban...more

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Feb 25, 2008

Nicko rated it

Recommends it for: Confederates

So much has been said in praise of this book it feels redundant to add more. In terms of the slave-holding society, the film actually toned-down the pro-South view of Reconstruction (Scarlett's second husband joined the KKK in the book) and Mammy remains probably one of the most fully-developed and likeable African-American characters from 1930 you'll read.

Rhett Butler is the consummate alpha male. This book is definitely the timeless classic reputation it has earned, and though at ...moreSo much has been said in praise of this book it feels redundant to add more. In terms of the slave-holding society, the film actually toned-down the pro-South view of Reconstruction (Scarlett's second husband joined the KKK in the book) and Mammy remains probably one of the most fully-developed and likeable African-American characters from 1930 you'll read.

Rhett Butler is the consummate alpha male. This book is definitely the timeless classic reputation it has earned, and though at times it seemed like the longest book ever, it is all worth it in the end. It touches on many misunderstood aspects of the civil war and its afterwords. What many people do not realize is how horrible it really was for Southerners after the war, mostly because they cannot get past the racism of the times (which it wasn't as if the North was full of equality and peace, either). If you can accept the times for what they were, you will see how well this book was written. I appreciate it for the well built characters, smooth flow, and albeit romanticized- depiction of the Antebellum South.

As far as being politically incorrect or the modern charges that the book is "racist," remember that this book was written in the 1930s. Not to mention, the time period is the Civil War era! To be completely unracist would not have depicted the era correctly. As if it represents anything more than the way people thought when it was made. Of course, it's racist. America is and has been a racist society since the beginning. This book mirrors the opinions held by the people alive and working at the time, no more and certainly no less. Have opinions changed since then? Of course, as society evolves so does the writing. All this aside, the character of "Mammy" is one of the most likeable and respected characters in the book. Rhett Butler treats her very well, and tries to win her approval. She’s the one person throughout the novel who sees through everyone’s follies and foibles, but remains forgiving of them anyway. There's a reason this book won so many awards and still endures! It is a timeless classic that everyone should enjoy and read in context.
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Feb 22, 2011

Lisa Kay rated it

Shelves: all-time-favorites, has-a-movie, historical-fiction-101, pulitzer, classic, fiction, epic, authors-m-n-o

My mother wouldn't let me read "Gone With the Wind" until I was 16. A few years ago I was at a cocktail party and they asked the trivia question "What was the first line of GWtW?" I knew the answer. My husband asked, "How did you know that?" (He'd lived with me how many decades?) I told him about my mom's restriction and how, when I finally opened the book, I was stunned by the first sentence. I had seen the movie and Scarlett was beautiful, if a bitch. I also...more

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Jan 23, 2010

Mister Jones added it

Recommends it for: Sons of the South

Recommended to Mister Jones by: Generations of my family

Yes, Georgia, there is a Santa Claus. As a Xmas gift, I decided to read GWTW again since I now have a 1943 copy. Actually enjoying it and marveling at Mitchell's depth of characterization, so even if one makes a scathing review, there's still hope of reconsideration at least for me.

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Oct 04, 2008

Ebookwormy rated it

Shelves: carp-500, history, fiction

It's obvious to me why this book is a classic. It was a fabulous read, though (for reasons listed below) I'm not sure I'd want to read it again soon.

The story is told through the eyes of Scarlett O'Hara, a selfish, aristocratic, young Southern woman, with a scant number of scenes (mostly at the end) where she is not present. Realizing Scarlett and her class have the most to lose from the fall of the South, their perspective on the times is negative. The racism is appalling. The opi...moreIt's obvious to me why this book is a classic. It was a fabulous read, though (for reasons listed below) I'm not sure I'd want to read it again soon.

The story is told through the eyes of Scarlett O'Hara, a selfish, aristocratic, young Southern woman, with a scant number of scenes (mostly at the end) where she is not present. Realizing Scarlett and her class have the most to lose from the fall of the South, their perspective on the times is negative. The racism is appalling. The opinion of Scarlett and her class (inherent in the narration of the text) is that blacks were better off in slavery where they were 'well taken care of', abuses of slavery were very few, house black slaves who stayed with their masters were the cream of the African crop, and free blacks who left their owners were lazy, unintelligent and often criminal. These views are repugnant, and certainly not accurate, but the matter has become so politicized it is hard to know whether or not such thoughts are typical of aristocrats of the time. As one would imagine, immersed in the Confederate perspective, the Union and it's actions, particularly as relates to Reconstruction in Georgia are also not presented favorably. Carpetbaggers and Scallawags, familiar, formless, terms from somewhere way back are now clear to me, at least the Old South perception of them! Reading this book has led me to put some non-fiction books about the social ideas and ideals of the Confederacy on my 'to-read' list.

The most intriguing theme of this work to me was the cross-cultural conflict inherent in the fall of the South. The author successfully illustrates the incredible difficulty faced by those captured in tumultuous times. Old, familiar ideas about life and living (class stratification, roles of men and women, economy, standards of living, etc.) are dying and completely new ones are rising. The same thing occurs throughout history, but there are certain times in which this change is so swift that a single generation has to absorb the shock. Such is the experience of these characters. As in real life, some adjust quickly (almost seeing it before it comes - though those who do are usually initially rejected because it is too frightening for the masses to consider), some adjust eventually, and some cannot make the change. While Southern racism has always perplexed me, I felt I could understand the aristocratic longing for the old familiar days, and I could comprehend how the preparation young people received in the old days was completely inadequate for the war and post-war realities. It also vividly captured why Southerners were so willing to die for their great Cause (the Cause being the way of life of which slavery was the foundation), as death, while still being able to hold the old ways dear was so much less taxing than trying to adapt to the changing realities. I can imagine that many people, trapped in aggressive revolutionary times, would feel the same way.

Two things hit me personally. 1) "Your sins are as scarlet will be washed white as snow." (Isaiah 1:18) Scarlett took the sin level to significant heights, and yet God would also forgive her through Jesus. For some reason this really struck me. 2) Scarlett was torn between her admiration for her mother, whom she is nothing like, and her personality which is more like her father. This struck me as theme in my life. When I became a mother, I thought I would be a lot like my mother, but I don't possess her strengths. Scarlett's struggle illuminated mine and helped me take another step to embracing who God made me to be.

As for Scarlett and Rhett themselves, along with Melanie and Ashley, there was a considerable amount of character development. However, I cannot help but note that while most chose to see Scarlett and Rhett as heroes worthy of imitation, both their characters unravel to the destruction of themselves and those around them (especially Scarlett's poor children). The consequences of their selfish actions are horrifying. While Melanie and Ashley behave more admirably, they are less successful in the world, and Ashley fails to achieve the happiness and peace that Melanie seems to possess in herself and bestow on those around her. In the end, Melanie, great lady she was, appears to me the heroine, even if she was flawed (her commitment to the glory of the Confederacy for example), and the story naturally closes with her death as her counterbalance to Scarlett is removed. One can only imagine what happens to Scarlet absent her influence. The character of Scarlett, while softened by the late revelations of the book is still incredibly distasteful. Ending with Scarlett's dawn of understanding implied to me the wisdom she gained (as with so many previous...) was rather momentary and Scarlett would return to her destructive quest for materialistic survival. Generally, I don't like to be left hanging with relationships unresolved, but after reading over 1000 pages, I found I agreed with Rhett in that "I don't give a damn" what Scarlett does now! (less)

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Sep 16, 2010

Jillian rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: everyone!

Recommended to Jillian by: my mother

Shelves: classics, ▬adored-it, 2010, to-reread, own, favorites

Scarlett O'Hara was never intended to be the heroine in this novel, but like all dynamic characters, she took over the tale. In reality, Margaret Mitchell wrote Melanie as the heroine, and I think the fact that Melanie shines so gently throughout the tale is one of the many things about this novel that makes it exceptional.

Mitchell wrote this novel because she wanted to show how different women managed to survive the American Civil War. Thus, Melanie, Scarlett, India, and Ellen. These ...more

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Feb 08, 2008

Lilly rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I read this book when I was fifteen during a hot, sticky Texas summer. That was more than 10 years ago, and I have read the book at least 3 more times since then, but I can still remember the book's initial impact on me. I remember my journal entries about it and my inability to get the book off my mind long after I'd finished it. I was infatuated. In my U.S. History class a year later, my teacher assigned a paper on some historical topic or other. I hardly remember what the actual assignme...moreI read this book when I was fifteen during a hot, sticky Texas summer. That was more than 10 years ago, and I have read the book at least 3 more times since then, but I can still remember the book's initial impact on me. I remember my journal entries about it and my inability to get the book off my mind long after I'd finished it. I was infatuated. In my U.S. History class a year later, my teacher assigned a paper on some historical topic or other. I hardly remember what the actual assignment was, because I asked him if I could write a paper on Gone With the Wind instead. I told him it should be considered a historical novel, and yes, I got what I wanted. Man, I was such a nerd then. I only wish I had kept that paper....

So, I was thinking just now of the scene in You've Got Mail where Meg Ryan is arguing with Tom Hanks about Pride and Prejudice, and she proclaims that Elizabeth Bennett is one of the most complex heroines ever written (I can't remember if she calls her THE most complex). I think Scarlett is much more complex than Lizzie. Her evolution throughout the novel is so amazing. She is so one-dimensional in the beginning, before the war and before everything that changes her way of life. Granted, Scarlett is always looking out for number one, and it's part of why I love her character. It is so rich with selfishness, her benevolent deeds always fueled by her own objectives, her baddoings justified by her will to survive. Even her relationship with Rhett is one of the most complex love stories ever written. Since I've read the novel several times, I even went back and noticed each and every time where Rhett was bursting with hesitation, just killing himself as he held back his true feelings for her. She doesn't marry Rhett for love, but her realization at the end that she "must have loved you all along" is so tragic and swollen with regret. I could never understand what she saw in Ashley, who was so weak and stupid and useless.

I think this novel was my first introduction to nostalgia, and it ruined me forever. Nostalgia now rules my life, and if I were a book, it would be my central theme.(less)

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Aug 01, 2008

Diana rated it

Shelves: classics

One book I can honestly say that I enjoyed less than the movie. In Margaret Mitchell's book Scarlett has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. I spent the better part of the book wanting to slap her silly.

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Feb 19, 2011

Cindy rated it

Shelves: 1001-books, female-authors, fiction, historical-fiction, does-my-book-look-big-in-this, i-cant-believe-i-havent-read-it-yet, 2011-best-reads

Wherein I attempt to write a review using all the new words I learned whilst reading the book. My made-up-on-the-spot rule is one per sentence, to make it a challenge. (Glossary at end of review.)

---------------

I hope you won’t look upon my review as mere folderol, but the most interesting things to be said about Gone With the Wind have been said over and over: it’s breathtaking, sweeping, American, but also racist and exacerbating. Everyone needs to read the story of on...more

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Dec 30, 2009

Dahlia rated it

Shelves: 2009, classic

BUKU 1

Yang terlintas pertama kali di kepala g pas baca buku ke-1 ini adalah yang paling tidak akan bahagia hidup di tahun 1800-an adalah perempuan-perempuan dari persekutuan narsis dan klub pengunyah.

-Perketuan Narsis : Perempuan harus selalu tampil seolah-olah lemah, rapuh, sopan dan bodoh (Coba bicara cerdas sedikit, jangan heran kalau tiba-tiba orang sekeliling mengganggap aneh, sok tahu dan bahkan mungkin dikucilkan dari pergaulan). Perempuan juga harus tahan dan pura...more

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Aug 04, 2008

Emily rated it

Shelves: novels

I received my copy of Gone With the Wind in 1991 and never got past the first 50 or 100 pages in any of annual attempts at this books until 2004, at which point I decided to defeat the book one and for all.

I want my time back.

There was a reason I never read pas the first 50 or 100 pages - Scarlet is a raging evil snarky miserable bitch and I hate her. None of the other characters were particularly likable - ranging from sniveling, whiny sissies to evil, snarky assholes. ...more

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Dec 06, 2007

Melissa rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: everyone

At one time in my teens I called this my favorite book. I hadn't read it in a long time, and rereading it was more satisfying than I thought it would be. Scarlett is such an amazing character; how she can be so infuriating and so sympathetic at the same time, as a reader I hate her and love her both. Margaret Mitchell's lengthy passages about the war and the South become tiresome, but it is very striking to me that although she takes up the South's cause, she doesn't drone on about property righ...more

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May 28, 2009

Beth rated it

Shelves: re-read

In 6th grade Gone with the Wind was playing 2 nights on TBS. My mom was recording it and on the 1st night I thought 'what a waste' and refused to watch it. The 2nd night I got caught up in the story and walked the library the next day and checked the book out.

I couldn't even wait to get home to start reading! I sat down at the table and read the first sentence, over and over. "Scarlett O'Hara was not beautiful." Ok, it's not even the entire first sentence, but I couldn't ge...more

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Jun 08, 2007

Heidi rated it

Recommends it for: EVERYONE!!!

this is the greatest book ever written. or to be written. i read it for the first time when i was 11 years old. there are over 1000 pages and it took me 7 days. it changed my life! i am a complete romantic and a total history buff. both of my loves were tapped in this novel to end all novels. the characters are rich and lively, the descriptions are colorful and flourishing without taking away from the actual storyline. the complexities of the characters are amusing, frustrating and heartbreaking...more

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Jan 07, 2010

Lobstergirl rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Strobe Talbott

Shelves: own, read-more-than-once, fiction

This is just a rollicking good yarn, no two ways about it. It will make you chortle like a drunken buffoon, and sob like a forlorn sissy. And sob you will, even though you read it long ago (before you developed emotions, apparently) and have seen the movie multiple times. It is that grievous. (See how I'm using the second person to distance myself a little from forlorn sissies?) You were just looking for a little escapism, and here you find yourself reading something on a par with King Lear...more

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Jan 10, 2012

Brad rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to Brad by: Chris Simkulet

Shelves: classic, lost-reviews

This review was written in the late nineties (for my eyes only), and it was buried in amongst my things until recently when I uncovered the journal in which it was written. I have transcribed it verbatim from all those years ago (although square brackets may indicate some additional information for the sake of readability or some sort of commentary from now). This is one of my lost reviews.

Only one other time can I remember being so moved by the death of a character as I was by the dea...more

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Jan 25, 2011

Mariel rated it

Recommends it for: those who give a damn

Recommended to Mariel by: fiddle dee do da fiddle dee yay

Shelves: babywecouldbefamous, coughhistoricalscough, coughsyphiliscough, happyhookers

[I'm starting to get a little freaked out by how many of my reviews mention The Princess Bride and Fred Savage... There could be a Mariel drinking game with that in it.]

Gone with the Wind has been in and out of my life for as long as I can remember. I recall protesting, "No way am I gonna like this!" Like Fred Savage in The Princess Bride film, only I was waaay cuter than him. I changed my mind about liking it a lot. I'm still changing my mind. 'Gone' seems dated to me, now...more[I'm starting to get a little freaked out by how many of my reviews mention The Princess Bride and Fred Savage... There could be a Mariel drinking game with that in it.]

Gone with the Wind has been in and out of my life for as long as I can remember. I recall protesting, "No way am I gonna like this!" Like Fred Savage in The Princess Bride film, only I was waaay cuter than him. I changed my mind about liking it a lot. I'm still changing my mind. 'Gone' seems dated to me, now. Increasingly dated, I should say. There was always the riveting stuff to distract me before. I should say it is my overall impression that is dated, not the "good parts" as Fred Savage would request. Perhaps because of the whole "sweeping" epicness. I don't dig the grand effect. I have a problem with any historical picture that tries to say for everybody what it was like. The small details? Bring 'em on.

There's the kinda quaintly look at slavery. My mama embarrassed me to no end bragging about how she's the only person she knows of who had an "authentic mammy" (like Scarlett had). [I swear that I didn't make up that she said "authentic".] She'd also express her coughs theories why integration ruined the American public school systems. The thing is, I came to realize (after many early days of raging through tears that she was wrong, wrong, wrong) that there was like this split part of her brain: half of it thought the way she was raised to think (my grandpa was an honest to god racist! southern cliche, and my grandmother was bragging last presidential election about coughs preventing coughs voting in Mississippi during the '60s). Then there was the side capable of pure reason (school systems are ruined 'cause of politics and tax dollars and butt scratching and fraud). None of this ever changed any of the friendships she's had. I still don't get it. Why did Scarlett think owning slaves was hunky dory? She didn't especially hate anyone or want them to suffer.

I think it was because Scarlett viewed absolutely everyone as, "They are all pawns to serve me, the queen". She wouldn't think deeper about their situations, for the slaves or for her blood. For the most part, I agree with Melanie that you take Scarlett as she is, and it is your own fault if you are shallow enough to be suckered in by it. Unless you're a slave, or one of her poor kids. I also hated Scarlett for how she treated those kids. The men I could care less about. The ethics of boyfriend stealing doesn't interest me.

It was funny, years later, when a drama teacher forced the class to watch the film version. Kids: "No way am I gonna like this!" The teacher and I exchanged knowing expressions [probably not, she didn't really like me. For some reason I was made to sit at the pregnant girls table in some judgemental pronouncement I don't understand to this day (there were five of them! I loved it when they called my reading choices porn [Jude the Obscure!]. Me: "YOU girls are preggers.") Then she'd pause the movie for the day on the exciting parts. Fred Savage protests! There are a lot of those parts in 'Gone' the book and movie. Too bad I can't mesh with the whole big picture vibe. The expiration date on this baby isn't forever because no one reads news headlines of the past. They want something more personal than generic grand sweeping. Or maybe S. Morgenstern can write a just the "good parts" version. Hey, I like that idea.

[I'm going to make a Fred Savage tip jar. Every time I ever bring him up again I have to put a dollar in it.](less)

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Aug 03, 2007

Theresa Abney rated it

Shelves: own, favorites

"Tomorrow is another day."

"Death and taxes and childbirth! There's never any convenient time for any of them!"

"The mothers of all her girlfriends impressed on their daughters the necessity of being helpless, clinging doe-eyed creatures. But she felt that if a man succumbed to premeditated feminine tricks, she could never respect him as she now did. Any man who was fool enough to fall for a whimper, a faint, and an 'Oh, how wonderful you are!' wasn...more

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Mar 06, 2008

Alia rated it

Recommends it for: Folks working on anti-racist work

This was my favorite book throughout junior high school. I remember reading it several times, then putting it away until my senior year of college. I wrote my senior history thesis on white stereotypes/nostalgia surrounding the "Mammy" character and my professor asked me to re-read GWTW again.

Although this book has chunks that are flat-out racist, portraying Black characters as simpletons who need the "gentle hand of civilizing slavery", it still makes for a facin...moreThis was my favorite book throughout junior high school. I remember reading it several times, then putting it away until my senior year of college. I wrote my senior history thesis on white stereotypes/nostalgia surrounding the "Mammy" character and my professor asked me to re-read GWTW again.

Although this book has chunks that are flat-out racist, portraying Black characters as simpletons who need the "gentle hand of civilizing slavery", it still makes for a facinating story and an excellent piece of literature. I can easily think of several examples of how and why Mitchell incorporates racism into this book. GWTW was written in the 1920s, not exactly the most shining period of race relations in the US, eh? GWTW is an idyllic look at the Old South by a white southern woman. What I did in my thesis was look at fiction such as GWTW, poetry and etc, written by white southerners after slavery had ended, then compared these works to true-life accounts of slavery- violence against Black women in particular. It doesn't trouble me that GWTW is racist. What troubles me is that there exist people today who deny that it's racist.

So why do I love this novel so much?

Scarlett O'Fucking Hara. Scarlett O'Hara is so ruthless, so tenacious and single-minded, it's pure entertainment to see how far she will go to get what she wants (men, money, a garish mansion when all of her "good society" friends are starving). What strikes me the most about Scarlett is how dead wrong she is about everyone else's emotions, thought processes and feelings. As a voyouristic reader, I get swept up into Scarlett's world and into the gossip scene of Atlanta. I find myself cheering her on for being such a rule breaker and havoc creater because she is a character of fiction. Were she to exist in real life, no one would really stand beside her- not even a Melanie. The only person she would have beside her would be Mammy and this would be because Mammy wouldn't have any other occupational choice available to her.(less)

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Jan 28, 2009

Alien Citizen rated it

This book = A racist piece of trash. Stay tuned for a more in depth analysis but if this is your favorite book then don't kid yourself that I would want to be friends with you. I think it says a lot about the United States and its bigoted culture that this is so celebrated a novel.

Addendum: See the comments to this review for the more in depth (albeit short) discussion for and against this novel.

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view all 24 comments

Katie hahahaha oh man you remind me of those people who think all Confederate memorials and statues are racist and should be burned to the ground. Wow, yay!...more
Jan 06, 2012 05:03pm

Katie The fact that the 16-year-old wealthy daughter of a plantation owner held views that we now recognize as racist shouldn't be shocking. Mitchell wrote ...more
Feb 02, 2012 10:43pm

Jan 14, 2011

Crystal Starr Light rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: classics, historical, simply-the-best

Tara Plantation, near Jonesborough, near Atlanta, Georgia

Katie "Scarlett" O'Hara is the most charming Southern belle, gathering the attention of beaux all over the surrounding areas. But when she learns the man she had been psuedo-courting, Ashley Wilkes, is marrying Melanie Hamilton from Atlanta, his cousin, she schemes to win him back. When he refuses, she immediately marries Charles Hamilton in spite. But Civil War has come to the South, and Scarlett quickly finds her...moreTara Plantation, near Jonesborough, near Atlanta, Georgia

Katie "Scarlett" O'Hara is the most charming Southern belle, gathering the attention of beaux all over the surrounding areas. But when she learns the man she had been psuedo-courting, Ashley Wilkes, is marrying Melanie Hamilton from Atlanta, his cousin, she schemes to win him back. When he refuses, she immediately marries Charles Hamilton in spite. But Civil War has come to the South, and Scarlett quickly finds herself a widow, stuck in Atlanta, with a child, unable to be the pretty belle she had been a few months prior. Will Scarlett ever get Ashley? What about the strange Rhett Butler character, who is constantly tweaking her? Will Scarlett and her family survive the war?
Let me preface my review with this: I don't read a lot of historical fiction or chick lit or romance or anything. My speciality is science fiction, fantasy, and urban fantasy. However, this book absolutely, positively blew me away!
At first, I found the novel a bit slow. There were so many characters, and at first, it seemed like nothing happened. But that wasn't to last. Quickly, I became interested in Scarlett's schemes to snatch Ashley away from Melanie, all the while hating her for her bad behavior. By the end of the book, there were points were I was in near tears.
Scarlett wasn't my favorite character. She was a rude, bitter, selfish woman. But I completely understood her predicament. To the reader, she was completely honest, despising her first husband's death (and life!), her dislike of children (don't see that much in romance do we!), her dislike of women's poor station (always having to act "silly" in front of the menfolk), and taking the reigns of business to make a life of her own. So while I didn't like her, I also didn't hate her. I understood what she was trying to do and found myself rooting for her against the odds. She is a brilliantly written character, so dynamic, multifaceted and full.
Melanie Hamilton was probably my favorite character. This might seem odd as she does come off as a Mary Sue--perfect and sweet to everyone, always right, yada, yada--and I hate Mary Sues. But I really never found Melanie a Mary Sue. Scarlett repeatedly downplays Melanie's beauty. Melanie is strong-willed and works diligently, but tires easily (such as when she works at Tara in the cotton fields). Like Scarlett, Melanie was definitely not a 1-D character. She appeared weak on the outside, while maintaining strenght in the face of danger, in the face of childbirth, in the face of hard times. She was a true inspiration to me.
Rhett Butler made me so furious, sometimes I wanted to slap him like Scarlett! But other times, he was so charming and debonair, that I wanted to melt in his arms like butter. I loved how forthright he was, how practical and realistic he was, and yet how at times, his passionate nature came through (joining the Confederate army at the end, for example).
Side characters, such as Miss Pittypat, Mammy, Dilcey, Pork, Uncle Peter, Mrs. Meade, Belle Watling, and more, jumped out at me. They felt like real people, people influenced by dreams, desires, and feelings. Probably one of the sweetest moments was when Dr. and Mrs. Meade were talking and she mentioned she would rather him be at Belle's than dead. Given what Mrs. Meade had been through, what she held dear, it was particularly poignant.
I could go on endlessly about the amazing life lessons and themes and symbols in the book. Quotes about the status of women at the time, about changing with the changing times, about strength of character, about being who you are, and about what is really important in life abound in this book. Most of the ones that really touched me may be found on my profile page, though the whole book is brimming with it.
As this deals with the South during the Civil War, there is much talk of slavery; one of the reasons, I believe, it has been so frequently placed on the Banned Books list. Some people believe that it shows slavery in a favorable light, that blacks were/are children that need to be tended by whites. My opinion is this: it shows how many white Southern plantation owners viewed slaves. Not all slave owners were Mr. Simon Legree of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Conversely, not all slave owners are like the O'Hara's. Yes, there are a lot of black stereotypes (Mammy, Prissy, etc.), but this is a snapshot into the past. You can't take this book and try to force modern views of civil rights and racism into it. However, I do believe it makes a brilliant discussion piece: comparing Scarlett and other Southern whites' views of blacks with other accounts (such as Uncle Tom's Cabin or the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn).
All in all, this is a brilliant book, made more excellent by the narrator, who deftly interprets the Southern dialect and accents for the listener. I thoroughly enjoyed it and was heart-broken, but inspired, when it ended. I highly recommend, even to those, like me, who aren't big into historical fiction.(less)

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Aug 10, 2009

Helynne rated it

Gone with the Wind has had such phenomenal world popularity over the decades and has been reviewed so many times, that I am sure the world is not waiting for my comments. However, as this is one of my all-time favorite books, I really feel the need to put in some of the reasons for my five-start rating. Gone with the Wind has never been included in the realm of great literature, probably because of its sheer readability and compelling narration that kept most of us as teen-agers turning page...moreGone with the Wind has had such phenomenal world popularity over the decades and has been reviewed so many times, that I am sure the world is not waiting for my comments. However, as this is one of my all-time favorite books, I really feel the need to put in some of the reasons for my five-start rating. Gone with the Wind has never been included in the realm of great literature, probably because of its sheer readability and compelling narration that kept most of us as teen-agers turning pages furiously through the wee-small hours of the night. But, then again, Les Miserables, which takes place in approximately the same time period, is not considered great literature, either (certainly not anything in the realm of its contemporaries Madame Bovary or Le Rouge et le Noir), for basically the same reasons. But Victor Hugo is deservedly recognized as a great man of letters for his other works, especially his poetry. One can only wonder why Margaret Mitchell, who lived several years after the publication of her great tour de force, did not bless the rest of us with more literary works, some of which may well have leapt into a higher level of literary luminescence. Great literature standards aside, Gone with the Wind is a marvelous book because of its wonderful characters, so realistic and well developed, and the sheer breadth of its scope. We all studied in school about slavery, the Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation, the resoration period, the carpet-baggers, etc., but this story really makes that period of history come alive through the involvement of its vivid characters in these monumental events as well as their everyday activities in the 19th-century American South--cuisine, fashion, manners, taboos, etc.. From the very first line of the book, "Scarlett O'Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom noticed it when caught in her charms as the Tarlton boys were" to the very last line, "I'll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day!" the story crackles with intensity, deep meaning, and superior reader appeal, and makes us care about these people and how they will fare through all the tragedy and difficulty that war, depression, and readjustment to an entirely different post-war world thurst upon them. Ashley Wilkes may not be the strongest or most admirable character in the novel, but one really feels for the type of person he is--raised in a world that had a certain kind of dreaminess and symetry--like Greek art--where he could "quietly watch life go by, never really being a part of it." Ashley realizes after his brave service in the Confederate Army that such rich, plantation life is over forever (hence, the title, which is never really explained in the book, only hinted at). Now, Ashley and many like him have been catapulted into world in which they will never really fit. Splitting rails in the windswept orchard of Tara--work for which he will never be suited--Ashley tells Scarlett that their former world of plantations and slavery is facing a kind of Gotterdammerung--a twilight of the gods--an aftermath of war wherein only the strong will survive and the weak will be winnowed out. Ashley is perceptive enough to recognize how close he is to personal destruction because his world is now gone. How Scarlett and others keep from being winnowed out is not always a admirable story, but certainly an inspirational tale of determination and survival. One always remembers Scarlett, Rhett, Ashley, Melanie, Mammy, and the hysterical Prissy, but other characters push the action along as well--Gerald O'Hara, faithful Pork, silly Aunt Pittypat, haughty Dolly Merriweather, Frank Kennedy, and Belle Watling, the good-hearted madam and as good a Confederate patriot as there ever was. I also like Archie, who was left out of the four-hour film, but is still an interesting example of survival and unyielding loyalty to a cause. Great book, great read, great entertainment. The film is wonderful, but not enough. Grab the long, printed saga, and enjoy!(less)

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Nov 23, 2011

Monique rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, 50-bucket-list-books, classics, drama, fiction, historical-fiction, kindle, romance, tv-film-adaptation

In law school, my friends and I used to have this guess-the-movie game using famous lines. One such line was, “Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.” Not having read the classic book from which it was lifted, I had no clue then that it was a line by Rhett Butler from the movie adaptation of the novel, Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell. I was to learn later that Gone With The Wind has been touted to be “one of the most romantic novels of all time”, and that it's one of those bucket...more

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Jun 23, 2008

Judy rated it

Shelves: romance

Having a hard time slogging through the blatant racism in this book. Times sure have changed. And thank God for that.

Okay, nearly forty years since I first read it, the epic love story against the brutality of the Civil War still manages to sweep me up.

But the racism still wrankles, especially the glorification of the Ku Klux Klan--southern gentlemen had no other choice. They weren't bullies terrorizing people because of the color of their skin, they were protecting thei...more

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Jan 08, 2009

Jeana rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: book-club-books, beloved-classics

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 11, 2008

Brian rated it

Recommends it for: Emily, Melisa

Recommended to Brian by: Laura Dix

Well, finished this a few weeks ago after occasional gaps in progress and indeed enjoyed it immensely. I was probably a little premature after reading two chapters to dismiss it as white-supremacist propaganda.

Still, the book's depiction of slavery is justifiably controversial, and apparently a wide range of views have been speculatively assigned to the author. I'm willing to buy Em's offering that it's written from the authentic viewpoint of the slave-holding aristocracy without Mi...more

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Jun 16, 2007

Matthew Klobucher rated it

This is probably one of the most famous stories ever to be written by an American author, though perhaps few now have read the book (and marginally more have seen the movie). It is a brutal romance, filled with sweeping generalizations and overwhelming stereotypes, but nevertheless the characters have an evident humanity about them. Scarlett and Rhett are both disgustingly large personalities, and Ashley is disgustingly weak; the only really pleasant character is Melanie (who suffers constantly ...more

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Jun 25, 2011

Lara rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: people who are curious about the popularity of this novel and want to think for themselves

Recommended to Lara by: many people, particularly women

Shelves: historical-fiction, southern, favorites, gwtw

I've resisted writing a review of this novel for a long time, mostly because there is so much to say about this novel that I feel overwhelmed just attempting to summarize my thoughts. There is a reason this novel has received so many accolades and attracts so many devoted fans each year. This is one of the most powerful and complex anti-war novels I have ever read, and I wish more people would realize the brilliance of this novel. Sadly, I think far too many people are quick to reduce Gone with ...more

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Aug 30, 2009

Aimee rated it

Shelves: historical-fiction, classic-fiction

I read this book my junior year of high school and became so involved in Scarlets life that when the book ended I was a totally lost person. I think everyone should read this book once. It is a classic and a classic for a reason. The drama of the relationships makes for many late night readings and the history around the civil war is really interesting. I know many have said that it didn't represent the South accurately but I wasn't reading for historical correctness.

I could read...more

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Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
What do you think? Book or film?	166	373	3 hours, 25 min ago
Melanie or Scarlett?	57	238	Feb 07, 2012 08:22am
Gone With The Win...: Gone With the Wind Movie MIGHT CONTAIN SPOILERS	2	3	Feb 07, 2012 04:31am
Rhett or Ashley?	203	565	Feb 02, 2012 11:58am
Gone With The Win...: Chapters 1-7	12	14	Jan 30, 2012 03:53am
Did Scarlet deserve Rhett?	12	101	Jan 16, 2012 03:11am
Yeah! The Book w...: Book -v- Movie : Which Was Better For You?	14	28	Jan 02, 2012 08:56pm

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About Margaret Mitchell

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell, popularly known as Margaret Mitchell, was an American author, who won the Pulitzer Prize in 1937 for her novel, Gone with the Wind, published in 1936. The novel is one of the most popular books of all time, selling more than 28 mill...more

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Quotes from Gone With the Wind

“No, I don't think I will kiss you, although you need kissing, badly. That's what's wrong with you. You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how.” — 625 people liked it

“My dear, I don't give a damn.” — 441 people liked it

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