I have a new, favorite book. Maybe not quite "all time favorite", but at least "Top Three". Of course, everyone knows this book or has endured seen the movie, but somehow it had gotten past me these last 28 years.. that is, until last month.
It's quite a commitment to read a thousand page book. But once I got thru the first 130 pages of history and explanation, the plot kicked in and I was taken, whole-heartedly taken, by my love/hate relationship with Scarlett. You know, it takes a strong backbone to make your protagonist such a hated woman. Most heroines are not of the despicable nature, most heroines don't lack redemptive qualities, but Ms. O'Hara is probably the most selfish woman I have ever encountered in a book! And all the while I am outraged at her backstabbing greediness, I am captured by her tireless determination. She never doubts. She never waivers. She never second guesses. She doesn't give a flying flip what anyone says or thinks of her. She just does what she thinks she must. It's admirable, her spirit; but all the while shocking, and sometimes frightening. And Rhett, oh Rhett Butler... or should I say "oh, Ashley!" (I'm pretty sure if I counted the "oh, Ashley!"s in the movie, it would at least be 115 {that's one every other minute}) He, Rhett, is her saving grace and she misses it. She constantly misses it. I will say I did not see the end coming. I knew the coined phrase, "Frankly, my dear, I just don't give a damn," but I did not see the context coming at all. I felt so betrayed when I finally ended the book. I kept saying to myself, "but..", "what if..", "if only..", "maybe"... and on and on. I thought about this book days after I finished it. In fact, I am still thinking about this book. Wondering what happened to Atlanta, to Tara, to Wade and Beau, to the free darkies, to Scarlett's sisters...
I read on the back of my copy, that the only other book that has outsold "Gone with the Wind", is The Bible. So yep, that pretty much sums up the amazingness of this classic.
2 comments:
what an amazing summary you gave! wow! you almost got me wanting to read it again! almost, but not quite... the sequel that was written (by a different author) was good, but not as epic of course.
This is my favorite book. I love it!
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