Gone With the Wind
by: Margaret Mitchell
Published by MacMillan in 1936
1037 pages
Summary: Scarlett O'Hara is a spoiled and manipulative daughter of a wealthy plantation owner in Southern Georgia. She has her eye set on neighboring Ashley Wilkes but Ashley marries another. After being twice widowed, she marries the charismatic and incredibly rich Rhett Butler, while secretly still pining for Ashley. This historical classic is set against the dramatic backdrop of the civil war and follows Scarlet through many trials and tribulations and readers watch her grow from a manipulative young girl into a strong woman who learns too late what she really desires in life.
Genre: Women Literature, Historical Fiction, Love Stories, Modern Classics, Epic Fiction
Storyline: Character-driven, Sweeping
Tone: Atmospheric, bittersweet, dramatic
Style: Engaging
Women's Lives and Relationships Aspects:
- The protagonist is a woman and so is the author.
- Story lines reflect the issues affecting women's lives and portray women facing difficult situations. Scarlett faces heart-break, the civil war, and poverty and braves through all three.
- Endings are usually hopeful, if not happy. Scarlett faces every situation optimistically, even the ending when Rhett walks out on her just as she realizes that she loves him.
- Pacing is generally unhurried. Fans talk of these as compelling reads, which pull readers in and involve them with the protagonist's story.
Bella Cora by Phillip Margulies
The Youngest Miss Ward by Juan Aiken
Rhett Butler's People by Donald McCaig
I would never thought of including GWTW in this genre but reviewing what I've read in the past, some could count ( Little Women, Judy Moody, Anne of Green Gables).
ReplyDeleteOh my word! Did you enjoy the book? I've never liked the movie much because I thought Scarlett was a brat, but I had a friend who told me the book was a lot better and that I should read it. (However, she also loved the movie.) Just curious what your opinion was of the book as opposed to the film! (If you've seen the movie.)
ReplyDeleteI am reading this book for historical fiction. It looks like you liked the book. It is a awful long book and I hope it is a good read. I have not seen the movie, but I believe it won a Oscar.
ReplyDeleteAnna, I love both the book and the movie but agree that the Scarlett in the movie can be annoying, The book is so much better and worth the read.
ReplyDeleteThomas, it is a long book but you learn so much more about the characters from the book. I think you will enjoy it, at least the historical side of it.
Nicole, GWTW is probably pushing the boundaries for this genre but I felt that it was a good fit.