A review by _fallinglight_
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

YES, this book is offensively, vulgarly, even criminally racist, and apologetic to the antebellum South and slavery, and glamorizes the Southern ways and pride and paints such a ridiculously inaccurate picture of how things were and it's incredibly dehumanizing but Mrs. Mitchell went freaking off writing such an intricate, at points (especially when she's not disparaging Black people) beautiful, harrowing war story novel. Scarlett O'Hara is a supremely naive, stupid, selfish character but she's also determined, steadfast and stops at nothing to get what she wants and it's successful at it, idk but it was almost fun to read. And as outdated as Rhett Butler may be, some of things he says make the reading worthwhile. This book is ridiculously long but the war and siege and everything that happens during those Civil War years and afterwards make it so worthwhile to read absolutely everything bc the writing structure is stunning. Reading this book was an experience bc as hateful as it is, it's so pulling. But seriously read at your own risk.

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