Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

9 reviews

elliebasta's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Colonisation, Slavery, and War

Moderate: Alcoholism, Rape, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Child death

Minor: Miscarriage

amymegan27's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

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

magellen's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective tense slow-paced

• 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

Obviously whitewashing and romanticism of the south is horribly at play in this novel to an extent that even as someone who grew up in the south like good God. Reminds me of my childhood x10 and yet also of right now with our political climate. I'm surprised we haven't had a rework of this with Maga shit frankly bc Jesus are the characters so easily imaginable in modern roles of picking the *just* side that is inherently cruel/wrong. 

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.

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Content Warnings

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

kimberlina82's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Medical content, Infertility, War, Emotional abuse, Death, Rape, Alcohol, Abortion, Grief, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Fatphobia, Classism, Colonisation, Blood, Toxic friendship, Racism, Violence, Murder, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Child death, Bullying, and Animal death

spencerdance's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• 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

Worth reading? Probably. American literature and all that. 

As racist as I expected it to be? More so. Standard white savior stuff mixed with just about every stereotype you could possibly imagine. 

Better than the weird nonsense in the thornbirds, my comparison for all trashy epics. No. I'd rather read that again 10000 times than read this ever again. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Chronic illness, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, Grief, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Child death, Animal death, Stalking, Sexual assault, Infertility, Gore, Dementia, Classism, Animal cruelty, Miscarriage, Mass/school shootings, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Racism, Ableism, Fatphobia, Violence, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Medical content, Incest, Cursing, War, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Death, Antisemitism, Rape, Sexism, and Pregnancy

tree_branch's review against another edition

challenging medium-paced

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

3.0

If you take out all the racist propaganda, this is a 5-star book. Chapter 37 in particular should be ripped out. After reading that, I would have given this 1 star, if not for the extremely good ending of the book. The last, oh, about 8 chapters really got me interested. Such a relief to see a terrible person get what they deserve.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Sexism, Violence, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Death, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Slavery, Grief, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Racism, and Murder

Moderate: Blood, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Abortion, Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Cultural appropriation, Misogyny, Rape, Bullying, Classism, War, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Infidelity

tamaraepps's review against another edition

dark reflective tense slow-paced

• 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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Colonisation, Racial slurs, Racism, War, Sexism, and Slavery

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Hate crime, Gun violence, Alcoholism, and Ableism

morgancleaver's review against another edition

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, and War

Moderate: Death of parent and Misogyny

Minor: Emotional abuse

japanasi's review against another edition

slow-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

this... was quite a letdown, and I was actually looking forward to reading it a lot. I saw the movie when I was probably thirteen and remember that I liked it quite much back then. for some time now I’ve wanted to rewatch the film, but thought why not read the book instead. my memories were accordingly rusty and I pretty much only remembered the romantic story arc which is what I was looking forward to; plus Scarlett’s love for her family’s farm Tara and something about a sawmill.
I found it endearing that Scarlett is depicted as such an unlikeable character. I’ve rarely come across such a main character and kept reading. I like how she has her own, strong-willed mind and isn’t afraid to do what is improper by society’s standards, or what she finds she has to do (although her means and ways are questionable). even more interesting is that the majority of the characters are unlikeable and there were quite a lot times when I wanted to slap this or that character for acting so self-absorbed or simply stupid. that does happen in every other story though, so that wasn’t what took away my joy reading the story: what I had truly not anticipated was the blatantly open racism in the book!!! it made me feel really uneasy reading those passages and there were plenty of them. the way black people are described, addressed and speak plus the glorification of the ku klux klan left me horrified. that viewpoint might be an accurate portrait of the time the story takes place in, but it doesn’t make it any less horrible to read about it. probably a good reason to read it, though?

another (albeit much smaller) disappointment is the german version of “my dear, I don’t give a damn” which is just so lacklustre in comparison, “Liebling, es ist mir Einerlei”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism

Moderate: Child death, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia

Minor: Murder and Sexual assault