Anyone read this book? I want your opinion.

[Nancy]

By all means let's get into the race issue...please! It's a great book...must this enter every discussion??

[Nicholas]

I resisted reading it for many years, but was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the story telling when I finally did get round to it.

Even downloaded it on to my Kindle last month for a re-read one day.

[Jindejak (elsewhere? how?)]

I loved the book & the movie both. I had seen the movie years before reading the book & the accuracy and purity of David O. Selznick's casting and actually following the story has made it the standard I base all books to movies.

Yes - Some characters were glossed over but the movie was almost 4 hours long so I give him some leeway. I loved that the characters in the movie LOOKED like the characters in the book. I mean seriously can you even imagine Bette Davis as Scarlett??

My favorite character in both the movie & the book though was Mammy. She has some of the best lines & insight into the primary characters (even if they aren't the most known or quoted).

The book is great for explaining why people are the way they are a back story that can't really be explained in movies without "memory sequences".

The book/movie is about Scarlett & Rhett not Scarlett's first 2 husbands or children. The husbands are very minor characters in the book - albeit important as catalysts toward the woman that Scarlett becomes. I believe this was why Selznick chose to keep those characters to a minimum in the movie as well.

Anyway a great book/movie that has stood the test of time & will most likely always b on my top 10 list.

[LeeAnna]

I loved the book! read it twice, I've seen the movie repeatedly. The book is lengthy but worth the read especially if you are a fan of the film. I saw the movie first which could have had something to do with it but there are differences between the two. either way Scarlett on paper or on screen is fantastic!

[Gulsara]

The book is just more than excellent !! Perhaps you'll need a lot of patience to keep going. It is one of the epic books. And the movie too does justice to the book, though certainly novel is always better than the movie.
The characters, plot, and history are unforgettable. A must read !!

[Linda]

Like most everybody IS watched the move first, in fact I was an adult before I read the book, the book was great. The books are usually better than the movie, another classic example is the Thornbirds.

[Kari]

HATED it! Read it long before I saw the movie and I thought Scarlett was a whiny, spoiled rotten girl who couldn't get over herself. I was so mad at the ending, I almost threw the book out the window. WASTE of my time and I'm glad I crossed it off my "to read" list so I never have to torture myself again.

[Barb]

I think most books are better than the movie. I read roots years and years ago and then I read it again. I would never see the movie because I didn't want to ruin what was in my head from the book. Does that sound kinda weird? B

[Linda]

I read that book many years ago and enjoyed it.

[Marc]

I think the beauty of GWTH is how well developed and realistic the characters are. Even the second tier or third tier characters are all people I know in this day and age.

Human nature and human personalities don't change with time. The very same vices and virtues that were present 5,000 years ago or 200 years ago are still very much at work today.

I think a book becomes a classic or masterpiece when the author is able to tap into that timeless aspect of human nature. I know Scarletts, Rhetts, Ashleys, Wills, and Mammies today.

Just as we don't like all the behavior of people in our present day lives, if a book is going to be true than we should find characters we find less appealing.

The closest two books to GWTH that I have ever read would be "Dr. Zhivago" and "Losing Julia." The first being a Russian classic and the second a still unknown brilliant book that amazes me it wasn't bigger or made into a movie. However once again great books have real characters that pass the test of time.

[Tytti]

Marc wrote: "I think the beauty of GWTH is how well developed and realistic the characters are. Even the second tier or third tier characters are all people I know in this day and age.

Human nature and human ..."

I agree with your thoughts, Marc, I, too, prefer my characters with faults. Based on your review and other favourites I would like to recommend you this book The Egyptian. I think you might like it.

[Jennifer]

Gone With the Wind is the ultimate romance with an awesome cliffhanger ending. Scarlett O'Hara is fiery, clever, selfish, daring, and brave. She manipulates others to get what she wants, but she's also a fighter. Watching her grow from a self-absorbed, shallow young woman into a hard-working, fierce woman who never gives up is a fascinating journey. I wouldn't want to be friends with Scarlett, but I love watching her blaze through others' lives. :)

[Marc]

Tytti- thanks for the recommendation, I'll check it out.

Jen- I'm not sure I would classify GWTH as a romance, maybe it's just me being a guy and not wanting to admit liking a book in that genre.

I found Scarlett fascinating, I even know several Scarlett's in real life. They don't have friends, they have victims/targets. However as skilled, beautiful, or intelligent as they might be they all have a huge fatal flaw they are blind to that the outside world can readily see (they are not all female either). I have found these personalities most useful when things are at the worst, their steel and grit are a most useful asset in dark hours. However it's important to remember they will someday turn on you.

[Nita]

I read GWTW twice. Once as a child (12 yrs. old)then as an adult fifteen years later. Loved it both times. The only book I've read twice. I'm glad I read the book before the movie even came out. It was fascinating to see how my imagination compared with the movie. Favorably. I had a vivid imagination.
Nita

[Melissa]

The book is definitely a great read. I highly recommend it. There's more depth to the characters and you really get a feel for the country torn apart by war.

[Linda]

I agree, its superbly written, a true classic.

[Tina]

This was my favorite book when I was a teenager...I read it so many times the book binding started coming apart and many of the pages fell out. I love that time in history, very romantic and loved the way women dressed.

Years later I watched the movie, which was good, however I kept waiting for many things from the book to happen in the movie but they never showed them. Even so the movie brought to life the book....I loved the costumes, setting, and the actors were fantastic....

There is another book that continues the story, Scarlet and the movie Scarlet. The book was not written by Margaret Mitchel, so seems to be somewhat different in writing style. I missed the original cast from Gone With The Wind in the movie Scarlet.


Blessings, Tina

[Jayne]

It's a long time since I've read it, but I list it amongst my favourite books. It is meticulously researched, but the writing is so good that it doesn't feel like a dissertation on the Civil War. I can't believe Margaret Mitchell never wrote anything else. It was her magnum opus I guess. When they paid her $100 for the film rights, she was robbed. Read it and give it a try. It's long, but worth it.

[Vivian]

My FAVORITE novel of all time (: #forreal !! I love this book and there is so much more to the book. Read it.

[[deleted user]]

I read this for the first time in middle school and have read it about once a year since. I would always rather read the book first, though!

[Pauline]

This is my favourite book of all time.

Scarlett O'Hara is the most stunning creations in literature, as is Rhett Butler. The weak character is Ashley. I know Scarlett doesn't understand him but as a writer, I do think Margaret Mitchell needed to give us more depth into his weakness, just as she gives depth to Scarlet's feisty callousness and Rhett's hopeless desire and love for her.

I'm disappointed with the Foreward - very poor quality and the book deserves someone of literary standing to give it a more authoritative appraisal.

My two worn copies sit on my shelf, the pages almost falling out from my devouring of them.

[Colleen]

Beverly wrote: "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 ..."

The problem is that most people do not read history- they read books like GWTW and take what they read as history. They do believe that stuff.

[Colleen]

Jayne wrote: "It's a long time since I've read it, but I list it amongst my favourite books. It is meticulously researched, but the writing is so good that it doesn't feel like a dissertation on the Civil War. ..."

Jayne wrote: "It's a long time since I've read it, but I list it amongst my favourite books. It is meticulously researched, but the writing is so good that it doesn't feel like a dissertation on the Civil War. ..."

It doesn't feel like a dissertation on the Civil War. Good Lord, how many dissertations have you read? The research is not meticulous- it is sloppy and inaccurate. This is pure fantasy- fantasy at the expense of history.

[Sherrie]

GWTW is one of my favorite books for many reasons. Several people on this string have posted great comments about it. The love story of Rhett and Scarlet is the vehicle for the story of the end of a way of life. The Civil War ended slavery (as we knew it then), and an economic and social way of life. Scarlett and Rhett's lives are sideswiped by trying to survive it. It's so much more than just a romance novel. Scarlet may be a brat but she did what she had to do to survive. All of the characters are caught in either trying to hold on to the old way or finding a way to survive in the new.
I didn't like the sequel at all. I wish I hadn't read it. I would have preferred to have left things with the question mark. I agree with those that think their paths continued to cross - but I don't ever see them together riding quietly into the sunset.

[DENISA]

I LOVED and still LOVE this book. Every time it was assigned in school to one of children, I ended up reading it again.. lol Course my son, when he was in 9th grade was assigned it and well it was a bit hard to sell to him..

[VJ]

Sherrie wrote: "GWTW is one of my favorite books for many reasons. Several people on this string have posted great comments about it. The love story of Rhett and Scarlet is the vehicle for the story of the end of ..."

Insightful synopsis. I like the personal and political histories of the Irish and Mitchell's flesh and blood that undergirds the story. It is a story of the continued resilience of the Irish in another new land.

[Chesky_division]

Great book I read it because the movie is so wonderful. There was a sequel to it, I thing It came out in the late 8o's early 90's it how ever left a lot to be desired..

[Jaima]

Nannette wrote: "I honestly can't remember how old I was when I read this book, likely late teens after seeing the movie. I adored it, Ashley is a sad and weak character one you'll either completely dislike or jus..."

Completely agree. I love Scarlett, because she has those hateful moments. I read two different sequels, Scarlett and Rhett Butler's People. Liked the second better, but again, I liked the story just fine where Mitchell left it.

[Linda]

Every ,time I see one of her movies on TV IS miss

[Loriann]

One of my all time favs

[Linda]

I read the book when I was really into historical fiction. I felt a part of the deep South and horror of the Civil War. The characters were true to the times. I did love the book.
Another historical novel I loved was A Land Remembered by Patrick Smith; a story about Florida in the rough and tumble days. Hard to eke out a living in the sandy soil, driving rains, and mosquitoes in the snake and gator filled swamplands.

[Barbara]

I can recommend "Gone With the Wind." Let's face it, Margaret Mitchell is just a good writer and story teller. That being said, this is not a novel of how things really were in the 1860's, it is a novel of how southerners liked to think it was like in the 1930's. It is racists and depicts Black Americans as simplistic children who need to be taken care of. I too had a friend who quit reading it because she couldn't stand Scarlett, but hey, if she were nice, there would be no story. Keep in mind that it is also semi-autobiographical of Margaret Mitchell. The book you need to read after "Gone With the Wind" is "The Road to Tara."Road to Tara: The Life of Margaret Mitchell Anne Edwards

[Barbara]

Paula wrote: "I actually wrote my master's thesis on GWTW and found it to be an interesting blend of history and Old South mythology. I think it really reveals more about southern women of the 1920's, when it w..."

I agree, it's about the way Southern's in the 20's and 30's wanted to think the anti-bellum days were, not what they actually were. Definately written from the white persepctive.

[Barbara]

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."

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 ..."

For the book vs movie discussion: My Mom was a Wisconsin farm girl (from the 1920's) who never went beyond the 7th grade (which was not uncommon on a farm back then) but, myself being young, and the know-it-all-ness that young people always seem to have, I thought she never read much, but apparently she did. I had read the book, and had told her I was going to see the movie. She only said that when I saw Ashley in the movie, I would be disappointed. She was exactly right. Sometimes our parents are alot more perceptive than we think.

[Alexandra]

Ow god i remember when i boght it . i was waching the mouvie first but when i got the book i was like ow this is not in the mouvie what will happen next . And i do think u shuld continue with scarlett . It gives the entire picture and you would understand it difrently

[Jenna]

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.
Exactly! One of my kids called Scarlet a "good person" last week. I wouldn't go so far as to say good, but she certainly was determined. And there was some growth over time.

[Judy]

Read "Gone With the Wind" about 55 years ago. Liked it a lot. Don't re-read because there are so many books I want to read.

[Anne]

GONE WITH THE WIND......

Oh, I lived and breathed this book when I was in 7th grade. I was not a reader, but I picked up this 1100 page tome at the library and soon was immersed in the Civil War and the wonderful characters Margaret Mitchell penned.

If you've seen the movie, don' let that deter you from reading the book. It is a wonderful experience.

[DENISA]

I read this book many years ago as a teenager...required in Literature Theory... I then read it again as an adult in later years... I enjoyed it much more as an adult..rather than when we picked it apart in High school... I personally think it is a must read...Women will enjoy it more than the male gender and Historians will argue certain points but.. I loved it...

[kate]

Read the book. Skip the movie. Scarlett in the book was a survivor trying to keep her family together at all cost. Scarlett in the movie was shallow. EG. Scarlet in the movie doesn't want to sleep with Rhett anymore because she is worried losing her figure. Scarlet in the book doesn't want to sleep with him because she has just had her third child and every time she gets in bed with a man she gets pregnant. A problem in pre birth control days. The movie never captured her character. It was 1939 or so and strong women were not good box office. At least not in the old south.

[Cheri]

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."

I have always felt this way about any book that was made into a movie. GWTW is so much better in print...and I LOVE the movie.

[VJ]

Kay wrote: "Read the book. Skip the movie. Scarlett in the book was a survivor trying to keep her family together at all cost. Scarlett in the movie was shallow. EG. Scarlet in the movie doesn't want to sle..."

Good assessment.

[VJ]

I read and reread GWTW. The last time I read it I was looking into the Irish angle. Scarlett's father, Gerald, was a landless immigrant who married well. There is a lot of subtle discussion of Ireland, her culture, that forms a backdrop to the story.

Every time I read GWTW, I find something new to fascinate my interest. Scarlett is, of course, a marvelous character to observe. She is a survivor, she has wits and gumption, as well as being pretty ruthless for a woman.

GWTW is a great read.