Review of ‘Gone With The Wind’

Review of Gone with the Wind
photo credit: Rob Shenk
Review of Gone with the Wind

Since its publication in 1936 Gone With The Wind has characterised the lost elegance and regal glamour of a Deep South marred by the effects of the American Civil War. The novel itself goes through those tumultuous years as we follow the life of the protagonist, Scarlett O’Hara. At the beginning we are introduced to the great plantations and the Queen of the Southern Belles, Scarlett.  At sixteen she is already a trained heartbreaker, and is showing signs of not being the proper lady that society expects her to be. Throughout the years we see her harden as the war goes on.  After the war she emerges as a pioneering young woman making the most of the new opportunities, and the birth of the new modern America.

Like many people I expected the story to be a simple love story between Scarlett and her romantic interest, Rhett Butler. But it’s much more than that. The era is as much a part of the story as its famous characters.  Whilst Sherlock Holmes and other stories set in the past have been updated to a modern setting, this is one story that cannot. The novel goes through the events almost as well as a history book, but with infinitely more interesting characters and events. The protagonist Scarlett is not a typical woman of her time. Unlike her contemporaries she is not ‘ladylike’, preferring hard work to letting men do things for her. She is also vain and a bit of a bully, often intimidating those around her with the exception of Rhett Butler. He is the only character who can equal her feral nature and invoke a passion that she has never felt before.  Their love is passionate and wild breaking the strict rules of the era. At times the story can drag, especially the parts set during the Atlanta during the war. Years can pass in a few pages whilst weeks can drag by in chapters, so this might not be the best book for those who enjoy a more even pacing. If you enjoy a good love story with a historical backdrop then this might be for you. At the very least you will become knowledgeable on the American Civil War!