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A review by japanasi
Vom Winde verweht by Margaret Mitchell
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”
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”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Moderate: Child death, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia
Minor: Murder and Sexual assault