Gone with the Wind

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I can see why people regard this as an American classic. An elitist socialite put against the backdrop of a defining historical context is sure to have something for everyone. But despite all the protagonist’s suffering I just can’t sympathise with Scarlet. She doesn’t seem to undergo any change until she realises that it’s too late; and it’s this selfish character that I loathe. The world changes but she refuses to; her only goal is to move forwards while putting the past behind her too quickly and she never seems to age and accomplishes too much too young. She never exhibits true passion in whatever she does and for this she remains to me a fake character. But is this the only way to success? Is her immortality the attitude that Americans carry forwards in their selfish ways? The other irritating thing about this novel is the colloquial speech. It really is a pain to understand what these folks are saying. I was also disappointed to learn that Butler’s closing line wasn’t the same as the film. But what the novel does do will is supply an interesting context on the lives of everyday people during a time of civil unrest.

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