Kelly , I appreciate your view of this book. I read it about 20 years ago. I think we all read a book looking through differing eyes and opinions. I didn’t read it looking for a love story , as I don’t enjoy romance novels. (Yuk) . I read a lot of nonfiction , so I looked at it in a more critical way. I thought Scarlett was a spoiled brat , and the love story was the least interesting part of the book. I was more interested in the history aspect , and how life may have been in a Southern plantation house during Civil War times. Although the main characters didn’t use language and “correct” grammar , and their ideals were not up to the standards of today , I think every book has a value of some type. This portrayed a time and place in the past , where things were looked at and spoken of in a way that was probably pretty prevalent . I’d like to think we are moving forward in a more positive mindset regarding racism and mistreatment of any person , based on race , religion, or so many other “ categories “ that we tend to group people into. I think the books we read all have a place in helping us to see and learn how to grow and move forward . I’m a firm believer that books should remain as they are . This is the way we learn from our past . I can’t point a finger at the author and say she was a horrible person for believing as she did . I can’t expect her to look at life from the perspective of someone in 2022. She was raised in a place and time in which there were probably ( still) a lot of people believing slavery was a good thing because they had others doing the hard work to keep their lifestyles up . If I recall, you have another book on your reading list for this year , that will show how some areas and people are still living in the past , and seem to have difficulty putting the Civil War to rest. ( Confederates in the Attic) All we can do is learn and try to improve ourselves in some way from each book we read. In 100 years , future readers may point out flaws in our books destined to be “ classics” by then. I’d like to think that we will leave books for them that allow them to see how skewed our thinking was , so that they may grow into even better people , learning from the pages of our books. I hesitated to leave a comment , but I know how you’re always encouraging people to please leave an opinion , so this is mine. I’m way too old to get in an internet argument. I’m hoping those who watch your channel will be able to read all these comments and get something useful from each one.
Julie, I place a very high value on comments. I am not trying to persuade people one way or another, but for the most part I hope people will read it for themselves to decide what they think. I also wish I’d done a better job in the video of discussing what was happening in America when this book was published and how people have reacted to the book - both positive and negative - from the beginning. I am not interested in arguing with anyone, but hopefully the video will generate discussion. Thank you for contributing your valuable opinion and adding to the conversation.
I just got finished reading the book about 30 minutes ago and I loved it. I love the fact that there were characters that were introduced in the book that wasn't in the movie. I also enjoy the fact that we got to be introduced to Scarlett's two children by her first two husbands Charles Hamilton and Frank Kennedy. I enjoyed the fact that Karen were allowed to tell their point of view about the Civil War in their own way, and we got to see those points of view throughout the course of the book that was kind of awesome to see. The N-word was mentioned a lot by blacks and whites alike, and you kinda could tell that all the characters had some villainous traits to them, and it was kind of a very controversial book for its time I have to say. I love the book just as much as I love the movie Margaret mentioned did a very good job writing the book. I wasn't offended by any other language give me the fact that I'm African-American, that was what was written from her point of view, and how she saw society back then and I like reading different points of view from people who lived in different parts of the world and the country. Some people might've found this book to be terrible or horrific in nature but this was mention point of view of how she left her life in Georgia, especially in Atlanta and I did see the documentary on her life and it was a really good one too, she had an interesting life her and Scarlet has some similarities, especially when it came down to to appease her mother and do the right thing. They were prejudices from all sites that was to be expected during those times and I just enjoyed it immensely that's how good it was. It took me a week to read it because I wanted to take my time given the fact it was five parts and over 800 pages long, I would recommend this book to anyone that hasn't po😊😅😊😊read it yet
One of your best videos. I’m looking forward to finally reading the book myself in March to make up my own mind. You do a good job here of outlining its faults while still insisting on, and exploring, its value as a subversive work of romantic fiction. I hope people who watch this video of yours don’t leave with the idea that your re-read of it left you in the “I loathe Gone with the Wind” camp, because, as you make clear by the end, it didn’t. You, instead, came to recognize that one’s relationship with it should be fraught and uncomfortable, that one should neither turn a blind eye to its racism while swooning over its storytelling nor throw the baby of its brilliance out with the bathwater of its sins. For my money, too many readers these days are boiling their evaluations of (especially historical) texts down into matrices too simple.
@@booksimnotreading black people do not like white liberals so stop trying to defend blacks...it will not make them like you any better...and i am a black republican conservative saying this
This video really impacted me Kelly. I’ve been staring at my phone for 10 minutes trying to figure out what to say… I really appreciate the nuance and the questions that you posed here. I’m going to chew on this some more. Thanks for posting this and giving me so much to think about it.
I just do not understand why people even bother reading this if it brings them so much distress, confusion, etc. You have to understand the time in which it was written as well as the time it is written about. This is the first “real” novel that I read in 1980 when I was 15; pressed in my hands by my grandmother. It will always be special to me and I’m sad that younger people can’t handle reading it.
Isn’t reducing the whole conversation to “younger people can’t handle reading it,” doing a disservice to the nuance that Kelly was trying to bring to this discussion? Especially considering that none of the critical voices she mentioned are particularly young! 😂
@TLG I do hear you! I have many books my grandmother pressed into my hands that are special to me. I am just trying to have a discussion about how our views on books can change over time.
"younger ppl cant handle reading it" ??? is that what u call distress over racist language ? being overly sensitive ? You should be More sensitive to it, not numb. There are plenty of other, well-written books that don't contain racist language. Young ppl, and especially young BLACK young ppl shouldn't force themselves to read racist language
@@preternatural3231 you are making my point- thank you! By the way- my sister is half African American, as we share a mother. Even she finds this ridiculous. I am offended by trash like Shades of Gray on our bookshelves, but I wouldn’t try to take it from you.
HI Kelly, wow - great video outlining both the good and the problematic issues with GWTW. Those sticky notes visually bring this to life. I read this book back in 2000, pregnant with my first son and remember being swept up in the love story and visually imaging the old antebellum south... the homes, the long avenues of trees etc - a romantic view. I also remember skim reading parts of it though due to the words/language used. It was an uneasy read and I think for that reason a good one as it made me think a lot more about the issues raised and has helped me to become a more critical reader/thinker. I look forward to watching the other videos you mentioned too
Well Fiddle Dee Dee, Kelly! I finally gathered my thoughts and felt compelled to watch your video on GWTW and comment. It was my Mammoth this year. and I really enjoyed my time with the book, my favourite read so far this year. I read it fully knowing how problematic the book is. but I did enjoy the read none the less and I got to check it off my TBR. I did ask myself If I had purposely tuned out the problematic aspects of the book and to be honest I think I did. Not sure what sort of reader that makes me. And I just loved Scarlett's resiliance and sheer pluck, I was so invested in her story. It has made me want to read more about the reconstruction period in the South though. to better understand the later part of the novel. But the romantic elements in the novel is just masterful. I think Scarlett and Rhett's romance is in my top 3 of all time. I did read a review somewhere where the reviewer commented that the only principled people in the entire novel were African American. it's a novel of it's time, so the book needs to be read in this context. Not being American maybe my thoughts on the novel too naive. it was a bonus for me to see how faithful the movie was to the book. And yes I understand why people would'nt want to read it, but I would reread it. Just my 2 cents worth.
God’s Nightgown, Nathan, at last! No, I really enjoyed your mini-review. I love the romance of the story and that’s what propelled me through it on a first read. This time was much more complicated, but you are right - it is a book of its time, which is important to remember. I think Mitchell was a great storyteller and a great creator of characters. Thanks so much for watching and sharing your own thoughts with me and everyone in the future who watches this review.
I actually prefer the movie - anf that's rare for me. The more galling racism from the book was taken out, and there's some interesting things coded into it. Some very enlightening commentary here: ruclips.net/video/CDkwGQFLcjE/видео.html
You posed an excellent analysis. I read GWTW twice years ago and watched the movie several times. At one time I would have said it was one of my favorite books of all time. Great story. Complex characters. Excellent setting and atmosphere. But then I grew up. I started to read much more critically just like you talked about. And I read other books and consumed other media that taught me so much. The book was written by a woman who was raised as a racist to glorify the South. She didn’t know the South lost the Civil War until she was 10 (I think). She went to college in MA and demanded not to have a black roommate. She and this book were a product of a very evil time in the South and when I consider my thoughts on my former reading of it I cringe. Just as you said, in my earlier reading I seem to have purposely glossed over the conspicuous horrors of the story. Shame on me. This book is now held up as an example of glorification of racism and enslavement of humans. There is so much we can learn from those deeper analyses and I think your project was so illuminating. 🤓
Kim, thank you for watching and commenting. I think she may have been joking when she said she didn’t know the South had lost until she was 10. I have seen conflicting sources about that. I do still think the four main characters are extremely complex. But I am no longer willing to gloss over things as I once did. I do appreciate sharing your experience with me. 💛
Thank you so much for this thoughtful review. I definitely agree with you on a lot of the points and how the idea of love was turned upside down and around. As some others have mentioned, I do think this is more a love story about the Old South in Margaret Mitchell’s eyes. Besides the racist elements throughout the book, I also noticed a strong anti-Yankee/anti-Northerner sentiment throughout. In much of the book, The Yankees and northerners are the villains with the southerners being the victims of too much oversight and corruption, especially during reconstruction. I wonder how much this book influenced many during the Jim Crow era of the south. I suspect many did not see the propaganda in this book and thought that this was really how life was like for the enslaved before and after the Civil War. I could understand if someone believed this version of history, that they could be very resentful of Yankees and the government. I also would not ban this book, but would definitely think it would come with some discussion, especially if younger people are planning to read it. I would love to hear the perspective of an African-American who has read this book. There is so much good in this book. I just wish she had stuck with the historical aspects and didn’t add in her own agendas/opinions re groups of people.
Thank you so much for watching my whole review and providing such a thoughtful comment. I think it improves my review when others share their thoughts so you can see a variety of people's thoughts. Hope you will stick around!
I've read GWTW too many times to count, starting when I was in college. Each time, I focus on something different, or something different comes to the forefront. The thing that is interesting is how wise Rhett Butler is and how kind Melanie remains, right up to her death. Scarlett is oblivious to both traits, blinders on, refusing to remove them until the very end. She is immersed and surrounded by these two characters and will not open her eyes or her heart or pause for even one minute to reflect on anything. The reason there is no mention of slaves working in the fields is simple: Scarlett never set one tiny slipper into a field with a field hand. However, she does get on hands and knees and picks cotton herself at Tara, bullying her sisters to do the same, at the end of the war trying to survive and save Tara. The rest of us (readers) would likely toil in this manner and then at some point stop to reflect about the hard life those slaves suffered. It might change the course of our lives, realizing how bad this really was. Not Scarlett. No wake up moments for her whatsoever.
Beverly, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with me and anyone else watching this video on Gone With the Wind. I like your idea of focusing on something else each time you read it. I'm so glad you commented and I hope you'll stick around - maybe there are other books we are both passionate about? :)
I have a long and complicated relationship with this one. When I first read it I was about 14 and thought Scarlett was just so brave, etc. After a while I reread it, and found that gee, maybe Melanie was the brave one and the heroine. I was fully adult before I was completely aware of just how unrealistic and slanted (to say the least) the book is and Margaret Mitchell was. Seeing Ashley as part of the KKK broke my heart. I really believe Maya Angelou: When you know better, you do better. Thanks for a great and thoughtful video, Kelly.
Gail, thank you so much for sharing your own complicated relationship with this book. I really appreciate hearing your story. You can see why people’s review of the book takes so long - and then if you bring up the film! Yes, between rereading this and Beloved, I can see that I have changed as a reader, which is good, but … challenging.
This my own opinion, and I understand how people fill and I APPRECIATE AND RESPECT EVERYBODY'S OPINION. But I don't understand why folks put themselves through this. Gone With A Wind is a book that takes place in the 1800's writen In the 1930's By a southern white Woman, now I don't know if Margaret Mitchell was a racist or not but unfortunately that was the time that she was living in, unfortunately back then this Country was separated and African Americans and Other minorities are the one suffered the most, I think that now we are Blessed that even though their is still racism in this world it is no longer tolerable, and that's why we talk about this Thing's and say they were wrong and of course they were wrong but we cannot put the past under the rug for as much as we want to. I Look at the pass and yeah at times it's painful to watch, But I look at it and I say to myself Thank God That we don't live in those times, And it Makes Me Appreciate People even more. Sorry for the Rant
David, thanks so much for sharing your opinion with me. I really love the diversity of comments in review videos because it makes it a much richer experience for everyone.
I read this last year and had no idea what it was about. I enjoyed it, taking into consideration when it was written. I think it surprised me because it was not about what I thought it was going to be about. With all the thoughts around it, even from the time I read it last year, I wonder what I would think about it with a reread. The tabs are a great visual. 😊💙
Jorge, hello and thank you for watching and commenting! I hope you will tell me what you think when you finish! Glad to know that I am not alone in my complicated feelings about this book!
I have never read the book--I remember years ago reading the first few paragraphs but it didn't grab me. Being a newish booktube viewer, there seems to be a sort of unwritten perimeter of what opinions are acceptable, so I am intrigued to read it now to see if it's as "horrible" as so many think...thank you for your commentary about it and a reminder to put this classic under my belt.
Hello and thank you for commenting! I know sometimes that is hard to do, especially if you’re new, so welcome to Booktube. You should always decide for yourself what you think of a book - don’t let anyone including me tell you what you should believe. I hope you will read it so you can decide for yourself and I hope you will tell me what you think! I truly want to know! 💛
@@tlw1950 Yes the time when white people could be real about their hate for all non whites and not get shamed for it. Those were the good old days. I know you vote to bring them back.
This is a lovely thoughtful video. I read the book as a girl back in the 1970s and don't remember it that well. I didn't understand the historical and political context then, but I have never been drawn to reread it. Your exercise with the post it notes is really revealing though. I suspect I couldn't stomach it now despite the strength of the romantic plot.
Ros, thank you so much for your kind words. I really value what you have to say. It's a very complicated book and I think it's challenging to read today without looking at it in today's context. Stay safe and be well!
Admittedly, too many people give this book a 5 star review while ignoring the racism and Klan references. I didn’t get the impression that the Klan was clownish. It seemed a bit too sinister for me. And the author makes out the black characters to be of low intelligence, which I hated. I think your review was pretty fair, unlike some of the other booktubers out there.👍
Thank you so much for watching this and taking the time to share your thoughts with me about it. I deeply appreciate other people’s perspectives and I think it greatly adds to the value of the video. 👍
Thank you so much! I read this book when I was in high school, in the 1970s. I've wondered what it would be like to reread it now, and this is a wonderful perspective. I know that at least one booktuber is reading it alongside Vanity Fair (which I haven't read) and I'm interested to see what similarities are found there. I would guess that the racism of GWTW would be layered on top of the themes in VF. Not sure if I'd be able to stomach a re-read at this point, but I may try later this year. We'll see. In answer to your question about whether Margaret Mitchell was looking backward or forward, I think (again with a 45-year gap since I've read it) that she was definitely writing with nostalgia for the slave era. Yeah, I should probably reread this and see what I think now.
Deborah, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. If you want to talk about the book with someone, I am happy to do so. I can’t imagine reading this book in high school! I definitely would not have been ready then! Again, please feel free to reach out to me if you’d like to talk about the book in the future.
@@booksimnotreading Yeah, no idea what I was thinking, but I remember enjoying the romance of it and thinking that Scarlett was very unlikeable, start to finish.
I really admire you for doing this! I have never read this book and don't plan on doing so, but I figure that many beloved classics display lots of problematic issues. It is absolutely despicable and so disheartening. I don't know how to reconcile that and there certainly is no way to make it better, but acknowledging the ignorance and racism is a step forward.
Great evenhanded discussion and analysis Kelly! When I read GWTW, I was interested to see why it was so popular and beloved, but never figured that out to my satisfaction. The book is both compelling with great emotion, dialogue, and action and exasperating with cringe-worthy schemes and endless descriptive pages that stop the story. Scarlett is young and naive with an overindulgent upbringing, but that does not excuse her! I was 13 when I read GWTW and I was shocked and horrified by Scarlett's willful selfishness and wilful/deliberate ignorance. Today, I hope to finish Uncle Tom's Cabin or Life among the Lowly. What a fantastic text on slavery. I highly recommend it.
Lorri, thank you so much for sharing your experience of reading GWTW. I can't believe how many people have said they read it when they were 13. Everything - good and bad - would have been lost on me! Stay safe and be well.
The color coding really makes a statement to the awful racist comments! I’ve read the book twice and the second read through the racism had me wincing. I still love the strong personalities and romance and would read it again. However, it does make me question Mitchell and how she could have told the story much differently.
Hi stranger! So great to hear from you! I still also admire Mitchell’s storytelling capabilities. And when even just two of the main characters are on the page it’s electrifying! Thank you so much for watching and leaving a comment. 💛
Oh boy, I should not comment.... but we're all grown ups here so:) And spoilers for folks who haven't read or watched it. Firstly, great video. I do not see this book as a romance at all. Scarlett is a horrible person who continually gets in trouble and gets her second husband killed... which is kinda a deconstruction of chivalry too and it broke my heart to see Rhett ruin himself on her and become a worn out man, unlike the film where he walks away as the immortal Gable; but I digress. When I read it quite a few years ago, I felt it was written in a troubled time and my feelings are also mixed. The film omitted the Klan because, if I got this right, it was so unpopular even though, as you pointed out, the book doesn't seem favorable to them which stands in sharp contrast to a film glorifying the Klan, 'The Birth of a Nation,' which had been a smash not long before. Personally, I think MM was trying to be progressive in some ways just with the limited tools she had; rather like someone who wouldn't approve of a human in a zoo (read about that appalling fact recently) even if they are still seeing said human through a racist lens; it is backward by our modern, hopefully more enlightened view, but may have been progressive at the time. Consider when Scarlett feels offended that the northern woman only want to hire Irish nannies and thinks about what a good person Mammy is. It's a values system I can't share but was probably leaps and bounds better than what came before. One aspect that was quite progressive for me was the depiction of my favorite character who sadly didn't make it into the movie, though some of his lines did, Will. Will is a poor man, I believe he's referred to as a "Cracker" at some point, and before the war he would never have encountered wealthy people like the O'Haras but is a highly valuable person who does much of the heavy lifting in keeping Tara going, showing that he has more value than anyone would have guessed which is only able to shine because they've been thrown together by tragedy. Again, this is incredibly imperfect by our modern standards; but I find it par for the course when I crack open old books featuring diverse characters, i.e. Lovecraft, or Arthur Conan Doyle or H.G. Wells and I think the only solution is what you recommend; that we are ready to enjoy the good while viewing the outdated (I hate the phrase problematic) with honesty. Cancelling won't make it go away, it's just a game of pretend and hiding the truth will not do us any good; we'd just be fleeing into a safe space or, as Lovecraft put it, "the safety of a new dark age" rather than developing emotional maturity. Values change, hopefully for the better, and keeping these works available with flaws on full display like tree rings in paper form to show how we've progressed and changed, or maybe in more fundamental ways (like being a naïve teen XD) have not. The Greek myths are very outdated in terms of what we consider heroic... but the way Odysseus feels about his dog tells us the writer and audience were people shockingly like ourselves in many, many other ways.
Hello and thank you for your very thoughtful comment. I really love the tree ring analogy! This is why I make review videos, which are for me the hardest to do. Because later, someone else will chime in and add to the discussion. Thank you so much for your thoughts!
Great point. I totally see what you are saying - shouldn’t we expect plantation owners to be racist? Shouldn’t we expect an author who grew up and lived in the South during segregation to see the world this way? My remark had mainly to do with that in addition to essentially hide the life of the slaves in the field from us, Mitchell also uses some racist terms against the Irish and expresses sentiments against poorer people that have more to do with class and wealth than race. Have you read the book? If so, what did you think of it? Thank you so much for commenting!
@@booksimnotreading I actually just started reading today. Im not familiar with the story so I can't comment too much. I think I started reading it because it's referenced in The Outsiders lol. So far so good.
The racism coming from the authors narration is the part that is unnecessary. Had she been speaking for the characters, that would be different. However, she was sharing her beliefs (as the narrator) as if they were facts.
What a thoughtful video! I read GWTW when I was a teenager or in my early twenties (I don’t remember). Back then I was not as aware as I am now about race issues, and like you, I just read it for the romance and pretty much ignored the rest. I have not reread it since. I am sure I would not see it in the same way.
Elisabeth, thank you for sharing your experience of GWTW with me. I still love the romance of the book - maybe because it’s so unconventional. If you do read it again, I hope you will tell me!
Great review Kelly, it both horrified and fascinated me! I do want to read it one day as the positive elements of it sound like the kind of thing I enjoy, I liked the film for sure. Did they take all of the KKK stuff out of the film? I don't remember that but it's been a while.
It’s been awhile since I have watched the film as well, Aaron, so I’m not sure. But I am glad you still plan to read the book one day and decide for yourself. I would really love to talk to you about it! And don’t be freaked out by the size - the story will pull you along. 💛 Thank you for watching and commenting!
Wow! The way you color coded the tabs creates such a great visual for the many, many negative elements contained within the covers of this book. I did read GWTW when I was in 8th grade. For me, it was a page turner because I got swept along in the romance side of the saga. I like to think that a 13yo in 2022 wouldn’t be so oblivious to the blatant racism as I was several decades ago. Mitchell was a very good storyteller with the ability to create very memorable characters. The story she chose to share is a regrettable one and it has over time enhanced the belief of many of many Americans in the “Lost Cause” of the Civil War. Being awarded a National Book Award as well as Pulitzer Prize certainly went far in giving a false legitimacy to Mitchell’s tale.
Thank you Mary for sharing your GWTW experience with me. I am glad you could see the tabs in the video. In spite of its racism, I still don’t think this book should be banned. I doubt many 13-year-olds are reading this book now, but if they are, I hope it is in conversation with a wise adult. 💛
Such a honest video, I loved it. Also a very brave one ;) So I will also be brave and be honest about what I think about this book. I definitely agree that all the characters in the book were racists. Most probably the author was a racist too. As most of the people living in 1920's Europe were racists to some degree... This kind of thinking is wrong regardless of who it is directed at. Maybe not to the extent of this book but I noticed many racist terms and mindset in many beloved authors and classics in Booktube. English classics mostly do glorify Colonalism for example. I was horrified at L.M. Montgomery's words to describe Germans and ( little less horrific nicknames to Turks) in a book she has written after World War I. But I like books written at those times like many of us do if they are good structured books and engaging to read. I prefer to see (I certainly agree to disagree) books as a product of its time. If this book was written in 2000's, it would be a horrific book to read. However, it does not change the fact that this book has one of the best character developments in books. Scarlet is a spoiled child at the beginning of the book but becomes a strong woman by the end. And also she is fascinating to read about. The love story was not great for me like many think it is but Rhett is also a very complex character. I did not like any of the characters with the exception of Melanie but this was a great read for me regardless. It is a matter of perspective I guess. There are valid reasons for hating this book and there are valid reasons for really liking the book.
Berna, what a wonderful comment. Thank you so much! I agree that this was a book published during segregation in America and is a product of it’s time. There are many racist Pulitzer winners I would not want to read again, but Mitchell is a fantastic storyteller. I wish we had more work from her to get a better sense of her as a person. I so appreciate you sharing your thoughts with me.
I grew up in the south but did not come from generation of southerners ; that is to say my parents were Jewish so Gone with the Wind never held a fascination for me and the movie is three hours! So I never read the book and the movie was too long. About fifteen years ago, a friend who lives in my state but grew up in New Jersey said " You have to see the movie just once!!" so we went to the old classic theatre in my town. I could not believe it but people had come dressed in antebellum clothing and cheered for the south.during the movie I was so sick from the experience and was so irritated with my friend....one must ask and I'm against book banning why are you drawn to this book??
Sandra, thank you for sharing with me your experience with GWTW. Why am I drawn to it? Because it is the most unconventional love story I have ever read with four extremely complicated (and flawed) characters I have ever read. Having said that, reading a second time was a very different experience, but I feel like there is still a great story buried in there. I have seen the film on the big screen, but fortunately no one showed up in costume. Does this help answer your question?
@@booksimnotreading it's funny I called my friend after I wrote the comment to ask her what drew her to the book and she said she had seen the movie. I'm not judging...i grew up with people who love it, I guess I wonder what initially draws someone to the book...the title? Civil War buff? I'm not sure ....I meant what initially drew you to the book itself? Maybe history? Hype?
@@sandra7319. I grew up with a bunch of women who kept telling me to read it. If I hadn’t then, then I would have read it when I was reading all the books that had won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
I think Southerners raised on the “Lost Cause” narrative may have a special tie to this story. There are still people in Mississippi that dress up in confederate costume and celebrate at Jefferson Davis’s home in Biloxi. I find it peculiar, but many really want to hold onto that part of their history. For the rest of us, I think watching this love story among the characters with quite a riveting plot, drew us in. I will say the movie is much more subtle with its racism and anti-northern sentiment. I finally read the book and I’m not sure I can enjoy the movie anymore. The book definitely held my interest, but there were a lot of points where I didn’t know if I could keep going with it. I’m glad I did finish it so I can share my own thoughts. I’m glad there are various reviewers on here to get differing perspectives..
I can't read that book or watch the movie without wondering about the Black characters. I doubt Mammy was that happy to just wait on the white people hand and foot her entire life, though she certainly wasn't in a position to say so. Where was her own family? Did she have love interests when she was younger? Surely she did. Did she ever have a child? We're never told any of this. The book treats it as a non-issue. The people working in the cotton fields get even less attention. The slave quarters are never described, none of that. The white characters are well written, fully fleshed out. But the Black characters are ignored.
Stella, hello! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and interests with me. I love the Comments section on reviews because they add so much to the whole conversation. Do you suppose Margaret Mitchell had any reason for ignoring the African-Americans in the book? But I suspect Mammy may have looked after Scarlett and her sisters like a mother. Surely many women in slavery nursed white children as well of or instead of their own. Thanks again for commenting! I appreciate it.
@@booksimnotreading And hello to you! Those stickies were a great idea, BTW. Interesting visual... I can only speculate about Mitchell's reasons for doing anything. It's obvious from her writing that she was very racist, though she seems to have mellowed some later in life and anonymously helped finance the education of at least 20 Morehouse College students in the late 1940s. Still, I doubt she ever really shed the racism. She certainly didn't want her white friends to know about the donations. She wasn't inherently evil, it was the way she was raised. These things are taught. Mammy did look out for Scarlett and her sisters like a mother. They were all she had. I think she was given to Scarlett's mother when she was quite young. And that's all we're told - we don't know what happened to her own mother. Whatever happened, I don't think she just forgot it.
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Kelly ,
I appreciate your view of this book. I read it about 20 years ago. I think we all read a book looking through differing eyes and opinions. I didn’t read it looking for a love story , as I don’t enjoy romance novels. (Yuk) . I read a lot of nonfiction , so I looked at it in a more critical way. I thought Scarlett was a spoiled brat , and the love story was the least interesting part of the book. I was more interested in the history aspect , and how life may have been in a Southern plantation house during Civil War times. Although the main characters didn’t use language and “correct” grammar , and their ideals were not up to the standards of today , I think every book has a value of some type. This portrayed a time and place in the past , where things were looked at and spoken of in a way that was probably pretty prevalent . I’d like to think we are moving forward in a more positive mindset regarding racism and mistreatment of any person , based on race , religion, or so many other “ categories “ that we tend to group people into. I think the books we read all have a place in helping us to see and learn how to grow and move forward .
I’m a firm believer that books should remain as they are . This is the way we learn from our past . I can’t point a finger at the author and say she was a horrible person for believing as she did . I can’t expect her to look at life from the perspective of someone in 2022. She was raised in a place and time in which there were probably ( still) a lot of people believing slavery was a good thing because they had others doing the hard work to keep their lifestyles up . If I recall, you have another book on your reading list for this year , that will show how some areas and people are still living in the past , and seem to have difficulty putting the Civil War to rest. ( Confederates in the Attic)
All we can do is learn and try to improve ourselves in some way from each book we read. In 100 years , future readers may point out flaws in our books destined to be “ classics” by then. I’d like to think that we will leave books for them that allow them to see how skewed our thinking was , so that they may grow into even better people , learning from the pages of our books.
I hesitated to leave a comment , but I know how you’re always encouraging people to please leave an opinion , so this is mine.
I’m way too old to get in an internet argument. I’m hoping those who watch your channel will be able to read all these comments and get something useful from each one.
Julie, I place a very high value on comments. I am not trying to persuade people one way or another, but for the most part I hope people will read it for themselves to decide what they think. I also wish I’d done a better job in the video of discussing what was happening in America when this book was published and how people have reacted to the book - both positive and negative - from the beginning. I am not interested in arguing with anyone, but hopefully the video will generate discussion. Thank you for contributing your valuable opinion and adding to the conversation.
I just got finished reading the book about 30 minutes ago and I loved it. I love the fact that there were characters that were introduced in the book that wasn't in the movie. I also enjoy the fact that we got to be introduced to Scarlett's two children by her first two husbands Charles Hamilton and Frank Kennedy. I enjoyed the fact that Karen were allowed to tell their point of view about the Civil War in their own way, and we got to see those points of view throughout the course of the book that was kind of awesome to see. The N-word was mentioned a lot by blacks and whites alike, and you kinda could tell that all the characters had some villainous traits to them, and it was kind of a very controversial book for its time I have to say. I love the book just as much as I love the movie Margaret mentioned did a very good job writing the book. I wasn't offended by any other language give me the fact that I'm African-American, that was what was written from her point of view, and how she saw society back then and I like reading different points of view from people who lived in different parts of the world and the country. Some people might've found this book to be terrible or horrific in nature but this was mention point of view of how she left her life in Georgia, especially in Atlanta and I did see the documentary on her life and it was a really good one too, she had an interesting life her and Scarlet has some similarities, especially when it came down to to appease her mother and do the right thing. They were prejudices from all sites that was to be expected during those times and I just enjoyed it immensely that's how good it was. It took me a week to read it because I wanted to take my time given the fact it was five parts and over 800 pages long, I would recommend this book to anyone that hasn't po😊😅😊😊read it yet
Chenelle, thanks a much for sharing your thoughts! I appreciate it! 💛
Excellent comment. Thank you.
One of your best videos. I’m looking forward to finally reading the book myself in March to make up my own mind. You do a good job here of outlining its faults while still insisting on, and exploring, its value as a subversive work of romantic fiction. I hope people who watch this video of yours don’t leave with the idea that your re-read of it left you in the “I loathe Gone with the Wind” camp, because, as you make clear by the end, it didn’t. You, instead, came to recognize that one’s relationship with it should be fraught and uncomfortable, that one should neither turn a blind eye to its racism while swooning over its storytelling nor throw the baby of its brilliance out with the bathwater of its sins. For my money, too many readers these days are boiling their evaluations of (especially historical) texts down into matrices too simple.
I look forward to see what you think when you read it! Thank you for your feedback on this video. ❤️
@@booksimnotreading black people do not like white liberals so stop trying to defend blacks...it will not make them like you any better...and i am a black republican conservative saying this
This video really impacted me Kelly. I’ve been staring at my phone for 10 minutes trying to figure out what to say… I really appreciate the nuance and the questions that you posed here. I’m going to chew on this some more. Thanks for posting this and giving me so much to think about it.
Gina, I am just happy you watched it. We can always talk about it.
This is such a thoughtful and nuanced analysis of a topic that really needs this kind of honest and nuanced analysis. Thank you!
Ami, thank you so much for commenting and watching this video. It means a lot to me! 💛
I just do not understand why people even bother reading this if it brings them so much distress, confusion, etc.
You have to understand the time in which it was written as well as the time it is written about.
This is the first “real” novel that I read in 1980 when I was 15; pressed in my hands by my grandmother. It will always be special to me and I’m sad that younger people can’t handle reading it.
Isn’t reducing the whole conversation to “younger people can’t handle reading it,” doing a disservice to the nuance that Kelly was trying to bring to this discussion? Especially considering that none of the critical voices she mentioned are particularly young! 😂
@TLG I do hear you! I have many books my grandmother pressed into my hands that are special to me. I am just trying to have a discussion about how our views on books can change over time.
"younger ppl cant handle reading it" ??? is that what u call distress over racist language ? being overly sensitive ?
You should be More sensitive to it, not numb. There are plenty of other, well-written books that don't contain racist language. Young ppl, and especially young BLACK young ppl shouldn't force themselves to read racist language
@@preternatural3231 I am not trying to force anyone to read anything. That is not want my channel is about.
@@preternatural3231 you are making my point- thank you! By the way- my sister is half African American, as we share a mother. Even she finds this ridiculous. I am offended by trash like Shades of Gray on our bookshelves, but I wouldn’t try to take it from you.
HI Kelly, wow - great video outlining both the good and the problematic issues with GWTW. Those sticky notes visually bring this to life. I read this book back in 2000, pregnant with my first son and remember being swept up in the love story and visually imaging the old antebellum south... the homes, the long avenues of trees etc - a romantic view. I also remember skim reading parts of it though due to the words/language used. It was an uneasy read and I think for that reason a good one as it made me think a lot more about the issues raised and has helped me to become a more critical reader/thinker. I look forward to watching the other videos you mentioned too
Jane, thank you so much for sharing your experience with me! I am glad to hear that just reading it once made you a more critical reader. 💛
Well Fiddle Dee Dee, Kelly! I finally gathered my thoughts and felt compelled to watch your video on GWTW and comment. It was my Mammoth this year. and I really enjoyed my time with the book, my favourite read so far this year. I read it fully knowing how problematic the book is. but I did enjoy the read none the less and I got to check it off my TBR. I did ask myself If I had purposely tuned out the problematic aspects of the book and to be honest I think I did. Not sure what sort of reader that makes me. And I just loved Scarlett's resiliance and sheer pluck, I was so invested in her story. It has made me want to read more about the reconstruction period in the South though. to better understand the later part of the novel. But the romantic elements in the novel is just masterful. I think Scarlett and Rhett's romance is in my top 3 of all time. I did read a review somewhere where the reviewer commented that the only principled people in the entire novel were African American. it's a novel of it's time, so the book needs to be read in this context. Not being American maybe my thoughts on the novel too naive. it was a bonus for me to see how faithful the movie was to the book. And yes I understand why people would'nt want to read it, but I would reread it. Just my 2 cents worth.
God’s Nightgown, Nathan, at last! No, I really enjoyed your mini-review. I love the romance of the story and that’s what propelled me through it on a first read. This time was much more complicated, but you are right - it is a book of its time, which is important to remember. I think Mitchell was a great storyteller and a great creator of characters. Thanks so much for watching and sharing your own thoughts with me and everyone in the future who watches this review.
I actually prefer the movie - anf that's rare for me. The more galling racism from the book was taken out, and there's some interesting things coded into it. Some very enlightening commentary here: ruclips.net/video/CDkwGQFLcjE/видео.html
You posed an excellent analysis. I read GWTW twice years ago and watched the movie several times. At one time I would have said it was one of my favorite books of all time. Great story. Complex characters. Excellent setting and atmosphere. But then I grew up.
I started to read much more critically just like you talked about. And I read other books and consumed other media that taught me so much. The book was written by a woman who was raised as a racist to glorify the South. She didn’t know the South lost the Civil War until she was 10 (I think). She went to college in MA and demanded not to have a black roommate. She and this book were a product of a very evil time in the South and when I consider my thoughts on my former reading of it I cringe. Just as you said, in my earlier reading I seem to have purposely glossed over the conspicuous horrors of the story. Shame on me.
This book is now held up as an example of glorification of racism and enslavement of humans. There is so much we can learn from those deeper analyses and I think your project was so illuminating. 🤓
Kim, thank you for watching and commenting. I think she may have been joking when she said she didn’t know the South had lost until she was 10. I have seen conflicting sources about that. I do still think the four main characters are extremely complex. But I am no longer willing to gloss over things as I once did. I do appreciate sharing your experience with me. 💛
Thank you so much for this thoughtful review. I definitely agree with you on a lot of the points and how the idea of love was turned upside down and around. As some others have mentioned, I do think this is more a love story about the Old South in Margaret Mitchell’s eyes.
Besides the racist elements throughout the book, I also noticed a strong anti-Yankee/anti-Northerner sentiment throughout. In much of the book, The Yankees and northerners are the villains with the southerners being the victims of too much oversight and corruption, especially during reconstruction. I wonder how much this book influenced many during the Jim Crow era of the south. I suspect many did not see the propaganda in this book and thought that this was really how life was like for the enslaved before and after the Civil War. I could understand if someone believed this version of history, that they could be very resentful of Yankees and the government.
I also would not ban this book, but would definitely think it would come with some discussion, especially if younger people are planning to read it. I would love to hear the perspective of an African-American who has read this book.
There is so much good in this book. I just wish she had stuck with the historical aspects and didn’t add in her own agendas/opinions re groups of people.
Thank you so much for watching my whole review and providing such a thoughtful comment. I think it improves my review when others share their thoughts so you can see a variety of people's thoughts. Hope you will stick around!
I've read GWTW too many times to count, starting when I was in college. Each time, I focus on something different, or something different comes to the forefront.
The thing that is interesting is how wise Rhett Butler is and how kind Melanie remains, right up to her death. Scarlett is oblivious to both traits, blinders on, refusing to remove them until the very end. She is immersed and surrounded by these two characters and will not open her eyes or her heart or pause for even one minute to reflect on anything.
The reason there is no mention of slaves working in the fields is simple: Scarlett never set one tiny slipper into a field with a field hand. However, she does get on hands and knees and picks cotton herself at Tara, bullying her sisters to do the same, at the end of the war trying to survive and save Tara. The rest of us (readers) would likely toil in this manner and then at some point stop to reflect about the hard life those slaves suffered. It might change the course of our lives, realizing how bad this really was. Not Scarlett. No wake up moments for her whatsoever.
Beverly, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with me and anyone else watching this video on Gone With the Wind. I like your idea of focusing on something else each time you read it. I'm so glad you commented and I hope you'll stick around - maybe there are other books we are both passionate about? :)
I have a long and complicated relationship with this one. When I first read it I was about 14 and thought Scarlett was just so brave, etc. After a while I reread it, and found that gee, maybe Melanie was the brave one and the heroine. I was fully adult before I was completely aware of just how unrealistic and slanted (to say the least) the book is and Margaret Mitchell was. Seeing Ashley as part of the KKK broke my heart.
I really believe Maya Angelou: When you know better, you do better.
Thanks for a great and thoughtful video, Kelly.
Gail, thank you so much for sharing your own complicated relationship with this book. I really appreciate hearing your story. You can see why people’s review of the book takes so long - and then if you bring up the film! Yes, between rereading this and Beloved, I can see that I have changed as a reader, which is good, but … challenging.
Fascinating discussion. Thanks for doing it!
Thank you so much, Lukas. That means so much to me!
This my own opinion, and I understand how people fill and I APPRECIATE AND RESPECT EVERYBODY'S OPINION. But I don't understand why folks put themselves through this. Gone With A Wind is a book that takes place in the 1800's writen In the 1930's By a southern white Woman, now I don't know if Margaret Mitchell was a racist or not but unfortunately that was the time that she was living in, unfortunately back then this Country was separated and African Americans and Other minorities are the one suffered the most, I think that now we are Blessed that even though their is still racism in this world it is no longer tolerable, and that's why we talk about this Thing's and say they were wrong and of course they were wrong but we cannot put the past under the rug for as much as we want to. I Look at the pass and yeah at times it's painful to watch, But I look at it and I say to myself Thank God That we don't live in those times, And it Makes Me Appreciate People even more. Sorry for the Rant
David, thanks so much for sharing your opinion with me. I really love the diversity of comments in review videos because it makes it a much richer experience for everyone.
@@booksimnotreading . THANK YOU, I JUST SUBSCRIBE TO YOUR CHANNEL. YOUR AWESOME KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK
I read this last year and had no idea what it was about. I enjoyed it, taking into consideration when it was written. I think it surprised me because it was not about what I thought it was going to be about. With all the thoughts around it, even from the time I read it last year, I wonder what I would think about it with a reread. The tabs are a great visual. 😊💙
I’d say reread it in the future. Thank you so much for commenting and watching!
Using colour-coded tabs is such an interesting approach! 👍
Thank you! I appreciate you watching and commenting!
I am currently reading GWTW and I am having a very complicated relationship with this book.
Jorge, hello and thank you for watching and commenting! I hope you will tell me what you think when you finish! Glad to know that I am not alone in my complicated feelings about this book!
Hi Jorge!!!!
I have never read the book--I remember years ago reading the first few paragraphs but it didn't grab me.
Being a newish booktube viewer, there seems to be a sort of unwritten perimeter of what opinions are acceptable, so I am intrigued to read it now to see if it's as "horrible" as so many think...thank you for your commentary about it and a reminder to put this classic under my belt.
Hello and thank you for commenting! I know sometimes that is hard to do, especially if you’re new, so welcome to Booktube. You should always decide for yourself what you think of a book - don’t let anyone including me tell you what you should believe. I hope you will read it so you can decide for yourself and I hope you will tell me what you think! I truly want to know! 💛
@@booksimnotreading thank you, definitely agree with your advice. ✌️
My absolutely favorite book and movie!
Thank you for sharing! I appreciate you watching my video and commenting!
Says so much about you.
Yes, the classics are the best!
Happy 2024!
@@tlw1950 Yes the time when white people could be real about their hate for all non whites and not get shamed for it. Those were the good old days. I know you vote to bring them back.
This is a lovely thoughtful video. I read the book as a girl back in the 1970s and don't remember it that well. I didn't understand the historical and political context then, but I have never been drawn to reread it. Your exercise with the post it notes is really revealing though. I suspect I couldn't stomach it now despite the strength of the romantic plot.
Ros, thank you so much for your kind words. I really value what you have to say. It's a very complicated book and I think it's challenging to read today without looking at it in today's context. Stay safe and be well!
@@booksimnotreading and you 🥰
An amazing review! I loved every single minute of this video and appreciate the way you spoke about the novel with nuance!
Shelly, you are so kind. Thank you! 💛
Smart use of coloured tabs. Excellent video.
Thank you Lindy! I appreciate your comment.
Admittedly, too many people give this book a 5 star review while ignoring the racism and Klan references. I didn’t get the impression that the Klan was clownish. It seemed a bit too sinister for me. And the author makes out the black characters to be of low intelligence, which I hated. I think your review was pretty fair, unlike some of the other booktubers out there.👍
Thank you so much for watching this and taking the time to share your thoughts with me about it. I deeply appreciate other people’s perspectives and I think it greatly adds to the value of the video. 👍
so many GWTW lovers in this world, i have not tackled this one yet. it will be on my Book tube bucket list !
I look forward to hearing what you think when you do! 😃 Thanks for commenting!
Thank you so much! I read this book when I was in high school, in the 1970s. I've wondered what it would be like to reread it now, and this is a wonderful perspective. I know that at least one booktuber is reading it alongside Vanity Fair (which I haven't read) and I'm interested to see what similarities are found there. I would guess that the racism of GWTW would be layered on top of the themes in VF. Not sure if I'd be able to stomach a re-read at this point, but I may try later this year. We'll see. In answer to your question about whether Margaret Mitchell was looking backward or forward, I think (again with a 45-year gap since I've read it) that she was definitely writing with nostalgia for the slave era. Yeah, I should probably reread this and see what I think now.
Deborah, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. If you want to talk about the book with someone, I am happy to do so. I can’t imagine reading this book in high school! I definitely would not have been ready then! Again, please feel free to reach out to me if you’d like to talk about the book in the future.
@@booksimnotreading Yeah, no idea what I was thinking, but I remember enjoying the romance of it and thinking that Scarlett was very unlikeable, start to finish.
I really admire you for doing this! I have never read this book and don't plan on doing so, but I figure that many beloved classics display lots of problematic issues. It is absolutely despicable and so disheartening. I don't know how to reconcile that and there certainly is no way to make it better, but acknowledging the ignorance and racism is a step forward.
Well, if you ever do read it, I’d love to talk to you about it. Thank you so much for commenting!
Its hard to hold that heavy book for a long 😂😂😂, use an holder (well wish) 😘
It’s a big book for sure. Thanks for commenting!
Great evenhanded discussion and analysis Kelly! When I read GWTW, I was interested to see why it was so popular and beloved, but never figured that out to my satisfaction. The book is both compelling with great emotion, dialogue, and action and exasperating with cringe-worthy schemes and endless descriptive pages that stop the story. Scarlett is young and naive with an overindulgent upbringing, but that does not excuse her! I was 13 when I read GWTW and I was shocked and horrified by Scarlett's willful selfishness and wilful/deliberate ignorance. Today, I hope to finish Uncle Tom's Cabin or Life among the Lowly. What a fantastic text on slavery. I highly recommend it.
Lorri, thank you so much for sharing your experience of reading GWTW. I can't believe how many people have said they read it when they were 13. Everything - good and bad - would have been lost on me! Stay safe and be well.
The color coding really makes a statement to the awful racist comments! I’ve read the book twice and the second read through the racism had me wincing. I still love the strong personalities and romance and would read it again. However, it does make me question Mitchell and how she could have told the story much differently.
Hi stranger! So great to hear from you! I still also admire Mitchell’s storytelling capabilities. And when even just two of the main characters are on the page it’s electrifying! Thank you so much for watching and leaving a comment. 💛
Oh boy, I should not comment.... but we're all grown ups here so:)
And spoilers for folks who haven't read or watched it.
Firstly, great video.
I do not see this book as a romance at all. Scarlett is a horrible person who continually gets in trouble and gets her second husband killed... which is kinda a deconstruction of chivalry too and it broke my heart to see Rhett ruin himself on her and become a worn out man, unlike the film where he walks away as the immortal Gable; but I digress.
When I read it quite a few years ago, I felt it was written in a troubled time and my feelings are also mixed. The film omitted the Klan because, if I got this right, it was so unpopular even though, as you pointed out, the book doesn't seem favorable to them which stands in sharp contrast to a film glorifying the Klan, 'The Birth of a Nation,' which had been a smash not long before.
Personally, I think MM was trying to be progressive in some ways just with the limited tools she had; rather like someone who wouldn't approve of a human in a zoo (read about that appalling fact recently) even if they are still seeing said human through a racist lens; it is backward by our modern, hopefully more enlightened view, but may have been progressive at the time. Consider when Scarlett feels offended that the northern woman only want to hire Irish nannies and thinks about what a good person Mammy is. It's a values system I can't share but was probably leaps and bounds better than what came before.
One aspect that was quite progressive for me was the depiction of my favorite character who sadly didn't make it into the movie, though some of his lines did, Will. Will is a poor man, I believe he's referred to as a "Cracker" at some point, and before the war he would never have encountered wealthy people like the O'Haras but is a highly valuable person who does much of the heavy lifting in keeping Tara going, showing that he has more value than anyone would have guessed which is only able to shine because they've been thrown together by tragedy.
Again, this is incredibly imperfect by our modern standards; but I find it par for the course when I crack open old books featuring diverse characters, i.e. Lovecraft, or Arthur Conan Doyle or H.G. Wells and I think the only solution is what you recommend; that we are ready to enjoy the good while viewing the outdated (I hate the phrase problematic) with honesty. Cancelling won't make it go away, it's just a game of pretend and hiding the truth will not do us any good; we'd just be fleeing into a safe space or, as Lovecraft put it, "the safety of a new dark age" rather than developing emotional maturity.
Values change, hopefully for the better, and keeping these works available with flaws on full display like tree rings in paper form to show how we've progressed and changed, or maybe in more fundamental ways (like being a naïve teen XD) have not.
The Greek myths are very outdated in terms of what we consider heroic... but the way Odysseus feels about his dog tells us the writer and audience were people shockingly like ourselves in many, many other ways.
Hello and thank you for your very thoughtful comment. I really love the tree ring analogy! This is why I make review videos, which are for me the hardest to do. Because later, someone else will chime in and add to the discussion. Thank you so much for your thoughts!
Why do you feel the racism is unnecessary?
Seems to be an important part of the setting.
Great point. I totally see what you are saying - shouldn’t we expect plantation owners to be racist? Shouldn’t we expect an author who grew up and lived in the South during segregation to see the world this way? My remark had mainly to do with that in addition to essentially hide the life of the slaves in the field from us, Mitchell also uses some racist terms against the Irish and expresses sentiments against poorer people that have more to do with class and wealth than race. Have you read the book? If so, what did you think of it? Thank you so much for commenting!
@@booksimnotreading I actually just started reading today.
Im not familiar with the story so I can't comment too much.
I think I started reading it because it's referenced in The Outsiders lol.
So far so good.
@@HideAndRead I really hope you will share your thoughts with me on the book when you finish!
The racism coming from the authors narration is the part that is unnecessary. Had she been speaking for the characters, that would be different. However, she was sharing her beliefs (as the narrator) as if they were facts.
What a thoughtful video! I read GWTW when I was a teenager or in my early twenties (I don’t remember). Back then I was not as aware as I am now about race issues, and like you, I just read it for the romance and pretty much ignored the rest. I have not reread it since. I am sure I would not see it in the same way.
Elisabeth, thank you for sharing your experience of GWTW with me. I still love the romance of the book - maybe because it’s so unconventional. If you do read it again, I hope you will tell me!
Interesting
Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment! I appreciate it!
Great review Kelly, it both horrified and fascinated me! I do want to read it one day as the positive elements of it sound like the kind of thing I enjoy, I liked the film for sure. Did they take all of the KKK stuff out of the film? I don't remember that but it's been a while.
It’s been awhile since I have watched the film as well, Aaron, so I’m not sure. But I am glad you still plan to read the book one day and decide for yourself. I would really love to talk to you about it! And don’t be freaked out by the size - the story will pull you along. 💛 Thank you for watching and commenting!
Wow! The way you color coded the tabs creates such a great visual for the many, many negative elements contained within the covers of this book. I did read GWTW when I was in 8th grade. For me, it was a page turner because I got swept along in the romance side of the saga. I like to think that a 13yo in 2022 wouldn’t be so oblivious to the blatant racism as I was several decades ago. Mitchell was a very good storyteller with the ability to create very memorable characters. The story she chose to share is a regrettable one and it has over time enhanced the belief of many of many Americans in the “Lost Cause” of the Civil War. Being awarded a National Book Award as well as Pulitzer Prize certainly went far in giving a false legitimacy to Mitchell’s tale.
Thank you Mary for sharing your GWTW experience with me. I am glad you could see the tabs in the video. In spite of its racism, I still don’t think this book should be banned. I doubt many 13-year-olds are reading this book now, but if they are, I hope it is in conversation with a wise adult. 💛
Such a honest video, I loved it. Also a very brave one ;) So I will also be brave and be honest about what I think about this book.
I definitely agree that all the characters in the book were racists. Most probably the author was a racist too. As most of the people living in 1920's Europe were racists to some degree... This kind of thinking is wrong regardless of who it is directed at.
Maybe not to the extent of this book but I noticed many racist terms and mindset in many beloved authors and classics in Booktube. English classics mostly do glorify Colonalism for example. I was horrified at L.M. Montgomery's words to describe Germans and ( little less horrific nicknames to Turks) in a book she has written after World War I. But I like books written at those times like many of us do if they are good structured books and engaging to read.
I prefer to see (I certainly agree to disagree) books as a product of its time. If this book was written in 2000's, it would be a horrific book to read. However, it does not change the fact that this book has one of the best character developments in books. Scarlet is a spoiled child at the beginning of the book but becomes a strong woman by the end. And also she is fascinating to read about. The love story was not great for me like many think it is but Rhett is also a very complex character. I did not like any of the characters with the exception of Melanie but this was a great read for me regardless.
It is a matter of perspective I guess. There are valid reasons for hating this book and there are valid reasons for really liking the book.
Berna, what a wonderful comment. Thank you so much! I agree that this was a book published during segregation in America and is a product of it’s time. There are many racist Pulitzer winners I would not want to read again, but Mitchell is a fantastic storyteller. I wish we had more work from her to get a better sense of her as a person. I so appreciate you sharing your thoughts with me.
Is that poster vintage?
It's my husbands. He said he bought it in the late 1990s.
I grew up in the south but did not come from generation of southerners ; that is to say my parents were Jewish so Gone with the Wind never held a fascination for me and the movie is three hours! So I never read the book and the movie was too long. About fifteen years ago, a friend who lives in my state but grew up in New Jersey said " You have to see the movie just once!!" so we went to the old classic theatre in my town. I could not believe it but people had come dressed in antebellum clothing and cheered for the south.during the movie I was so sick from the experience and was so irritated with my friend....one must ask and I'm against book banning why are you drawn to this book??
Sandra, thank you for sharing with me your experience with GWTW. Why am I drawn to it? Because it is the most unconventional love story I have ever read with four extremely complicated (and flawed) characters I have ever read. Having said that, reading a second time was a very different experience, but I feel like there is still a great story buried in there. I have seen the film on the big screen, but fortunately no one showed up in costume. Does this help answer your question?
@@booksimnotreading it's funny I called my friend after I wrote the comment to ask her what drew her to the book and she said she had seen the movie. I'm not judging...i grew up with people who love it, I guess I wonder what initially draws someone to the book...the title? Civil War buff? I'm not sure ....I meant what initially drew you to the book itself? Maybe history? Hype?
@@sandra7319. I grew up with a bunch of women who kept telling me to read it. If I hadn’t then, then I would have read it when I was reading all the books that had won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
I think Southerners raised on the “Lost Cause” narrative may have a special tie to this story. There are still people in Mississippi that dress up in confederate costume and celebrate at Jefferson Davis’s home in Biloxi. I find it peculiar, but many really want to hold onto that part of their history. For the rest of us, I think watching this love story among the characters with quite a riveting plot, drew us in. I will say the movie is much more subtle with its racism and anti-northern sentiment. I finally read the book and I’m not sure I can enjoy the movie anymore. The book definitely held my interest, but there were a lot of points where I didn’t know if I could keep going with it. I’m glad I did finish it so I can share my own thoughts. I’m glad there are various reviewers on here to get differing perspectives..
I can't read that book or watch the movie without wondering about the Black characters. I doubt Mammy was that happy to just wait on the white people hand and foot her entire life, though she certainly wasn't in a position to say so. Where was her own family? Did she have love interests when she was younger? Surely she did. Did she ever have a child? We're never told any of this. The book treats it as a non-issue. The people working in the cotton fields get even less attention. The slave quarters are never described, none of that.
The white characters are well written, fully fleshed out. But the Black characters are ignored.
Stella, hello! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and interests with me. I love the Comments section on reviews because they add so much to the whole conversation. Do you suppose Margaret Mitchell had any reason for ignoring the African-Americans in the book? But I suspect Mammy may have looked after Scarlett and her sisters like a mother. Surely many women in slavery nursed white children as well of or instead of their own. Thanks again for commenting! I appreciate it.
@@booksimnotreading And hello to you! Those stickies were a great idea, BTW. Interesting visual...
I can only speculate about Mitchell's reasons for doing anything. It's obvious from her writing that she was very racist, though she seems to have mellowed some later in life and anonymously helped finance the education of at least 20 Morehouse College students in the late 1940s. Still, I doubt she ever really shed the racism. She certainly didn't want her white friends to know about the donations. She wasn't inherently evil, it was the way she was raised. These things are taught.
Mammy did look out for Scarlett and her sisters like a mother. They were all she had. I think she was given to Scarlett's mother when she was quite young. And that's all we're told - we don't know what happened to her own mother. Whatever happened, I don't think she just forgot it.