Gillian’s Reviews > Gone with the Wind > Status Update

My immediate reaction to the racism is to recoil, and having explored some thoughts on the book at this point with a southern friend, my aim for the rest of the book is to avoid compartmentalizing it so I can try to understand WHY these factors come into play: what is the society that came to depend on these ideologies? because so much is going on in this epic novel that merits attention alongside those things.

And on top of everything the writing sizzles. Scarlett’s rage and aching and determination, stubbornness, ignorance to her OWN CHILD (I and she forget constantly about her son from a spite marriage) are a whirlwind of entertainment. of course the scenes between her and Rhett, or her and Melanie, are so well written. The book is well written. I want to understand why this book surged in popularity when it did…

About halfway through and idk man Mitchell was on one. I’m so disturbed, and confused. I truly fail to understand how someone can buck against core tenets of the confederacy (notions of gentility, chivalry, heroism) and acknowledge how practically nonsensical and misguided the war is but not acknowledge racism or associate it at all with the misguidedness of the confederate cause is ??? So ignorant.

Fascinating doesn’t even begin to describe the experience of reading (listening) to this book. Many thoughts ranging from I’m glad I didn’t pay for this (shoutout to whoever uploaded this audiobook to YouTube), to may I never be this ignorant of myself

One fifth of the way through and this book epitomizes white feminism through and through

This audiobook listen is following my completion of Ken Burns’ civil war documentary.
I’m only 3/47 hours in, and here’s what I know so far:
- this book is extremely well written (which is to say, enthralling storytelling with a strong female protagonist- that was revolutionary)
- it is disturbingly, chillingly racist. It’s hard to underscore this point enough. The dehumanization of black people is shocking