Reviews with content warning for Death - Gone with the Wind

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Reviews tagging 'Death'

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

41 reviews

whoz_ophelia's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Margaret Mitchell loses points for racism, misogyny, classism, and outright bigotry. Rather than ignore all those things in lieu of what makes the book good, though -- the strong, consistent characters, the pacing, and Mitchell's ability to immerse the reader into the world of said characters through language, I chose to treat Gone with the Wind as a sort of case study of the Confederate mindset during and after the war.

This book was a rollercoaster of emotions; anger and frustration not infrequent. The nuances in race, gender, and class relations
had me constantly questioning what I'd previously known to be true of that time and place.
I don't feel comfortable recommending this book to anyone because of the subject matter, but it was a wild read.

Content Warnings

c_lizziebeth's review against another edition

2.0

challenging dark tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

5 star romance and look at character…. And.. it is interesting and important. But the Racism, Lost Cause narrative, social impact, even the pacing at points, etc, deserve Worse than no stars on an app. I am glad Margaret got hit by a car.

Content Warnings

mirliz's review against another edition

2.5

emotional sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

hyperverbalspaceman's review against another edition

4.75

challenging emotional reflective tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

remmyemmy's review against another edition

1.0

adventurous emotional reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

please do not read this book, truly so so so bad. don’t do it

Content Warnings

tmickey's review against another edition

4.25

challenging emotional funny medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

jessgreads's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Title: Gone With the Wind

Author: Margaret Mitchell

Genre: Fiction / Historical Fiction / Classics

Setting: Georgia, USA

Month Read: January 2022

Book Type: Paperback

Publication: 1936

Pages: 959

*Great American Reads Book

TRIGGER WARNING-

Death / Grieving / Alcohol Abuse / Slavery / Abuse / Language / Racism / Child Death / Miscarriage / Animal Death / Animal Abuse / War / Etc.

"You're so brutal to those who love you, Scarlett. You take their love and hold it over their heads like a whip."

No Spoiler Summary:

Gone With the Wind is a novel following our heroine, Scarlett O'Hara in Georgia prior, during, and after the Civil War. Scarlett is used to being a wealthy daughter of a plantation owner, and has to adjust to life after Sherman's troops devastate her home state and leave her penniless and searching for her identity.

^Real-time view of me the entire novel.

Review:

I'm never going to be able to write a review deserving of this book, but I'll try to start with the fact that it took me 29 days of buddy-reading this with my friend (@reading_and_wrighting on Instagram!) and I'm going to be thinking about this book for a very long time. Obviously, at 959 pages, this book took most of January for us to read, and while the beginning is horrendously slow, and tedious, you unknowingly gain such an intimate portrayal of this large cast of characters that really does aid you throughout.

I wish I could say that Scarlett is a girl I can't understand- she's vain, and selfish, and a bully- she's transfixed on beauty, and boys, and her social calendar- but I truly understand Scarlett too well. I did really enjoy watching Scarlett grow (from 16 at the start of the novel, to 28 at the end) and see the traits that stuck with her the entire time, the ones she grew out of (and into), and the parts of her that became almost magnified. I think it's very important that a classic like this is told entirely from a female perspective- a very ferocious, smart, strong-willed, and almost brutal female perspective - especially during a time period where women were supposed to be docile, and pretty, and stupid. The burdens Scarlett is forced to carry, and the life she creates for herself and her family is actually quite incredible, and when it all leads to her eventual undoing at the end, it makes it almost even more fascinating.

I don't really want to fixate on the very obvious racism in this book, because I just feel like a book written in 1936 about the South during the Civil War is just bound to be racist- but I will say that I was pretty annoyed that the white characters get written in perfect English (with almost no drawls, and no accents) but the slaves (with similar accents and drawls, I'd assume) get written in a way that is so stupidly hard to read that I'd have to honestly skim over Mammy's long paragraphs because they would make my head hurt trying to comprehend what was actually trying to be said. In any sense, I think that reading this book is extremely important, and if you're shocked about racism in this time period, I think it's even better to read it. I'd rather be uncomfortable reading a book like Gone With the Wind, and learning about a time period, than just reading things that make me comfortable. I think being really uncomfortable (like I think I would have been if I were actually in the Civil War/the South) means that somewhere down the line people did the right thing in teaching me how horrific racism is, and how I will continue to pass that along to my future kids.

Two things about this novel really surprised me:

This book is really funny.
There are a lot of times when I was reading this that I audibly laughed out loud. Mammy is really funny, and I loved how no-nonsense she is at just about everything. She's probably one of the best characters in the book, and I just absolutely adored her. The Scarlett/Rhett banter is also amazing, and definitely one of my absolute favorite parts of this book. As a new Rhett Butler stan I will die for this man and he can also hit me with a horse and buggy and I would thank him.
This book is not really a romance, and I feel like I've been lied to my entire life about this.
Before reading this book, I only really had minimal understanding of some of the very pop culture elements. ('Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn'/ Scarlett making a dress out of curtains/ Slaves / Racist white people/ Civil War & poverty. I've never seen the movie, never read a review of the book, or really, a synopsis, and probably never would have thought to pick this up had it not been on the PBS Great American Reads list that I've been trying to tackle for several years. I don't know what got ingrained in my head that screamed THIS IS A REALLY ROMANTIC BOOK, but somewhere along the way that weaved itself into my brain, and let me be the first to say how disappointed I am that it is probably the least romantic book. I spent 959 pages waiting for this big happily-ever-after that I had put into my own head, and uh... yeah, I ended up crying when I was done reading it because it certainly does not give you that at all.

I can probably keep talking about this book forever, but I think I'm going to leave it here. If anyone wants to discuss- feel free to comment, or message me on my Instagram! (@JessGReads) and make sure to check out Jessie's (@reading_and_wrighting) to see her #GoneWiththeWindposting memes that (mostly she, but with some minor contributions from me) made while we were doing our 29 day buddy read.

^Live Feed of Rhett absolutely wrecking my heart.

Recommendation:

I'd like to highlight some books about black characters during this time period:

Beloved by Toni Morrison

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

Two books authorized by the Margaret Mitchell estate I'd like to read:

Ruth's Journey: The Authorized Novel of Mammy from Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind by Donald McCaig

Rhett Butler's People by Donald McCaig

Some books from my (mostly Eliza) Hamilton-obsession period:

The Hamilton Affair by Elizabeth Cobbs

My Dear Hamilton: A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton by Stephanie Dray

Alex & Eliza by Melissa de la Cruz (YA Series)

"Well, my dear, take heart. Some day, I will kiss you and you will like it. But not now, so I beg you not to be too impatient"

See More Reviews at: https://jessgreads.wixsite.com

Content Warnings

morgancleaver's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous informative sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

gm_vak's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

schwambibambi's review against another edition

2.5

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I had a hard time reading this. It took me almost 2 whole years to finish and a lot of other books in between to not make me hate reading. Also, I have the very first German edition from 1937, so the N-word is used, which threw me off at the beginning. On to the plot:

I hated Scarlett whith a passion from the start. She is the definition of self-centered, not empathetic and cruel. The way she played with the men that desired her is like a cat playing with a half dead mouse out of boredom. Her obsession with Ashley was really interesting though, since I know the feeling of not understanding someone and the desire to do so, but she then went on to resent that part of him. So no sympathy points for her. Her character development was also not really there until the last 5 pages or so...
She also treated Melly like trash, although she was the most kind-hearted person I know. Melly really is an inspiration for empathy, forgiveness and blind trust. She deserved to be treated better than what Scarlett did to her, whishing that she died in childbirth and wanting to steal her husband. Since I know a Melanie in real life that I don't like, I immediatly hopped onto the Melly-hating bus Scarlett started, but I grew to love as much as Scarlett did, but I realised it earlier. I think Mellly is a character I'll keep in mind and think of when I need to be empathetic.
Rhett was a wild ride. He was over 30 years old when they first met and immediatly fell in love with her, so he's a predator. That out of the way, I liked him. Yes, he was also really cruel, but he gave Scarlett so many chances. He helped her so much (and she appreciated none of that), I genuenly wished for him to be happy. At first, I thought he was joking when he said he wanted to leave Scarlett, but when I realised he wasn't, I understood. I was still sad, but also content that he found a way to happy, even when it didn't involve Scarlett (which is probably for the better).
To the setting: the war was brutal. It is still romanticised, since the perspective of Scarlett and her environment were pro-slavery. The KKK and her 2nd husband's involvement in it were obviously romanticised, too. I don't know enough about the Reconstruction to judge that, but it felt realistic from a Southerner's perspective.

A short rant: Margaret Mitchell did corsets so dirty. They weren't at all like she described them. The were comfortable and fit like a second skin to you. If you want to learn more, I recommend Bernadette Banner or Karolina Zebrowska on YouTube.

Content Warnings

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