Scan barcode
elliebasta's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Colonisation, Slavery, and War
Moderate: Alcoholism, Rape, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Child death
Minor: Miscarriage
seapotatohowisitalrtaken's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Slavery, War, Violence, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Racism, Racial slurs, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Grief, Alcohol, Bullying, Classism, and Infidelity
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Xenophobia, Body shaming, Animal death, Child death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Deportation, Ableism, and Abortion
amymegan27's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Classism, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, War, Misogyny, Murder, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Colonisation, Sexism, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abortion, Death, Hate crime, Alcohol, Cursing, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Slavery, Alcoholism, Blood, Grief, Racism, and Rape
kmhst25's review against another edition
3.75
Strengths:
- Making you care about truly reprehensible people. The male and females leads are both exceedingly unlikeable, and it can be hard to make an unlikeable character compelling. Mitchell does it with ease.
- The South's perspective of the Civil War. There's a lot of emotional context for what the war was like for people in the South. The writing makes you sympathize for the characters, even though you can't sympathize for their cause.
- Sheer readability. It's so dramatic that you can read it for hours at a stretch.
Weaknesses:
- The length. The book spans 12 years and is over 900 pages long. No book needs to be that long, and this one is no exception. There are sections that drag, specifically in the years before and after the war.
- The South's perspective of Reconstruction. The racism in this section is truly off the charts and the history is one-sided at best, downright lies at worst. This is a disappointment, because the history of the Civil War section holds up.
- No neat wrap-up. Mitchell has said that the book's theme is survival, which I would agree with, but I wouldn't say that there's a definitive takeaway or clean ending. It simply ends.
Graphic: War, Sexism, Slavery, and Racism
Minor: Rape
Rape is frequently discussed/mentioned, and there are some scenes with questionable consent and/or attempted rape. There are no explicit rape scenes.malmark's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Racism, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Violence, War, Child death, Cursing, Death, Pregnancy, Sexism, Slavery, and Toxic relationship
lemonflower's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Alcohol, Classism, Death, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, Xenophobia, Fire/Fire injury, and Slavery
Moderate: Addiction, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Incest, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Medical content, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Miscarriage
Minor: Blood, Abandonment, Abortion, Terminal illness, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Bullying, Pregnancy, Rape, Ableism, Physical abuse, Body shaming, and Chronic illness
another_aspiring_writer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Rape and Racism
Minor: Abortion, Toxic relationship, Sexism, and Racial slurs
magellen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I can see why this book blew up in 1936 bc the prose and internalization of Scarlett keep you on the hook to see what else could possibly go wrong. She is THAT bitch the whole book, and it is hilarious on numerous occasions to watch the suffering play out.
That said. Rhett. My poor boy.
Anyway if you take this on, take on a nonsympathetic historical account of the civil war too, and of slavery, to wash Mitchell's propaganda back out of your brain. Godspeed and be prepared for your skin to crawl with the racist bullshit.
Graphic: Colonisation, Classism, Racial slurs, Sexism, Death, Toxic relationship, Child death, Abandonment, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Grief, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Slavery, and War
emelemon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Slavery, and Sexism
Moderate: Miscarriage, Infertility, Classism, and Pregnancy
Minor: War
nipqueen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
Graphic: Racism and Sexism
Moderate: Homophobia