2015 Group Read for March - Gone with the Wind

[Martha]

This thread is for discussion of the March group read of Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell that is scheduled to begin on March 20 and tentatively end on May 19. You may read GWTW at any time and the thread will remain open.

[Martha]

This topic is now open for discussion.

I hope to begin reading this one in a day or 2. Am trying to finish a couple that I've been dragging on with for some time now. Had a busy weekend ... my basketball team of Special Olympics athletes won the state championship in their division on Sunday. I'm so proud of them all. My oldest son is on the team. They were all beside themselves with excitement. The team coach was getting teary-eyed. He's had stage 4 renal cancer for 2 years & I'm so glad they could win this for him. He's done wonders with this group ... they won state in 2011 also. He had a sister with Down's Syndrome who died a few years ago. When I was looking for a coach for a team (I don't know enough about the game to coach it, but do the skills and am head coach for the agency), he heard about it and said, "I can do that." He did get an assistant a couple of years ago.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to reading GWTW again. I think I was in HS when I read it.

[Book Concierge]

My favorite "review" of GWTW came from my high school friend - and I am giving you FAIR WARNING - if you haven't read the book yet, this review contains spoilers ...

(view spoiler)["This is the story of Rhett Butler who loves Scarlett O'Hara, who loves Ashley Wilkes, who loves Melanie Hamilton, who loves everybody including town tart Belle Watling, who loves Rhett Butler, who loves Scarlet O'Hara, who loves ..." (hide spoiler)]

I re-read it (on audio) a couple of years ago. Fantastic book. Can hardly wait for discussion to begin.

[Martha]

I look forward to reading that review, but won't now. It's been so long since I read it that I'm sure I've forgotten much of it.

[Rosina]

I will join in on this group read....I have been meaning to read this book...

[Giovanna]

Martha...Congratulations on the win! :-) That's amazing!

[Martha]

Thanks, Giovanna. They are still on cloud 9! I'm trying to recover from the weekend. Finally broke down and am taking pain meds around the clock. I hate having to do that, but can't get back to my normal pain level without them. LOL Am taking my son and his friend to the dance soon. We hold a monthly dance for the handicapped in this area. Should be a big turn-out as our weather is finally decent.

[Martha]

We made it to the dance ... starting our track & field practices this Saturday morning. Then bowling practice and THEN taking my son and 2 of his friends to a roller derby event. My hair stylist is on a team. LOL We've been meaning to go for 2 years. No reading time next weekend. :-)

I'm going to try to read 50 pages a day. Should be doable. If I see it's going pretty good, I'll open a thread for the next group read nominations. I'm usually the slowest reader of the group.

[Martha]

I haven't been able to manage 50 pages a day, but am finally into it and loving it. It does read very quickly. I'm on vacation, but will put up a new thread for nominations for our next group read when we get back.

How many are reading GWTW? Have any of you finished already? I don't was to hold anyone back.

[Vicky]

I'm reading GWTW, but have only gotten to the start of the civil war. I'm enjoying the book but am progressing slowly.

[Book Concierge]

So ... how is everyone doing on reading GWTW? It's a big book, but I thought it was a very fast read.

[Martha]

I'm about a third into the book. I love her style of writing. The words just flow and it does read quickly. Scarlet is not a character I particularly like, but I do grudgingly admire her. Some of her decisions are awful, of course, (view spoiler)[and she has little remorse for anything she does. I think the only reason she feels any remorse however briefly is because she wonders what her mother would think & she doesn't want to disappoint her mother. (hide spoiler)]

[Vicky]

I finished GWTW for the second time today. The first time I read it was when I was in high school. 40 years later, I think I enjoyed it even more and understood more. I'm planning to rent the movie On Demand tonight while the book is fresh in my memory.

[Vicky]

I finished GWTW for the second time today. The first time I read it was when I was in high school. 40 years later, I think I enjoyed it even more and understood more. I'm planning to rent the movie On Demand tonight while the book is fresh in my memory.

[Martha]

I've put Jane Eyre as our current read on our home page a day early, but I'm still reading GWTW. It's taking me forever, but I'm really enjoying it. I just am not back to my normal reading yet.

[Martha]

I'm halfway through it and, Vicky, I am enjoying it much more now than I did in school as well. It's been about 50 years for me. :-) Just love the story. I do admire her strength.

[Martha]

Well, I finally finished it. One of my favorites!
Wow! What is the word used for novels like this ... sweeping?? Just a wonderfully detailed story of the lives, loves, hates & sorrows of some Southerners before, during and after the Civil War. Over 1000 pages, but a fast read. I would pick it up to read just a few pages and they flew because I would get so caught up in it. Do I like Scarlett? Absolutely not! She remained clueless throughout her life both about herself and others. But she was a survivor and helped others, however grudgingly, most of her life. Hope that's not too much of a spoiler, but I think most are aware of her at least. The ONLY thing I didn't like was the attitude toward & description of African Americans, but it does ring true when you realize this was published in 1936.