Gone with the Wind

Margaret Mitchell

Nov 2007 · Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

Since its original publication in 1936, Gone With the Wind—winner of the Pulitzer Prize and one of the bestselling novels of all time—has been heralded by readers everywhere as The Great American Novel.

Widely considered The Great American Novel, and often remembered for its epic film version, Gone With the Wind explores the depth of human passions with an intensity as bold as its setting in the red hills of Georgia. A superb piece of storytelling, it vividly depicts the drama of the Civil War and Reconstruction.

This is the tale of Scarlett O’Hara, the spoiled, manipulative daughter of a wealthy plantation owner, who arrives at young womanhood just in time to see the Civil War forever change her way of life. A sweeping story of tangled passion and courage, in the pages of Gone With the Wind, Margaret Mitchell brings to life the unforgettable characters that have captured readers for over seventy years.

Ratings and reviews

Gone with the Wind, written in 1939, is my all-time favorite book. I love historical fiction. I tend to gravitate to historical fiction from Revolutionary times through the Civil War and Reformation. I particularly enjoy Gone with the Wind because within the pages of the book you live through tragic romances and happily ever afters. The story takes place during the Civil War and the reader is lost in the story through the eyes of Scarlett, Rhett, Ashley, and Melanie, along with a cast of other characters. Of course this time period was very unsettled and the reader learns about such topics as peer pressure from society -- staying loyal to one's family and friends and the South or taking up the cause for the North. As the war continues, some lose everything and, left with nothing, are forced to rise above the rubble and overcome the tragedies of the war. Of course, the haves and the have nots become more divided and further apart, yet adding more frustration to the time period. But, I think perhaps the strongest theme running through the novel is around feminism. As the men leave to join the war forces, the women are left to take care of the home front. There lives as they knew them change and they find themselves rising up to keep their families and their homes safe from harm. I have read Gone With the Wind probably 20 times and every time I read it I seem to always find something new about the characters and the events. My parents gave me Gone with the Wind when I was still in grade school; a book considered a little "racey" for a grade schooler. At that time, I wasn't allowed to take the book to school, nor did I get to watch the movie, but I am so glad my parents gave me the opportunity to enjoy Gone with the Wind!

Lawdy me! Fiddle-dee-dee! Goodness gracious! Land sakes alive, just where do I commence. Well, first off, let me explain why I was even reading this veritable ole Southern classic - to tell the truth (or at least a facsimile thereof)it was its 75th anniversary & seemed like the right patriotic thing to do. Plus, it had been sitting in my library for years, staring at me, daring me to crack it open & see why approximately 40 million copies had been sold. Except for catching snippets of the famous film, I only knew the book/film from Gable's famous closing line (which I will omit for the one or two individuals out there who have not heard/read it). I didn't quite know what to expect. I only sensed it would be big , really big. Know what I mean? Rambling on for a thousand plus pages it was definitely big. Other than that, it was sort of like a curve ball that breaks the wrong way, smacking you in the knee caps. To begin with, I did not believe it possible to create a female protagonist so lacking in any positive virtues. Without any doubt, Scarlet O'Hara is the least likable female lead I've ever run across. She's vain, self-centered, jealous, insensitive, corrupt, conniving, sneaky, two-faced & that's only the beginning. I know. I know. All of you reading this are waiting for me to to an about face & share that there comes a moment in the novel, where she turns the corner, discovers the errors of her ways & ... well, forget about it. I actually found myself, half way through the book, rooting for something, anything bad to knock her upside the head. You'll have to read the book to find out if my wishes were granted. And then there's more. Shucks, yes. Okay, so I knew GWTW covers the full arc of the Civil War, from before it began, through the war & after & out of Reconstruction. And its only fair to think that it would be reasonable for Ms. Mitchell to capture the sense of racism that permeated the South during those difficult years. But Mitchell outdoes herself, saturating this novel in a sickly, syrupy meringue of race baiting stereotypes that makes African Americans seem downright ungrateful to their conscientious white owners who treated them with such civility & respect. Gag me please. Mitchell even manages to insert a wisp of antisemitism - quite the lady, she. I could go on & on. But why dwell on the negative. Let me just conclude by wishing Mitchell & her estate a Happy Anniversary. If nothing else, like Scarlet's dreams about becoming wealthy, GWTW has fulfilled that wish, drenching them & her family forever & ever with riches beyond even Scarlet's imagination.

A brillaint book in itself . .. .this novel takes one back to those old times when women were supposed to have 17 inch waists and the men were the 'gentlemen' sorts . .. . . ..its set in the American civil War where the sourtherners are fighting the yankees . .. ........the novel's protagonist is the ultimate real gal .. .which can b found evn now .the Most beautiful Scarlett O' Hara....portrayed as a flirtatious young chit of 16. .ther is not one reedeemable quality in her to make the readers love her at all . . .Melanie in comparison isntantly meets our approval . .. Ashley is the chilhood love of Scarlett whome she'd loved since she ws 13 . .he lives in a make believe world wher piano and books are his world .. .he's a sorry excuse to b considered a sweetheart by a girl like Scarlett .. . one Can only stand awe-struck when its Scarlett who saves Melanie and the others from hunger when she's in Tara . .Scarlett's instinct to survive takes her from Tara to Atlanta Again . ....she's a survivor to her last breathe . . Scarlett is the modern whomen whom Mitchell has tried to portray in this novel . .she'd Married three men in her life . . Rhett Butler is the hero whom we cn only Love .. . the dialogues Between Rhett and Scarlett can only b defined as simply beautiful .. . .the dialogues are the one thing tht make the novel worthwhile to read. .. . ther is no romance in it.. ..evn though its a romance genre novel . .. its a novel which will appeal to many . its a classic in itself to be read evn though one doesnt like the heroine tht much . ..Rhett makes us love the novel . . i'l think of it tomorow . . coz Tommorrow is another day .. . :)

About the author

Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Margaret Mitchell (1900–1949) was an American author and journalist. As a former newspaper reporter, she began Gone with the Wind in 1926. Only two people—the author and her husband—saw the manuscript before it reached the publisher. Gone with the Wind was awarded the National Book Award in 1936 and the Pulitzer Prize in 1937, and is one of the most bestselling novels of all time.