Gone With the Wind

[sophiachic]

Its a lovely good book, i haven't read the sequel as some reviews were not that good.

[KDI70]

There are some books that you just never forget and this is definitely one of them. I must admit though I have never read the sequel. I prefer to leave "Scarlet" to memory as Gone with the Wind ended.

[KLyons1]

I agree that Scarlett did not change so much as become much more self-aware; from the beginning of the novel through to the end, she remains determined to find ways to achieve what she wants.

And I agree that GWTW is one book that did not 'need' a sequel, so I've never tried reading it.

[prarich]

I think the story is captivating and very moving. One can never tire reading it. But yes, it is bulky and tough to finish especially for people who don't read a lot.The characters, the emotions are well portrayed. There is interest in the story till the very end. One of the best books ever written.

[audre_child]

This book is delightful. In the beginning it was difficult to read, but soon I found myself captivated by the story line. Scarlett is an intriguing character who I enjoyed seeing develop through the book. Additionally, I love the emotions portrayed through the characters. It is an amazing book!

[AMP76]

I have read Gone with the Wind many times, as well as watching the movie. As a kid, it was, for whatever reason, my favorite movie and my mom used to let me watch it on sick days at home, I think maybe because it was the only movie long enough for an entire day. Besides that digression, it is still a favorite book, and Scarlet, a most favorite character. Every time I read it, I think, Oh Scarlet, Rhett is crazy about you, don’t be stupid! But she never listens. And I don’t think she ever changes, throughout the course of the book either. I think she retains herself and her desires, the only difference is that at the end of the book, she is no longer pretending to be something she is not. Scarlet maintained clarity of herself as an individual and the land that she wanted from life, selfish though it may be, and unacceptable in society at that time for a woman to be as blunt as she was. But she never shirked from herself or hid behind the coattails of any of her various husbands. I think the difference at the end of the book, lies in others reactions to her clear-cut character and desires. I think that, if anything, Scarlet has grown more accustomed to not being accepted as she is in the circles of her familiarity and “not giving a damn” of her own. The difference at the end of the book is that the other characters have ceased attempting to shape Scarlet into something she never was and never could be, a demure Southern Peach of a wife, who according to Miss Scarlet at Twelve Oaks, is a meely mouth yes’m and no’m, and fiddle-dee-dee that’s something I will never be! Perhaps Scarlet was wrong in the eyes of genteel society in her time, but she was never wrong about herself. I, for one, have always admired her firey spirit and strength from within. I applaud Mitchell for creating such a strong female character in a time of gentlemen.

[Kimberlydub]

This is my all time favorite book and movie.. Ever. I think Scarlett began her transformation late in the story, did not loose all her personality but became aware for the first time how her actions stemmed from false ideas and a misguided belief. Consequences perhaps not important to her! I still love Scarlett!
The writing of this book is a masterpiece, many themes and messages , much drama. But what pulls me is exactly what this is questioning.. Did she, Scarlett, grow? Yes. Only to a small degree, I think, towards the end. But that sets the stage for the rest of her journey, which we are left to imagine. I did not care for the sequel, no depth of character or background, not true to Ms Mitchell, but anyway.. Long live the attitude that " I"ll never be hungry again"
Ok... Now,to watch the movie.. Soundtrack in my mind!

[bibliomaniac_23]

Scarlett is perhaps the misunderstood of all heroines in literature. Unlike "holier than thou" characters like Jane Eyre or Elizabeth Bennet, Scarlett is a rare phenomenon of a woman who does not let social and cultural morms to dictate her life or her personality. In a century where Southern belles were limited to be known as pretty porcelain dolls and play second fiddle to the men in their lives, Scarlett was a woman of substance who truly lived life according to her terms in all honesty, fended for herself during the ravages of war and protected all that she loved. In my opinion, thats what any heroine, fictional or otherwise, should be capable of doing.
Has she grown up towards the end of the book? I think she's a delightful "work in progress" and thats what's charming about her.

[TeshLewis]

I really can't wait to read this book, I've heard so much about it from my Mum and other book lovers, I can not wait to get my hands on a copy!

[rowoody]

To be honest, I have not read the book. However, if the movie is anything close to the story then Scarlett is one of my favorite characters of all time. I grew up watching the movie with my mother and know almost every line. Scarlett was ahead of her time. She was a leading woman in a man's only leading world. Do I think she grew at the end? That's hard to answer. Do I think she changed? No. I think she became more aware and more accepted of herself as the strong demanding woman she was. I do find myself quoting her lines in my head when times are stressful.

[AmandaR]

I read Gone with the Wind a few years ago for school. I absolutely loved it, even though it is not one of my favorites. I agree with what most people are saying, that Scarlett changed for the better. What I mean by saying that is that she learned from some of her mistakes. I do not think that by the end of the book she would have made the same choices that she did in the beginning. All of that goes to show that her character developed and she grew as a person. I also have not read the second book based off the reviews. Maybe that is wrong, but there are too many books on my list to read.

[smorice]

I have read the book several times and watched the movie. It is one of my favorite books.

I didn't like the end and believe Scarlett changed for better. There was a sequel written by another author, but I didn't read it.

I promise, I'm not knocking your opinion, but... HOW could you not like the end? It was perfect. She got exactly what she deserved and the irony of her finally realizing that what she wanted was in front of her all along, just as he walked out her door... oh my gosh. It is just perfect.

-- 29 Mar 2014, 14:24 --

I've read the second book, which I enjoyed, but looking back on it, the Scarlett in Gone with the Wind and the one in the sequel, "Scarlett", don't feel like the same characters really. Ripley, the author of Scarlett got some backlash from that as I remember. I don't think Scarlett really changed completely. She may have been on the cusp of a change and perhaps if Rhett had been willing to stick around a bit longer, he would have helped her see a full change to fruition, but at the end of the book, I think it is more like she realizes she HAS to change or she'll be alone. The only problem is, it is too late.

[Elizabeth Rogers 47]

I read Gone With the Wind when I was in high school, and after seeing the movie. Despite it's size, which is huge, I read it twice. It helped me develop an interest in American History, and though I do think it's more of a soap opera that great literature, it did help me learn to think about what goes into any person's moral character and why people behave as they do. Scarlett O'Hara was not an admirable person, but I was taken aback to read that one of her goals was to be like her mother Ellen. A woman who had to be described as good. The problem was that she was selfish and competitive and did not really care about other people's concerns. She never truly grew up. I do recommend the book as one that might encourage reading.

[Titanoboa92]

I've read the book twice and it's one of my favorites. I think in some ways Scarlett changes for the better. Through her challenges in the story, she becomes very self-reliant. In other ways, however, she doesn't change much at all. For example, throughout the book, she is extremely selfish. Her own wants and needs are all that are important to her. She also continues to take advantage of people until they get fed up with her. Once she loses relationships because of this, she appreciates them and wants them back in her life. She just wants what she can't have.

[hahn_s]

The question, whether Scarlett O'Hara changed for the better or worse by the end of Gone With the Wind, is complicated. Scarlett O'Hara is as much an embodiment of the South and how it had to change as a result of the Civil War and the Reconstruction Era. She exchanges her pre-war ideals for the harsh reality of war and the suffering that comes with defeat. Scarlett has a strong survival instinct that propels her forward throughout the novel and we cheer with her (sometimes), as she goes through life's challenges. After the death of her parents (another symbol of the pre-war South), she faces challenges that no one has prepared her for. She creates a future that was not made for her, in a world that was not made for her.

I don't think that Scarlett is meant to be held up as a hero or a villain, as Gone with the Wind is neither a morality fable or cautionary tale. I think it shows how people can change, perhaps how civilizations can chance, when faced with war, suffering, and hunger. In other words, I don't think that she is either better or worse at the end of the book, just altered as a result of her circumstances.