Gone with the Wind
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Anyone read this book? I want your opinion.
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Rachel
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rated it 5 stars
Jan 13, 2013 09:22PM
LOVE this book!! Such a beautifully written story that I wanted to start reading over again when I was done, probably my favorite book of all time!
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its truly awesome. you must give it a try.
This is one of my top ten books ever!!!! I love strong feminine characters and Scarlett is one of the strongest. She may be a bitch sometimes but she gains a grudging respect. Long and tedious but it gives a personal view of the civil war and how it effected the higher society. I cried so hard at the end. This is a piece of literature that must be read by every woman. It will stay with me until I die. If I ever have a daughter, she will be named Scarlett.
I never have read this book. I did see the movie and hated it. It made me not want to read the book. Maybe I will have to give it a try. I didn't like the movie just kind of ended and we never really know what happened to Scarlett or Rhett. I like everything all wrapped up neatly and tied with a bow.
For me, Heather, having a movie end without "Hollywood's tie it up in a pretty or sad bow" is the time to use my imagination. I prefer my imagination, which the book allowed for as well. You may not like that ...;o))
Scarlett is not by Margaret Mitchell. Mitchell only wrote one book. Scarlett was written by Alexandria Ripley. Rhett Butler's People was also written by somebody else. Both inferior to GWTW. I had to stop reading Rhett Butler's People when it said the Flint River froze. That is as likely to happen as when Hell does.
Gone with the Wind is written with Scarlett as one the main characters which was written by Margaret Mitchell. The book ( written as a sequal to Gone with the Wind ) of coarse was not written by Margaret Mitchell. The sequal I lost interest in and never finished.
Gayle wrote: "Yes, I've read the book so many times, it's worn out. It's one of the best books ever written (in my opinion) I also have Scarlett by Margaret Mitchell. It's good but not quite as good as GONE WIT..."I agree 100%. I just wish she could have lived to write a sequal and not someone else. She was a true writer which i feel anyone who can read a book more than once must have been given a great talent by God. I waited for the sequal written by another author and was so dissapointed as it completly was not "I feel" that Scarlet would have done.
I read it years ago. Maybe history is just too important to me but historically, it isn't just inaccurate, it is trash. I almost always read non-fiction because of this. Most Americans are already ignorant of their history so when a historical novel plays fast and loose with the truth, it adds to that ignorance because most people won't recognize the inaccuracies and aren't going to read anything that will set them straight.
it's really good. way better than the movie (in my opinion)
Gone With the Wind is the end-all, be-all of epic novels! A must-read if ever there was one. Do not miss it!
My all time favorite book ! Re- reader.....I have a first edition..courtesy of my librarian grandma and I cherish it.....by reading it ! Lol
Read it in high school about 22 years ago. My absolute favorite back then!
Maryamk514 wrote: "I'm aware that there's a movie called "Gone with the wind". But I've been told that the book is way more amazing than the movie. If you read this book, please give me your opinion."Most books are better than the movies. There is a greater reason to sympathize with Old Scarlet in the book. HOWEVER, the romanticism of slavery and the old plantation life does not appeal upon a second or third reading or indeed viewing of the movie.
The book told me much more about slavery than history classes in school ever came near to. From that perspective I completely appreciated the book. Romanticism ???
It is one of my favorite books, the first time I read it I was 17 years old. I'm 34 now and I read it once a year
Maryamk514 wrote: "I'm aware that there's a movie called "Gone with the wind". But I've been told that the book is way more amazing than the movie. If you read this book, please give me your opinion."This is a great book. The movie was good, but the book is much better. More character development and history. After reading it so many times it is my go to book for rainy cold days.
In a "nut shell" Gone with the Wind is one of my all time favourite books! I first read it many years ago and have revisited it several times. This book is a classic in the true sense and a must read for anyone who is a 'Romantic'. It is an epic drama of Romantic American Civil War history, family and sense of place. It's a compelling read and should be on everyones book shelf, in my opinion!
I've read it twice but will probably read again soon. Great book! Best I've ever read.
Holly wrote: "My suggestion....watch the movie first. The book is always better than the movie.....if you read the book first the movie will be a disappointment, but if you watch the movie first you will enjoy ..."vice versa!
LOVE this book! It was wonderful. I loved it so much that I never watched the movie though bc I knew it couldnt be nearly as good as the book. Its definitely a must read!
One of the best books in the world. I've probably read it about 5 or 6 times too. I remember taking an old copy off of my Mom's book self when I was about 12 or 14 and reading it over the summer, staying up late, I couldn't put it down. It started my love of Historical Novels/Romance.
They dont get together in the end!
Analise wrote: "I love this book, it's one of my favorites. I recomend that you watch the movie first and make sure you have enough time to read the book it took me about a month and i'm a fast reader."Took a month?! I got it from our library on Friday (when I was 11 years old) and I finished it after school on Monday. Granted I hardly did anything else during that weekend, even read it at a family friend's birthday :-P (I found it on her bookshelf and I was also the only child there, so it didn't really matter) but still...
I saw the movie first because that's how I learned about the book but I would recommend reading it first. But it is probably my all-time favourite movie, too. Also I think it does sugarcoat somewhat about the life in the Deep South but that is what fiction does. And Scarlett has since been my favourite charactor, Rhett too.
There is a reason that this book has stood the test of time and the movie, too. It's great!!!! The four main characters--Scarlett, Rhett, Ashley and Melanie are amazingly well drawn. The descriptions of the era and scenery are amazing. I've read it several times and enjoy it more each time I read it.
Why? Where's the pull? Melanie is holier than thou and unbelievable. I dont think ppl come like that anymore. Ashley is a misfit. Scarlett is self-centered and selfish. Rhett is crazy in love and then suddenly he is out of love. The End.
maryAnn wrote: "The book told me much more about slavery than history classes in school ever came near to. From that perspective I completely appreciated the book. Romanticism ???"maryAnn wrote: "The book told me much more about slavery than history classes in school ever came near to. From that perspective I completely appreciated the book. Romanticism ???"
Gone with the wind is just about the worst place you can go to learn about slavery. That isn't history. Your high school history classes may not have been good but the picture of slavery presented in that book is rubbish. Read books by actual historians if you want to learn about slavery, There are hundreds available.
What can you tell us about slavery? Where to read about slavery?
What can you tell us about slavery? Where to read about slavery?
Muxmei wrote: "Why? Where's the pull? Melanie is holier than thou and unbelievable. I dont think ppl come like that anymore. Ashley is a misfit. Scarlett is self-centered and selfish. Rhett is crazy in love and t..."Well the book was published in the 1930s and happened 70 years earlier so people would be different then. Melanie was the perfect Southern lady like she was brought up to be. Ashley a misfit? I don't get it. Scarlett was a complex character and that made her interesting. Rhett was in love but too much happened. The ending was pretty perfect for me. (But did you have to spoil it?)
Also, for me this was a story of survival, doing what you had to do and it was all done by a woman. She wasn't a very good or a kind woman but she took care of Melanie and later Tara and people living there. So calling her selfish doesn't really do her justice. She did become hard but that was out of necessity. She was a strong but flawed person and I think that's why Rhett fell in love with her in the first place.
maryAnn wrote: "What can you tell us about slavery? Where to read about slavery?"There are a group of narratives on slavery written by slaves or in some cases, dictated to people who wrote them down. It was a federally funded project and I believe people from all the Southern states contributed. I have read the one from North Carolina and found it very interesting. Also, Frederick Douglas wrote about his life as a slave- pretty awful stuff. Eric Foner, one of the foremost historians of the Civil War era describes slavery in most of his books. The Fiery Trial, nothing but freedom are just two of his books but there are many, many more. Dark Bargain by Lawrence Goldstone is excellent. Read also about the Dredd Scott decision. Howard Zinn wrote about slavery in his history of the U.S. This is just a few examples but there are entire libraries on the subject.
Tytti wrote: " (But did you have to spoil it?)"agreed- it was uncalled for the first time, much less the second.
Amazing book, definitely should read it, and see the movie; however, I think you should read the BOOK first--that's always my rule of thumb. You will get much more context & the original intent of the author, and then can enjoy seeing how it was put on film. The movie's Scarlett and Rhett are perfectly cast--exactly how I'd imagined them in reading.
Yes. I loved it. The style may be hard to get used to, as it's very descriptive, but it's a great book.
this book will always remain my favorite of all time. the American history, the beautiful scenery, the friendships, the romance. I could go on and on. I love this book. I noticed some of the above comments noted reading the sequel Scarlett...as far as I am aware Scarlett is not approved by Mitchell's estate. However if you want to get another take read RHETT BUTLER'S PEOPLE starts with Rhett's back story...Gone with the Wind from his perspective and then a follow up. its really good. and approved by the estate.
I first read it 45 years ago. It was an old paperback copy that my mother had. It's a great story. I laughed, I cried, I got upset and rejoiced. All of Scarlet's scheming didn't help her in the end. I liked Rhett. I guess I like the bad boys. I never read the sequel. I was happy with Margaret Mitchell's ending.
One of my favorite books!
The movie is great. Vivien Leigh is fantastic and did a great job at bringing Scarlett to life. However, the book is quite different where Scarlett's life is concerned. With the movie being made at a time when a woman marrying several times and having babies at every turn was shunned, these interesting things are left out of the movie. I am glad I read the book before I saw the movie.I love this book. It's my favorite book of all time. What the character, Scarlett, does in this book to survive is amazing. The movie isn't like the book.
I have read this book more than 20 times since I was 12 years old. The movie is good but the book of course has so much more to offer in detail and explaination. It is a wonderful read that is every bit a classic.
Holly wrote: "My suggestion....watch the movie first. The book is always better than the movie.....if you read the book first the movie will be a disappointment, but if you watch the movie first you will enjoy ..."I agree watch the movie first and then read the book. Otherwise like me, you will be saying, that didnt happen like that etc lol
Wanda wrote: "With the movie being made at a time when a woman marrying several times and having babies at every turn was shunned, these interesting things are left out of the movie. "I don't think that was the reason for (these) changes. Considering that the finished movie is already 3.5 hours long they had to leave something out of it. Scarlett's other children (and some other minor characters) would have made it longer without adding much to the main story.
Victoria wrote: "I have a yearly watching of GWTW as it's the number one grossing movie of all time when you factor out inflation and use real numbers. First ever color movie (though that honor should go to the Wiz..."The movie is slightly less racist than the book. But the stereotypes are present in both. The idea of "happy slaves" going off to fight for the South; African Americans presented as complete morons; African Americans are always loyal to their masters. Is it not bothersome enough to warrent comment from most people here?
Read it - loved it. The film was great too. Sometime after reading the book, I came across a sequel. This was written by another author Alexandra Ripley and it was called Scarlet. I didn't think I would enjoy it as it was written by someone else but I did. So if you enjoyed Gone with the Wind - you might enjoy this too!
Best book ever. Margaret Mithell wrote the book in her Atlanta home, only book she wrote, but she put her heart and a lot of southern life in the 30's in the book. I read it first when I was 10 years old and half a dozen times since (it's been a while since I was 10). Book is so much better than the movie. After you read GWTW, read Scarlett, by Alexandra Ripley, then read Rhett Butler's People, by Donald McCaig. There has never been another character like Scarlett, never will be.
i cant wait to read it again...
me too,i want read it,hope it's worth
Colleen wrote: The movie is slightly less racist than the book. But the stereotypes are present in both. The idea of "happy slaves" going off to fight for the South; African Americans presented as complete morons; African Americans are always loyal to their masters. Is it not bothersome enough to warrent comment from most people here? I think if people read GWTW as "that's the way A-A were back then" or treat it as actual history, yes, it's a BIG problem. There's also the stereotype of the drunken Irishman with a chip on his short shoulder, for that matter.
But the POV is from the white characters, who mostly took for granted the black people in their lives. Slaveowners had a racist attitude? Well, d'uh! Although I thought that the A-A characters, for the most part, were rather heroic and not at all stupid. Like battered wives, they did what they had to do to survive and find some small bits of happiness along the way.
I think that people "hook into" Scarlett because she is a survivor and a strong woman, and because we see deeper into her flaws and problems than with almost any other fictional character. We see her being afraid, being bullheaded and stubborn, being determined to feed her large extended family out of pride, being jealous and petty and vain. Mitchell manages to reveal Scarlett in such a way that the reader sees things about her that Scarlett cannot see about herself.
I don't remember just how old I was when I read the book -- probably high school, possibly junior high. I HATED, HATED, HATED Scarlett O'Hara!!!! She is so spoiled, self-centered, bratty, dishonorable, and just skates on the surface of life. However, after both seeing the movie (yrs ago) and reflecting on it now, I can see that she does grow in some ways. Scarlett also might be seen as a symbol of the South itself, think about that for a bit while reading it. She is determined to survive and overcome, and achieve some kind of prosperity after the devastation of the war.
The movie has its merits, I don't think it is a disappointment at all. A movie would have to be a miniseries to translate the whole novel onto film. The film is a CLASSIC, it does brilliantly what movies do best. It hits you with the breadth and scope of the devastation, with the fire in Atlanta and the acres of injured soldiers crying out for medical assistance. It also showed the humorous aspects of many scenes, a tricky thing to do. Like the one where Scarlett finds she has been overheard by Rhett when she poured out her silly heart to Ashley.
So I have written too much probably, but there's a lot to both the book and the movie, and you should really see/read both if you can. At least once.
I have read it so many times I can't remember this would have to be in my top ten books. It seems like every time I read it I get something different from it depending on what is going on in my life. There are times I have hated Scarlett and times I have loved her and hated her. I read it when I was 13, my mom was tired of my reading the skinny books to quickly. I saw the movie way before I read the book and while most are right the movie just didn't do the book justice, I can't imagine how long the movie would have been if they followed the book. Plus CLARK GABLE was a perfect Rhett Butler. I might add that last count I had 13 Gone with the wind Christmas ornaments.
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