The Complete Idiots Guide to the Ultimate Reading List discussion
Chapter 1: Historical Fiction
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Gone with the Wind
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MJ, Idiot's Top libriarian
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May 24, 2008 03:56PM
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Still one of my favorite reads. I watch the movie once a year. My favorite character was always Rhett and the most annoying was Ashley.
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I've heard many say Gone With the Wind is not politically correct(which I think we take to far anyway), but let face it, those were the times more or less. May of the "gentlemen of the south" were as blind and egotistical? as Ashley, but maybe not quite as wimpy. There were a few who took advantage of the war and increased there fortures, as did Rhett.
There were probably more Melanie than Scarlett, but the Scarlett of this era is whose lines thrived and grow. They took the bull by the horn, so to speak.
I think it was and is a great period piece worthy of this list.
This was certainly written before being politically correct came into our vocabulary. As you probably know, the book was published in 1939, but the terms "politically correct" can only be traced back as far as the 1960's and even then they were not widely used until the late '80's. So, as far as the argument goes about the political correctness of the novel, there really is no leg to stand on as it is politically correct for its time period. In addition to that, I really resent the idea of having to censor literature or anything else due to the fear of not being politically correct because that implies that details are being left out, that we are not getting a complete story and I think it is those parts of stories that would be considered politically incorrect that imbibe the knowledge which we seek in our reading; the portion that serves to educate us by allowing us to contrast what we read with the society around us and gain understanding and insight into why or how certain ideals have come to pass.
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It is interesting too to think culturely of how much may not have changed even by the 30's.How can that not be relevant?By filtering the experience in order to be politically correct is to deny the truth of the experience.Then how do we learn and evolve ourselves?
Read this book when I was 20 years old and boy did I ever laugh out loud while reading it. I had people at work looking at me funny, saying you know you are reading Gone With the Wind and I would say, Rhett Butler is a funnier guy in the book than the movie...There are more children as well plus the complex situation of the war on the state of Georgia before, during and after. I will admit I still have a bookmark in the book at the end before the very last page because I could not bear to read Rhett's last harrowing line to Scarlet.
My own flaw.....
The movie was beautiful as it captured the sounds, the town, the war, the clothes and the culture of a time still suspended in time forever in the hearts of the south.
This is one of my all time favorite books!! Read it 3 times.
