Scan barcode
lulumoss's review against another edition
2.0
What a complicated book to try and review. On the one hand, it's pretty marvelous considering it was written by a sixteen-year-old. On the other hand, what a stupid horrible story. But on the other, other hand - she WAS only 16 and a "southern belle" (back when that meant something) and that has colored the tale (forgive the pun).
The version that I read was 1/2 the actual Lost Leysen story, and 1/2 a mini-biography of Mitchell; that was interesting, but didn't make me like her very much. She seems like kind of a selfish little twit. But again, remarkable that at 16 she could write this. Even though it's painful to my northern, non-belle, 21st century sensibilities - honor before death - puh-lease.
The version that I read was 1/2 the actual Lost Leysen story, and 1/2 a mini-biography of Mitchell; that was interesting, but didn't make me like her very much. She seems like kind of a selfish little twit. But again, remarkable that at 16 she could write this. Even though it's painful to my northern, non-belle, 21st century sensibilities - honor before death - puh-lease.
charadreemurrs's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
I got curious if Margaret Mitchell ever wrote anything else besides that door stopper of a book, and discovered this book in the process. While I wasn’t a fan of her other infamous book, and neither am I an enjoyer of this novella that was never intended to be read by more than two people, there is some historical information contained within this book that pique my interest. Not within the novella itself but rather the 60 or so pages which proceed it, on Mitchell’s life and her adolescence and young adulthood at the dawn of the 20th century. Mitchell and her works were racist, that’s not news to anyone, and racism towards Japanese and Pacific Islanders is on full display within the fictionalized story. Even if someone can look past the racism, there’s hardly any story there, and its shortcomings reflect the age of the author and the time she lived in. It’s an incredibly short read altogether, one that took me about an hour and half, so not much time was wasted on this at the least.
faithmotta04's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Loved the book, hated the ending. It felt rushed.
taneilcasey's review against another edition
Lost Laysen is the only other known book by Margaret Mitchell. This copy actually is mostly about Margaret's relationship with Henry Love Angel, one of her many suitors, and one she did NOT marry. The biography part of the book was very annoying. Margaret was, personally, not a person I would want to be friends with, and then, she didn't even marry Henry Angel in the end, she married two other guys (Not at the same time, mind!) and then she died. The really sad thing was that Henry stayed faithful almost clear up to the end. He asked Margaret to marry him several times, and each time she said no. Arrg!
The actual story was very interesting. I liked this book, except for the fact that there was definitely a lot of language, and it was rather violent. The end is very sad, yet somewhat noble.
The actual story was very interesting. I liked this book, except for the fact that there was definitely a lot of language, and it was rather violent. The end is very sad, yet somewhat noble.
erincataldi's review against another edition
4.0
very classy! adds an extra dimension to Margaret Mitchell's life! a must read for Gone with the Wind fans!!
madlenka's review against another edition
2.0
This reads like something a 15-year-old wrote and their friends and family applauded them for it and told them to keep writing, surely one day you’ll be a published author!
Margaret Mitchell was 15 at the time and the story was found in her friend/lover’s possession 40+ years after she died. It was never supposed to be published but as the whole world seemed to want to read it (according to the introduction), here we go. The story is basic and tainted with a lot of racist remarks regarding Japanese/Chinese people (this is explained by the fear of Japanese imperialism in the US in the early 20th century but she clearly wrote out of her romantic imagination). Outdated & unnecessary.
If you’re not particularly interested in the author’s love life reconstructed from letters which is the first half of the book, skip this and go (re)read Gone with the Wind. That’s the real deal.
Margaret Mitchell was 15 at the time and the story was found in her friend/lover’s possession 40+ years after she died. It was never supposed to be published but as the whole world seemed to want to read it (according to the introduction), here we go. The story is basic and tainted with a lot of racist remarks regarding Japanese/Chinese people (this is explained by the fear of Japanese imperialism in the US in the early 20th century but she clearly wrote out of her romantic imagination). Outdated & unnecessary.
If you’re not particularly interested in the author’s love life reconstructed from letters which is the first half of the book, skip this and go (re)read Gone with the Wind. That’s the real deal.
svetlozar06's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5