Reviews

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

mysimas's review against another edition

Hmph, I was ready for the book to be racist, but not for it to be boring. Three chapters and all it has to offer are descriptions and exposition. 

Maybe it’s just a poor timing on my part — I did love this book when I read it as a kid — but I really can’t do it just now.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs

kellygoesgeocaching's review against another edition

4.0

A really enjoyable read, immersing myself in a period of time I've not read extensively about before despite studying it a little. Interesting to read from the losing side's perspective from a conflict as well as discover the prejudices and attitudes towards women and African Americans of the period. The ending disappointed me, but oh well, you can't have it all.

steph323's review

5.0

One of the best books ever. Never hated, loved, respected and was annoyed by any character so much over the span of one book like Scarlett O'Hara.

bootje's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

dnandrews797's review

2.0

The beginning and end of this book were well written and well paced, but the middle was one of the hardest sections I’ve ever had to get through of any book. Add to that the fact that most of the characters aside from the four mains were not well developed and were just (sometimes harmful) stereotypes. The characters that were developed bored me to tears. Scarlet is a spoiled, arrogant, cold hearted wretch whose tangents trying to justify her actions or share her viewpoint made me want to fling the book across the room. Rhett was interesting in the the beginning and the end but got stale and predictable in the middle. Melanie, however, was the best of the whole book and the only “misfortune” I truly regretted. Now, time to address the elephant in the room: the blatant racism in the book. I won’t be accepting “it was a different time then” as an excuse. It was awful. I would have liked to read more than three chapters without getting hit with some long winded speech about how “darkies” are like “children” and need coddling. How they’re simple with monkey like faces, how they were much happier in slavery not having to think for themselves, how all “darkies” who wanted freedom were trash, it was awful. So pervasive there is no way to enjoy this book in spite of it. As for the tragedy of all of it, I delighted in most of the tragedy in the book. Like the villainous Yankees, I enjoyed watching the wealthy and cruel planter class get taken down a peg, scarlet become destitute and humbled, and finally the abandonment of all the people she loves, alone in her supreme unhappiness. So I enjoyed the ending. Not much else.

kkelly83's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

astridfolhard's review against another edition

5.0

"Я никогда не принадлежал к числу тех, кто терпеливо собирает обломки, склеивает их, а потом говорит себе, что починенная вещь ничуть не хуже новой. Что разбито, то разбито. И уж лучше я буду вспоминать о том, как это выглядело, когда было целым, чем склею, а потом до конца жизни буду лицезреть трещины."

"Красота еще не делает из женщины леди, а платье — настоящую леди."

"Жизнь не обязана давать нам то, чего мы ждём. Надо брать то, что она даёт и быть благодарным уже за то, что это так, а не хуже."

sidharthvardhan's review

4.0

Now it looks silly to judge a book because it has racist characters. It is like judging Jane Austen books to be materialist because it is about rich people. You can't call a book racist because it has racist characters - the more exact measure is whether the book has a world that justifies racism. Scarlet justifies slavery by arguing that black people are too naive to manage to do anything unless they are ordered. Yet, you see this argument refuted when some of the minor black characters achieve success. Farm slaves abandon their masters and join the Yankees showing they didn't agree with the southern values as most white southerners believed. It is in this way that the novel acts as an argument against slavery. If you need another proof, then there are black nanny character - an important minor character who is never named in the book. The only black characters who show submissiveness are house servants - for one reason going with Yankees would have been much riskier than their present life and secondly, they weren't the lowest in the racist hierarchy and so had something in the system to take pride in.

One argument against this is that it doesn't highlight the miseries of slaves but it is written from and limited to point of view of Scarlet, who was a teenager girl living in a protected environment till the time of war. She can't have known the terrible things done to slaves. She didn't know much about prostitution either.

There are so many things to like in this book - the way feel of book changes in different eras, the well-written characters, Rhett and Scarlet start at opposite poles in some ways (Scarlet popular and trying hard to be a good southerner and Rhett a rebel and outcast) - and towards the end comes a point where they have exchanged their roles.

Mitchell meant it to be a story of survival - and that is a theme no one here seems to be exploring. Scarlet hardens herself in face of difficulties and survives while also saving a bunch of weak ones - but this same hardening means she is no longer able to enjoy her life when she had chance. Melly who probably wouldnt have survived without Scarlet is better able to live happiness of life. Charlie's selflessness fails him in the jungle rule that followed end of war while Scarlet and Rhett are saved by selfishness. Even the last sentence is something one might say in face of a hopeless situation.

" After all, tomorrow is another day!"

*

“Dear Scarlett! You aren't helpless. Anyone as selfish and determined as you are is never helpless. God help the Yankees if they should get you."

amcyare's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

amevillalobos's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0