Gone with the Wind

Rating:
Summary: The best book ever
Review: A fourteen year old who loves to read almost anything under the sun:

I loved this book. When I was in seventh grade I checked it out of our little school library because it had a lot of points--we'd read books, take a test, and receive a certain number of points for that book. If we got everything correct, we got full points, and we needed many points to pass English every trimester.
I didn't realize I was going to fall in love with the characters. Each person is beautifully made, intricate, and unique. You grow to know everyone in the story. Margaret Mitchell doesn't let any detail slide. She describes Scarlett beautifully.
Scarlett is perhaps the most interesting character I've ever read. I hate her completely, and yet love her just the same. She was the most spoiled brat, and yet I felt like I was part of her, or she was part of me.
Also, Margaret Mitchell does a good job of justifying the Confederate's reasons for breaking off from the United States. Although I don't agree with slavery at all, I could see where the southerners came off, believing as they did, and even felt a little angry at the northerners for being so hotheaded themselves.
For those of you who have seen the movie and liked it, buy this book, its ten times better. And for those of you who disliked the movie, still get the book. It is very much different from the movie, you get in the whole world, and they left out so much in the movie. For instance, Scarlett ... well, just read it, it's good.

Rating:
Summary: Never get enough~
Review: ¡§Gone with the Wind¡¨ is my all-time favorite novel. I¡¦m so obsessed with the book that I think about it every day, in spite that I¡¦ve read it for like a hundred times. I cannot tell why I cannot get enough of the book. I¡¦ve been trying to tell myself that it¡¦s just a book of 1000 pages, telling the story of a belle¡¦s maturity and struggles for living, yet I just can¡¦t cut off my bond with it.

Due to the colorful plot and intriguing dialogues, my opinion about it changes with time. As I first read it during junior high, I viewed it as a moving love story. Oddly, there was a time that I really hated the novel because it inevitably posed discrimination on African Americans. Nevertheless, my love for it was resurrected on my way of learning to grow up, for I highly respect the female main character, Scarlett O¡¦hara¡¦s courage and passion for living. Above all, I can always get something from reading the book.

With its vivid description, I can picture a broad land, a luxurious house, people¡¦s looks in my mind. Though the novel is already pretty lengthy, still some parts were unsaid, leaving to readers¡¦ imagination. I guess that¡¦s one of the reasons that make the book so catchy and unforgettable. With its classic movie version, it¡¦s amazing that my thoughts about it remain unaffected.

The book is generally true to its historic background, and since the author depicts female mind profoundly, I can easily comprehend the idea she tried to convey or the metaphors. When Scarlett is happy or heart-broken, it seems like I¡¦m just there on the scene, feeling the trouble or pleasure she is confronted with. And it¡¦s one of the few books that make women respectable and independent, causing me to identify with it even more.

I won¡¦t deny the fact that I¡¦m an incurable fan of the novel. It enriches my life and somehow glorifies my imagination. I will follow the strong determination the book suggests: ¡§Never ever give up!¡¨

Rating:
Summary: Gone with the Wind
Review: Gone with the Wind is an excellent book. I read it the first time when i was 14 and i have read it every year at least once since then. I would recommend it to anyone who has the time to read this lengthy book. It keeps you waiting for more about Scarlett O'Hara and her life during the Civil War and her romance with the honorable Ashley Wilkes and the reckless, scalawag Rhett Butler. If you do read this book and love it like i do i would HIGHLY recommend the sequel "Scarlettl; the sequel to Gone with the Wind" by Alexandra Ripley

Rating:
Summary: Gone but not forgotten
Review: GONE WITH THE WIND is one fantastic book!---------------------I'll never ever read a book this good again. This is without a doubt the best book I've ever read and ever will read. If you haven't read this book, you have to read it. It has everything: adventure, romance, historical fiction, survival, and excellent character development. It paints a vivid picture of life pre, during, and post Civil War. The characters are so well drawn you can predict how they will react to certain situations and what their responses will be. Every character is lovable, and every character feels real to you. Scarlett will stay with me for the rest of my life. Sly and rotten as she is, there are many sides to her; a loving side, a caring side, a brave and courageous side. Scarlett is my favorite character out of all of the books that I've read. Her romance with Rhett is complicated and passionate, and there were times when i wanted to hit Scarlett for treating Rhrett the way she did. Every character is memorable: Scarlett, her parents and sisters, Rhett, Melanie, Aunt Pitty, Ashley, Mamie, India, and Prissy. I LOVE THIS BOOK! If there were a 6 star rating thats what i would give this book. READ IT!!!!

If you love Southern books, you'll also love----------------- McCrae's THE CHILDREN'S CORNER--fantastic short stories about love, loss, and life.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best
Review: Gone With the Wind was a fantastic book. It's about this young woman, Scarlett O'Hara, who is living during the Civil War-in the south. Her rich and perfect life is ruined once the south loses the war and she is thrown into a time of starvation and misery. She becomes a widow and has to face those troubles as well.

Mitchell created the character, Scarlett, wonderfully. She had spunk, determination, intelligence, and selfishness-traits that made her personality interesting. She does what ever she needs to get her by. Then there's Rhett. He's this dashing man who is no gentleman. I have to say, he brought a little bit of light into the dark parts of the book. He seems to be just a rude, mischevious man at first, but later on, Mitchell makes his character more full, shall I say. His character is deep and full of emotion and feelings-I really can't describe it.
Then Margaret Mitchell created a bond and passion between these two characters. It was a wonderful romance, with love and anger-a sort of bittersweet romance. I felt I could connect with these characters.
I loved this novel; I couldn't put it down. I read it at a young age, 11 to be exact, but I was into it none the less. It kept me hooked for 7 weeks until I finally finished it. It's long-really long-but absolutely worth it. I loved it, loved it, loved it! This book tied together historical fiction and romance, my favorite types of books, into one novel. It is a book not to be forgotten-ever.


Rating:
Summary: Gone with the wind
Review: I love this book. I could read it over and over again. While it isn't very well written, it has the ability to take you there into the story and forget everything going on around you. It gives you a lot more detail then the movie, and makes you understand the characters more. You can really understand the motivation behind some of their actions.

Rating:
Summary: Immensely enjoyable (aside from the beginning)
Review: I must admit that the first 100-200 pages were not so interesting. But everything after that was great. You get a real feel for each character - Scarlett, Rhett, Melanie, Ashley, Mammy, etc. This book contains everything - everyday life, tragedy, war, humor, love, etc.

The more you read, the more entrenched you get in it. It's written very well. Its not your typical love story - it has much more to it. I got so into it to the point where I felt for each character. It's definitely a must read. I enjoyed it immensely.

Every day I looked forward to reading it. It's relaxing (not like your modern suspenseful-murder-thriller book) yet so interesting.

Rating:
Summary: A Girl's Book?
Review: I was out of non-fiction and had to settle for a novel, so why not the most famous of all? A smart move! I've read many historical accounts of the Civil War from many perspectives: The North, the South, the general, the private, the battle, the location, the time period,, and there is even one from the point of view of a horse! This is Scarlett O'Hara's view from her plantation, Tara, outside of Atlanta. What a refreshing perspective! The story is grand and Mitchell's graphic style keeps the images flashing onto every page. Yes, Scarlett is a bitch, but that just makes her all the more desirable. Yes, this is a "girl's book," as was often pointed out to me, but guys can show their feminine side while reading of General Sherman laying waste to Georgia! A tip: See the movie first, it's a good introduction to the book. I read the book first and then saw the movie. The movie was so condensed that it almost seemed to run on fast-forward.

Rating:
Summary: omg!
Review: oh god the ending! the ending! the ending!

(it is best to read the book before you watch the movie)

Rating:
Summary: More than Meets the Eye
Review: Okay. Raise your hands. How many have seen the movie but not read the book? Come on raise em! I thought so. I'm not taking anything away from the film. I love it, one of my favorites, watched it a gazillion times, but I just read the book for the 2nd time, the first time was, well long time ago. Even though I thought I knew the whole story, I realized there was so much more to the characters and the story.
This tale of the South begins on the eve of the Civil War, and centers around a Southern belle, Scarlett O'Hara. Scarlett is a young Belle, with many beau. The young men are buzzing around her. She is the daughter of a wealthy plantation owner, she is spoiled,concieted, and shallow. Her sole purpose in life is to look good and catch a worthy husband.She has hope only for one though,Ashley Wilkes, who is bethrothed to Melanie Hamilton. Her whole life changes, as war breaks out, the Yankees are winning, many of her beau are dieing in the war. She is forced to do things,never in her life would she have thought she must. She must nurse the wounded, work her father's plantation, (as most of the slaves have been set free by the Yankees, or have just run off),she must care for her family, and save the faimly home from the Yankees. Even as the war ends, she still must continue to keep "Tara" (the family plantation) out of the hands of Carpetbaggers, and Scalliwags.
Scarlett at her young and tender age will do whatever it takes to keep from going hungry and tattered like the rest of the southerners. This includes taking up with the likes of one Rhett Butler. Although the rest of Atlanta see's him as a low life friend to the Yankees, Scarlett see him as a means to end.He is rich, and like Scarlett doesnt really care what anyone else thinks. Rhett comes in and out of her life over the next several years always seeming to come to her resue, and they eventually marry, but not, according to Scarlett for love.
Throughout the story we see Scarlett getting stronger with every tradgedy that besets her, and there are many. The loss of her parents, 2 husbands, a child, and of course the war. But what we also see is the loss of her youth and and the way of life she was born to have. In their place we see courage and tenacity,a woman who could run her own business (unheard of in those days), a woman who could shoulder anything that might come her way.
It takes the death of Melanie for Scarlett to realize, what she already has in her life that is good. But is it too late?
As I mentioned in the beginning, there is so much more in the book then you will see in the movie. There is a depth in some of the characters, like Melanie and Gerald O'hara(Scarlett's father), and more light is shed upon the relationship between the planatation owners and the slaves, we understand Scarlett,and her love for the land a little more, and see more to Rhett. There are other characters too, important to the lives of the main characters, Scarlett has two children besides Bonnie, there is a convict that has entered the lives of all, and the realtionship with Mammy is touched on more so than in the movie. Mrs. Mitchell never forgets to give us descriptions of the land,the war, and the people that will stick with you. We also get more of the history of the war and it's ravages on the South, the aftermath, the formation of "The Klan", and much more.
Although we might disagree with the politics of the story, like how women were thought of, or the treatment of African American as slaves, Mrs. Mitchell paints us a clear vision of how things were. It was an era in American History that is, well, "Gone With The Wind"
If you have never read this book or seen the movie, I tried only to give a taste of the story. I hope it has wet your appetite, read the book first, you won't be able to put it down.You will get lost in another time and place.
If you have only seen the movie, this will fill in the blanks for you, and you can picture the faces and voices of the characters you know.
Happy reading........Laurie P.S. There is also a wonderful sequel to the story called "Scarlett", by Alexandra Ripley