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maiddeson's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
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
5.0
katieeereadsss's review against another edition
5.0
⁀➷ “after all, tomorrow is another day.”
very few authors could make a main character as selfish, spoiled, and bratty as scarlett o’ hara, then write almost 1000 pages about her and still somehow create one of the greatest books of all time. margaret mitchell ladies and gentlemen
very few authors could make a main character as selfish, spoiled, and bratty as scarlett o’ hara, then write almost 1000 pages about her and still somehow create one of the greatest books of all time. margaret mitchell ladies and gentlemen
velvetsreader's review against another edition
5.0
I had a hard time liking this book. I found Scarlett very appalling. As the book wore on I fell in love with a lot of the characters. Now I need to see the movie. :)
smilesgiggle's review against another edition
4.0
For me this book is about endings. The ending of America's childhood with the Civil War. The end of the South's romance - ladies, belles, gentlemen. The end of slavery and supposed freedom.
Scarlett O'Hara is one of the worst main characters. Spoiled. Selfish. Man crazy. Vengeful. Through her trials and hardships, Scarlett has no appreciation for those around her, lending support and guidance. But she gets it done. Her childhood ends with the start of the Civil War. She was trained to be a docile lady, spoiled and splendid. Instead she must survive.
In these times of 2020, I can't help but think of the false hope given to the freed slaves. They were able to vote- blocked in future years. Disenfranchised. Confused. Forced in the middle of North and South battle for control.
Scarlett O'Hara is one of the worst main characters. Spoiled. Selfish. Man crazy. Vengeful. Through her trials and hardships, Scarlett has no appreciation for those around her, lending support and guidance. But she gets it done. Her childhood ends with the start of the Civil War. She was trained to be a docile lady, spoiled and splendid. Instead she must survive.
In these times of 2020, I can't help but think of the false hope given to the freed slaves. They were able to vote- blocked in future years. Disenfranchised. Confused. Forced in the middle of North and South battle for control.
3467785's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
heyitsandreaw's review against another edition
4.0
What do I even say about this book… I’ve never met a cast of characters who couldn’t address their feelings more than Gone with the Wind. It’s the hardest book I’ve ever read I think, with the full and unyielding truth of what the south was during the Civil War. Sad and traumatic and hard. The characters were selfish and out of touch and yet, their story is well worth reading. The last 100 pages had my head spinning and it ended in a way I never expected.
thaurisil's review against another edition
3.0
Set in the American South during the Civil War and Reconstruction era, Gone with the Wind follows Scarlett O'Hara, a headstrong spoilt young lady who finds her world of cotton plantations, and Southern gentility and wealth turned upside down by war and social upheaval. Her complicated relationship with the charming rogue Rhett Butler and her infatuation for the honourable Ashley Wilkes contrast with her contempt for most women, including Melanie, Ashley's wife, with whom Scarlett has a mutually dependent relationship.
My main gripe with this book, and the reason for its 3 stars, is its long-windedness. The same descriptions of characters, places and events are repeated and elaborated on multiple times, across different chapters. The book could have been much shorter without losing any of its meaning.
That said, it is a very readable book, and it kept me turning the pages well past midnight. Scarlett is selfish, stubborn and headstrong. She does not understand the people around her and often manipulates others to get what she wants. But she is also resilient, and her motto of "tomorrow is another day" helps her get through the most impossible obstacles and continually adapt to changing circumstances. Rhett is a rogue and a scoundrel, but he values truth and his attitude towards Melanie shows that he is able to recognise truly gold hearts and humble himself before them.
Before reading this, I knew only one line from Gone with the Wind: "My dear, I don't give a damn". And so I knew that Scarlett and Rhett's relationship did not work out at the end. It felt like a pity, as Rhett is the only person who could ever fully know all of Scarlett's weaknesses and love her for them. And yet I also felt that it was inevitable that their marriage broke down – the two of them are too proud to concede to each other for long. Rhett, by trying to give Scarlett all she wants, ends up spoiling her and taking away anything left in her that was still honourable and ladylike. And Scarlett eventually discovers that she loves Rhett, but its questionable how much she would continue to love him if he had reciprocated her love at that juncture.
Melanie is a character I would like to be more like. She is gentle, respectful, loyal and well-liked by all, but also capable of great courage to protect those she loves. She sees Ashley's flaws but she never admits them to anyone until she is on her deathbed, upholding her loyalty to him while secretly protecting him from harm.
I know many people think the book is racist. I'm not sure about that. I don't think the negroes are necessarily drawn in a negative way. There are a mix of personalities and some of the negroes, like Mammy, are described as better people than most whites. Certainly there are stereotypes, but many of these stereotypes are products of Southern culture. For instance, negro servants are called childlike and habitually reliant on instructions from their masters, but this is less of a reflection of their intelligence, and more a product of a habit of being a servant and not knowing any other life apart from that.
My main gripe with this book, and the reason for its 3 stars, is its long-windedness. The same descriptions of characters, places and events are repeated and elaborated on multiple times, across different chapters. The book could have been much shorter without losing any of its meaning.
That said, it is a very readable book, and it kept me turning the pages well past midnight. Scarlett is selfish, stubborn and headstrong. She does not understand the people around her and often manipulates others to get what she wants. But she is also resilient, and her motto of "tomorrow is another day" helps her get through the most impossible obstacles and continually adapt to changing circumstances. Rhett is a rogue and a scoundrel, but he values truth and his attitude towards Melanie shows that he is able to recognise truly gold hearts and humble himself before them.
Before reading this, I knew only one line from Gone with the Wind: "My dear, I don't give a damn". And so I knew that Scarlett and Rhett's relationship did not work out at the end. It felt like a pity, as Rhett is the only person who could ever fully know all of Scarlett's weaknesses and love her for them. And yet I also felt that it was inevitable that their marriage broke down – the two of them are too proud to concede to each other for long. Rhett, by trying to give Scarlett all she wants, ends up spoiling her and taking away anything left in her that was still honourable and ladylike. And Scarlett eventually discovers that she loves Rhett, but its questionable how much she would continue to love him if he had reciprocated her love at that juncture.
Melanie is a character I would like to be more like. She is gentle, respectful, loyal and well-liked by all, but also capable of great courage to protect those she loves. She sees Ashley's flaws but she never admits them to anyone until she is on her deathbed, upholding her loyalty to him while secretly protecting him from harm.
I know many people think the book is racist. I'm not sure about that. I don't think the negroes are necessarily drawn in a negative way. There are a mix of personalities and some of the negroes, like Mammy, are described as better people than most whites. Certainly there are stereotypes, but many of these stereotypes are products of Southern culture. For instance, negro servants are called childlike and habitually reliant on instructions from their masters, but this is less of a reflection of their intelligence, and more a product of a habit of being a servant and not knowing any other life apart from that.
nfrog3's review against another edition
5.0
Hollywood is a liar
Scarlett O'Hara, I used to love her, and what I remember about her from watching the movie as a kid. Turns out she's an emotionally broken woman and while acting strong she is a very weak woman. She has an emotional affair, is a selfish woman, and demands to be the "man" in the relationship and she is a dumbass in my opinion. She lacks the heart of compassion it takes to be the great lady she had wanted to be. There is no way a woman like her can be a great lady.
Unfortunately, she is portrayed as a strong, independent woman. When she is not. She's a user. And when she finally figures it out it's too late.
But what pisses me off is the emotional affair. Which is shown so nicely in the movies is bs. It's an affair. All the men she knows are beta men until Rhett and he puts her in her place. I'm defiantly fan of Rhett.
Scarlett O'Hara, I used to love her, and what I remember about her from watching the movie as a kid. Turns out she's an emotionally broken woman and while acting strong she is a very weak woman. She has an emotional affair, is a selfish woman, and demands to be the "man" in the relationship and she is a dumbass in my opinion. She lacks the heart of compassion it takes to be the great lady she had wanted to be. There is no way a woman like her can be a great lady.
Unfortunately, she is portrayed as a strong, independent woman. When she is not. She's a user. And when she finally figures it out it's too late.
But what pisses me off is the emotional affair. Which is shown so nicely in the movies is bs. It's an affair. All the men she knows are beta men until Rhett and he puts her in her place. I'm defiantly fan of Rhett.
kat1905's review against another edition
More than halfway through I just couldn't stand the racism anymore. It started to get to the KKK and it was basically propaganda to Support the KKK's actions. Gross, not for me, I don't have the patience for this right now, and I suspect the ending isn't worth the torment of continuing to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Toxic friendship
onesownroom's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0