Ah yes, the book that has lived for almost a hundred years and it makes one feel like they’ve lived through a hundred years. Yes, I’m talking about Margaret Mitchell’s decade-spanning work, Gone with the Wind, covering before, during and after the Civil War from the POV of one stubborn hellion, Scarlet O’Hara.

There’s not much to say about the work that hasn’t been said before but it’s a very engaging book. The characters may not always be likable, Scarlet in particular after she steals Sue Ellen’s man, but they’re gritty and real during a hellish time.

Scarlet in particular. I already mentioned the whole man stealing thing but you got to admire her strength like shooting the Yankee and building up her business. As my friend said, she’s like the grown-up of the house and is able to hold Tara together but very emotionally immature when it comes to relationships.

Ashley is so not worth her love. She’s just chasing the image of a man that she thinks she wants simply because she’s unavailable. Also probably out of jealousy that Melanie is a naturally feminine, angel archtype that she can’t achieve. You just want to shake her to get with Rhett already. They remind me of two wolverines because whenever they’re in the same space you don’t know if they’re fighting each other or fighting with intense sexual passion.

But despite Scarlet’s jealousy, you must also admire Melanie’s strength in trying to lift the family sword to defend the home right after giving birth. Although I didn’t get attached enough to her to cry at her death like my friend did at apparently 2:30 in the morning.

Rhett is also cool in his own right by choosing to serve. Even though he knows the South won’t win, and the cause is worthless, he has to do it out of patriotic fervor and so that he can get rid of his near’do well reputation for his future daughter.

Sidenote, I know Bonnie died but just imagined if she lived long enough to date. No way would Scarlet believe anyone’s worthy of Bonnie but then Bonnie would have probably inherited Rhett and Scarlet’s stubbornness, whew boy that family might have killed each other.

Anyway, back to the actual story, one cannot deny that it does glamorize the South and gloss over the less pleasant aspects like the fact that everyone is part of the KKK and slavery is seen as perfectly normal with no insight to the lives of Mammy or Prissy etc. but then it would be less realistic if they considered them equals. It would be less historical. Also wouldn’t it make it whitewashing it if we portrayed the slave-owners as caring about their slaves as more than permenant servants?

If you want to add to this semi-philosphical discussion, comment below.

Overall, it was a riveting book that grips you and doesn’t let go despite the old-timey language because it speaks to the human spirit and its resiliency in times of war.