Gone With the Wind is a sweeping, romantic story about the American Civil
War from the point of view of the Confederacy. In particular it is the story
of Scarlett O'Hara, a headstrong Southern belle who survives the hardships
of the war and afterwards manages to establish a successful business by capitalizing
on the struggle to rebuild the South.
Throughout the book she is motivated by her unfulfilled love for Ashley Wilkes,
an honorable man who is happily married. After a series of marriages and failed
relationships with other men, notably the dashing Rhett Butler, she has a
change of heart and determines to win Rhett back. -- The
Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature
A True Classic
There are good reasons why Gone With The Wind, published 73 years ago, is
a classic among classics, a Pulitzer Prize winner, and has sold over 28 million
copies in more than 37 countries.
The reasons are that it is an unparalleled monumental epic of the American South that is very rich in historical facts, it has superbly developed unforgettable characters, a narrarative that is so captivating that the reader will feel he/she is right there experiencing all that was going on, and it truly stands the test of time.
I enjoyed reading it at least as much now (and possibly more) than when I first read it over 45 years ago. While Gone With The Wind is often marketed as "the greatest love story of our time," it is so much more than that. If you haven't read Gone With The Wind or haven't done so in many years, do yourself a tremendous favor and read it/read it again as soon as possible. It's an experience you'll savor for years to come.
A Real Masterpiece
I read this book as a little girl of nine or ten. Then I reread it and reread it until I practically had it memorized. No other book has affected me like this, and I've read many other books, including many of the great classics of literature.
I have yet to find another Gone With the Wind. This book is life changing. To those who dismiss it as sexist racist trash, I would argue this: If describing reality as it is is sexist and racist, perhaps that simply reflects that there is a great deal of sexism and racism in reality.
Were the people of the South prior and after the Civil War racist? Yes. Of course. Were these sexist times? Yes. Does it glorify sexism and racism. Perhaps. It is only fair to give this last question some consideration. There are sentiments in this book that are racist. I think of the feelings expressed of longing for the old days, the days of slavery, expressed by the main characters.
But these are certainly feelings that were held by the people who clung so steadfastly to that way of life. I do not agree that all of the African Americans were portrayed as stupid. Even Prissy, in her own way, was not stupid. She was a detestable character, black or white, but not necessarily stupid, just daydreamy.
But Mammy is anything but stupid. She certainly has a greater understanding of Scarlett than Scarlett's own mother ever did. Sexist? I don't know if this makes me a "sexist" but I have never identified with a character as much as I did Scarlett. It was as if I were reading the thoughts in my own head.
She is manipulative, headstrong, stubborn, narcissistic, a dreamer, a romantic, and ultimately a realist, who stays in reality, and stays strong by clinging to certain rocks as her world changes around her. Rocks like her farm, Tara. And I love that. I love that when everything else is blown away from her, she clings to the things she learned to value in her childhood.
"Land," her father had told her, "Land is the only thing worth fighting for." This book has given me strength throughout my life. I don't cling to the land, because I have none to cling to. But I cling to the things that give me a sense of something permanent and unchanging in my world, and especially when times seem unstable, and change seems to ruthlessly rip out all the familiar structures I have around me.