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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
Understanding that it's a lens written from the old southerners who didn't want change and the slavery seems very ... revised/romanticized it was so well written and captivating. Really pulled you into another era. I'm thankful to have found the audiobook on YouTube and that they beeped out the n word. I believe in not censoring but I honestly don't need to hear a white person saying it 150 times. I know what the word was and meant.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism
1
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
To state the obvious: the book is racist. Margaret Mitchell trades in racist stereotypes, and she depicts the Confederacy as a romantic “lost cause.” Some of the poetic descriptions of the Confederacy have a hint of “tongue in cheek,” and it’s presented as Scarlett just repeating propaganda from Confederate papers, but it’s still clear that the South is meant to be viewed positively. Mitchell also uses the n-word liberally in certain parts of the book, which is extremely jarring and makes the book hard to read at times.
The writing itself is, however, very engaging. Mitchell does a good job of showing how immature Scarlett is, by juxtaposing serious topics (e.g. Ashley’s doubts and cynicism about the Confederacy, and his fears about changing society) with her selfishness (e.g. being bored by Ashley’s thoughts and instead focusing on whether or not he’s secretly in love with her). Mitchell also spends a good amount of time placing the reader into the world of the characters, so that you have a good feel of the time and the society. The writing is immersive, and it’s a testament to Mitchell that the main character is so dislikable but you still keep reading.
I've moved to Atlanta and figured it is my duty to finally read this book...I loved it. It's pretty wild to drive around Atlanta and picture Aunt Pitty's house at the end of Peachtree Street. A definite contrast to Uncle Tom's Cabin that I read last year, a wonderful way to understand the southern perspective of the Civil War, and a great read.
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Grief, Pregnancy, War
Even though Scarlett makes me crazy, I still really enjoyed the book!
adventurous
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is an objectively good book. I think many people read it out of context, and bring a modern lens to their reading, and that does them and this book a great disservice. This is not a book about the suffering of the South. This is a book about the ending of a way of life. The way of life in this book is racist and needed to end, that is inherent and should be a given, but what is displayed here is the many ways in which that can be dealt with, and the various repercussions.
This is a book about a racist time, and there is rampant racism throughout, this is not to discount that in any capacity. Read this book, it is good and important and worth reading, but you will be exposed to a really specific piece of post Civil War memory that serves an important purpose in keeping a really troubling time in American history from being forgotten.
This is a book about a racist time, and there is rampant racism throughout, this is not to discount that in any capacity. Read this book, it is good and important and worth reading, but you will be exposed to a really specific piece of post Civil War memory that serves an important purpose in keeping a really troubling time in American history from being forgotten.
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes