Margaret Mitchell - Gone With the Wind

This is the tale of Scarlett O'Hara, the spoiled, ruthless daughter of a wealthy plantation owner, who arrives at young womanhood just in time to see the Civil War sweep away the life for which her upbringing has prepared her. After the fall of Atlanta she returns to the plantation and by stubborn shrewdness saves her home from both Sherman and the carpetbaggers. But in the process she hardens. She has neared starvation and she vows never to be hungry again.
In these vivid pages live the unforgettable people who have captured the attention of millions of readers - of every age, in every walk of life. Here are Rhett Butler, Scarlett's counterpart, a professional scoundrel as courageous as Scarlett herself; Melanie Wilkes, a loyal friend and true gentlewoman; and Ashley Wilkes, for whom the world ended at Appomattox. Here area ll the characters and memorable episodes that make Gone with the Wind a book to read and re-read and remember forever.

Comment: While I was in the university, I got the habit of purchasing a certain magazine which was "offering" a book, meaning the magazine plus a symbolic amount allowed me to buy several books, and that included, at one point, a collection of historical classics. 

This Gone With the Wind was one of them, such a big book that it was divided into two volumes. I remember I had started reading the first volume one day, only managed six or seven pages but something distracted me, and time went on and on... well, this past week I told myself: this is it. So, I finally started it.

Scarlett O'Hara is a determined and self confident young woman who, in 1861, has the world at her feet. She has her eye on someone too, even though he seems to be committed to another girl but this doesn't discourage Scarlett until something happens and she needs to come up with a different plan. Then, as fate has it, everything changes when war begins the states of the south and the states of the north. What some people thought would be a quick campaign is actually changing the lives of everyone, even those who don't actually fight. What happens to the south and why so many people keep up the nostalgic days of the past and the Cause in their hearts is what drives the world in which Scarlett now lives, even if things for her have never gotten as heartfelt as it seems it is for those around her...

I decided to read this book at last mostly to have it done with, so that it would be a duty finally accomplished. Obviously, I knew the theme, I knew some things (I have never seen the movie, will do so now that I've read the book) and I wasn't too eager to get into it, that is true. Still, I'm on my work vacation and I knew I could have the time to focus on it without interruptions. I was ready to just endure it, but I was incredibly surprised by how much fun I actually had as as soon as I started.

I mean fun in the sense that it was so easy to turn the pages and be immersed in Scarlett's adventures and thoughts, because despite the fact she wasn't a really likable person, she was so fun and silly and deliciously ignorant that her way of seeing things made what was happening something almost childish. The first half of the book (the first volume, in the way I read the story) was engaging, fluid, captivating and I think I only stopped because there are always other things to do.

I will admit I didn't expect this. I always had this pre conceived idea that the author's goal would be to glorify the south and all that, but I was surprised by how critical and clever some situations were depicted. I also think her style and use of historical information was very well chosen. I can understand how this does feel to some people, though, in regards to the content and situations exposed, after all this is all seen through the eyes of those in the south and how they experienced life and beliefs. There are things that are not acceptable, that bothered me, but that doesn't detract from the writing's competence. 

Scarlett is truly quite the protagonist, so silly and vain, but sometimes I just had to laugh aloud at her ridiculous opinions and thoughts. I think this is what makes reading a story with such unfair and inadmissible notions so easy and yes, enjoyable, the fact the main character acts as a barrier between that and reality, as comedians nowadays often do when it comes to harsher themes. 

The relationships she has with the men she married were all pertinent to whee her life was leading, that is also true. Still, I have to say that what she had with Rhett was certainly special. I did like most of their interactions and their conversations, how alike they were, something she was too naive to see, despite what she lived through. Of course, part me wishes things had gone towards a different end and the story ends in a very frustrating way for me. I can understand why the author chose this path for them, and why it had to suit the catharsis Scarlett finally has at the very end, but it was still rather...sad.

Regarding this, I also add the fact the second part of the book (the second volume of my divided edition) wasn't as strong to me. This is the part of the story related to the post war reconstruction period, and I wasn't as entertained by Scarlett's attitude and funny scenes because they weren't as naively fun now. Scarlett is older and a little more cynical and some things weren't as fascinating to me anymore. I preserved, of course, because I was invested and wanted to see what would happen next, but it didn't affect me as strongly as the first part. 

There are countless books and who knows how many academic studies on the historical aspects out there by renown and respected authors, so I won't write about something I know so little about, but I will say that the emotional situations were rather heartfelt, even if by people who were not on the right side, however that might seem. We could always say what we do now seems obvious, and one day our descendants will criticize us as well. But human emotions, human feelings... some of those were quite well demonstrated here.

I was positively surprised by this book. I cannot say it will be a favorite but it got close to it in terms of grading, at this moment. Some books are classics for a reason, indeed.

Grade: 8/10