I would much prefer long in-depth book review videos. There are so few adult book reviewers who make good well thought out in depth reviews. There is definitely a market and an audience for the long reviews. I highly encourage you to make more
Hello Whitney. You posted a response to a comment I made above that began to explain to me how I didn't understand the history of the times in which GTW was published. Unfortunately, I can't access that comment (I dont know why) and therefore cannot finish it or respond to it. Wondering if you would consider copying and pasting it into a response to this comment.
I am a big fan of the book and movie, but the way I view it has changed considerably through the years. I'm 59 now, and first experienced GWTW at 13. Ms. Mitchell was a young lady in the Roaring 20's, around lots of older people who remembered the Victorian era quite well. Many were horrified at the new freedoms for women, like voting, working outside the home, short skirts, no corset, bobbed hair, and so on. The stark difference between the rights she had as a woman in the 20th century, vs. the rights of a woman of 1861, must of given her a great deal of food for thought. Margaret Mitchell's mother was a suffragette. I have no doubt that would have influenced Ms. Mitchell's view of women's rights as well. I feel this plays a major part in the subtext of GWTW. I wonder what Scarlett would of been like, had she been allowed to pursue a career like a modern woman? Keep in mind, Scarlett never had a chance to pursue any profession, or consider doing anything with her life besides becoming a wife. Part of this story to me is about the stupid, power play rules many societies impose on women, and how it distorts our relationships with others, and ourselves. Scarlett is not allowed to use her natural talents for math or business. Instead, she has it drilled into her head to be a man-trap from the time she can understand the concept. It's seen as totally right and perfectly normal to do this. I think her corset is almost a symbol of the myriad of rules she must follow, or be cast out of society. I know the book goes into much great length about all the rules a lady has to follow to still be considered a lady. In many ways, the well off white women in this book are imprisoned by their society. They rely on men in the book, the men let them horribly down, and there really isn't much they can do about it, because of the rules. They certainly could not go into a bank and ask for a small business loan, etc. Scarlett had to fight not only the Yankees, but a world very hostile to the idea of her survival independent of men. I'm not excusing her, though. You're right, she is no Feminist icon. She's a lot messier than that. She's a natural business woman. It does not mean she's a saint. Far from it. I know we all like our spunky Victorian women motivated only by good, since they are setting such a great example of overcoming the system. In this case, it's a lot more realistic, and uncomfortable.
@@lisathuban8969 Oh my gawd yes Scarett Ohara would be Marjorie Taylor Greene. And she did have a job. She built her husband's company up to what it was. So you will excuse me if that wasn't the issue. The issue is she was a narcissist like the majority of people who owned slaves or desired to own slave or fought for the right to own slaves.
@@MamaKatt 1. No, Scarlett did not care at all, not even slightly, about politics. She wanted her fantasy man, and to lead a comfy life, period. She was definitely a narcissist though, no doubt. Also, no one should be M.T.G., including M.T.G. 2. She only had a job because Frank was spineless and easily bullied. Those were qualities which she knew how to exploit. Had Frank been a more typical man of the period, he would have forbidden her to work. A man's word was LAW to his wife, and her word meant very little. He could have shut her down and made her stay at home, but he was too weak. Also, outside of her marriage, her applying for a good paying job around town would of been unimaginable. No one would have hired her. It was a man's world. 3. Slavery is an abomination and I hope we see the end of it in our lifetime... but I'm not holding my breath. All people are created equal. Having said that, we live in a world full of human trafficking and slave labor in sweat shops. We may feel bad, but the majority of us turn our heads and buy those cheap products anyway. You can condemn the South for slavery, but we are little better now with our casual acceptance of goods made for nothing.
@@lisathuban8969 NO you are not better. Stop that lie. You have spread your lost cause racism around the country like a fungus eating at the bases of our democracy to return to a time in which you could be MTG and not be condemned for it. RACISM is a political theory and her dream man was a leader of the Klan who got hurt killing random black people. So you will excuse I but I think her man selections was worse than her lack of carrying. And PS black people didnt want to be slaves any more than the people in those factories want to work there. Name three black authors you have dined to read in the last year. And one classic novel written by a black person you have read in your life time. The radio editing of this comment has been a true struggle.
I’m glad you’re encouraging readers to think critically about the book. It’s such a relief to see a review of Gone with the Wind that isn’t simply “it’s racist, so we shouldn’t look at it”
I have the attention span of a gold fish so I can can’t sit down to read the book. BUT you can usually find me listening to Linda Stevens narrating the book WHICH ONLY MAKES THIS BOOK MORE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITE like HOLY HECK this is my favorite book. Without question.
The book tells the truth about an era, and just because you don’t like the facts doesn’t mean you should not like the book. “Don’t kill the messenger” as they say. And I’m sorry but if you don’t realize that Scarlet is an unreliable narrator and if you’re not prompted to say “You’re an idiot” several times while reading this book, then you’re a moron too. And I do think that Margaret Mitchell intended her to be an unreliable narrator, just not about the theme of Race. But Scarlet is completely unaware of anything that is not right under her nose or slapping her in the face. Politically, socially, emotionally, interpersonally, she’s not an intelligent person. She’s just got a lot of gut. The true hero of this book is Rhett Butler. He’s way ahead of his time and he’s espouses interesting philosophies. He’s my favorite character.
You are such a cutie it makes your reviews more palatable. Absolutely love GWTW, both the book and the film. I’ve read it times in my life and definitely want to read it again before I leave this world. I’ve seen the film more times than I can count.
Bravo!!! I agree with you totally. I adore Gone with the Wind, absolutely. You can learn by this book so many important things about love, life, like Margaret Mitchel said - It is a book about SURVIVAL! Never forget that! I know the whole book by heart. And the book is for all times. History reapet itself. Look at our world now, 2024, maybe the war is at our door, but World War! Like in the book - If you hadn't done that (Fort Sumter), some other FOOLS would have done it! My God, how truthful! And don't brag about racist, we have it now, but pretend not to see it - Palestina and Israel. And again, you Amercans did it! So, learn history, America is not the whole world. All the best to all decent people all over the World!
I read this book 20 times and probably several decades before you were born, but you’ve given me some fresh perspectives on it, and I thank you for that. Good work 🙂
@@RickMacDonnell You're most welcome, Rick. I have a question for you. Scarlett was not originally the characters name, and this was only changed once the manuscript had been accepted by the publisher and at the editors suggestion, or so I read. A rose by any other name might smell as sweet, but do you think the book would have had the same impact if she had remained Pansy O'Hara?
@@liannechristian8597 Ooh, that's interesting. Her name is definitely a huge part of her allure. Wow, that's fascinating to consider. Such a small detail, but with such huge consequences!
Thanks for the review! I agree with others who are happy it was long and you took your time with it. Scarlett really is a fascinating character because we truly have sooo many reasons to despise her, yet we don’t. Maybe it reveals some of the shallowness and selfishness that exists inside all of us that we can’t help but like or relate to her in some way. The only thing I really don’t agree with in your review is that she learns nothing by the end. In the end I think Scarlet really does learn what Melanie really meant to her. That she was the only female friend she ever really had that meant anything. I think she also finally learns what everyone has been trying to tell her about the importance of being with someone who understands you. That her and Ashley don’t have in common the things that matter most. She learns the difference between Love and Lust. That Ashley only lusted for her, but nothing more. Rhett only ever acted out his lust with Belle, but really loved Scarlett. She basically learns all these lessons too late ha ha but she still learned them.
I read GWTW last year for the first time at the age of seventy-five. Though liking your review, I wish you had commented on two aspects of the novel. First, the brilliant writing style. Mitchell uses every conceivable writing device like the master novelist that she is: alliteration, metaphor, simile, irony, parallel structure, and so on. Second, all of the major characters in the book are composites of actual people that Mitchell had researched or had heard about from her family members, especially her grandmother. For instance, Rhett Butler is 60% George Trenholm of Fraser, Trenholm & Company of Charleston, South Carolina, 30% Trenholm's son, and 10% Mitchell's first husband, "Red" Upshaw. At first, I thought the name "Rhett" was a romanticised version of "Red," but that is not the case. One of Trenholm's closest business associates in Charleston had the surname "Rhett." So what we have with GWTW is not just a great historical novel but Southern history disguised as a romantic novel. Keep up the excellent work.
Just finished reading Gone With The Wind for the first time last night and I know for a fact this book and its insufferable unscrupulous yet extraordinary characters of a by gone era marked me for life. I will always carry a little bit of Scarlet O'hara with me. This is a truly beautiful book that will be read and it will touch people theough the passing of generations. I stumbled upon your video last night and absolutely loved your experience with this book. It resonates a lot with my experience in many aspects - specially when it comes to the race discussions. Inevitably I subscribed to your channel as I couldn't resist your many other book review videos. Keep up the good work!
So good to see you! Your enthusiasm for Gone With the Wind makes me want to my copy right now. I've owned mine for a year now (found one in good condition at a used book sale) but it wasn't on my immediate TBR. But now I will seriously think about reading it. Thanks!!
There's a certain sensitivity that comes with be(com)ing a seasoned reader - you understand what makes an essay different from a short story to a novel to an autobiography. poetry is another paradigm we come to appreciate later, an acquired taste of sorts. Especially, the sensitivity in "how it feels, not how it looks" was different in the classics. I go back to A tale of two cities every so often. A book that is on my list is The Unabridged Journal of Sylvia Plath for the sheer emotional intimacy. Somehow it makes it okay to "feel" and not rationalize emotions as we're becoming more incline towards by the day. The relatability of the character comes from seeing him/her through the gamut of life experiences. And GWTW has been built layers upon layers because it shows several dynamics. As if literally living in her shoes makes it easier and more accommodative of ourselves through different phases. And suddenly the greys are there but the need to make a gradation from black to white is not necessary nor pressing, just being in it is okay; we're all only human.
For Every Southern, the "book" is our story ! (5th generation Georgian) My family farm/homestead was destroyed & burned by the yankees located in southeast county of Georgia; Upson County, in the community of "logtown" ! the community "never" recovered ! Please People, the movies is GOOD/GREAT "BUT" the BOOK is OUTSTANDING to understanding native Georgians !
1) So glad you’re back. I disagreed with a LOT of your last video, but it wasn’t anything like a deal-breaker with me. 2) I have still not read Gone With the Wind, but I love the film (can still clearly remember when I first saw it, with my mother). 3) The novel is one of my wife’s all-time favorites and one of my brother’s all-time favorites. Your praise joins theirs in a cacophony of badgering. Perhaps I’ll read it for March of the Mammoths next year? 4) You’re one of the best Booktubers we have, so keep making videos.
Thanks for sticking around ;) And for the kind words, Jason. This would be a great Mammoth pick. At 960 pages, you kinda need something to give you a push to tackle it. Plus, it's probably a book you can get a few buddy reads with. It's one of those books that a lot of people want to read, but never take the plunge. Strength in numbers!
I’m glad your back. I couldn’t make it through *that* video , but I’ve enjoyed everything else you have done on your channel so I’ve stuck around. I’ve owned a copy of Gone With The Wind for years but I haven’t summed up the courage to read it yet.
Hey Juan! Well I'm very glad you stuck it out with me :) I appreciate it. It definitely takes a bit of courage to pick the book up. It's pretty intimidating. But I'd suggest, if you ever get the urge to test it out, to just read the first chapter or two. I think Mitchell's writing will suck you in, if you're someone who will enjoy the book. If you're not taken by it, then put it down. Hopefully you read it (and like it) someday :)
Another Book Vlog I’ve heard great things about it even before I watched your video. I’m put off by its length and by the racism. Having said that, I’ve watched the film adaptation several times and like it to this day so...
@@RickMacDonnell there is a ton of racism in the movie as well. They don't glorify the Klan as much or talk about killing black folks as much but it's still pretty bad
I loved your review. I read GWTW initially when I was 13 years old. I grew up in Jonesboro, GA, where the fictitious Tara was. And, although I was horrified at some of scarlet’s behavior, I could forgive her (while not justifying her) given that she was terrified in her circumstances. A very young woman facing down an invading army! My own ancestors were invaded as well. Two of my 2 X great grandfathers did not return. So their widows and orphans had to somehow survive. We are so lucky to live in reasonable safety.
Welcome back, your videos have been missed! I honestly never would have considered reading this book either, in fact I've dismissed both it and the movie several times, but this review has me so intrigued, I have to read this myself and hopefully be challenged in the same way. Thanks!
I would never have thought this would be my cup of tea, but who knew. That's the beauty about challenges, though: they make me read stuff I normally wouldn't. Most of the time it's terrible but every now and then, BOOM, a life-changer. Thanks for the kind words, Laura!
Happy you're back and I greatly enjoyed this video. I don't think this is a book I need to have in my life, but I appreciate how much thought you put into your experience.
Nice to see you! I read Gone With The Wind during my 16th summer. I loved the drama but skimmed over the detailed war bits. I can’t believe you read it twice over a month. That is next level. I am glad I read it, but I’ll never read it again. I don’t have the patience for drama I once did. Great video.
Fab to see you back Rick, I did wonder if you were permanently MIA! I have to admit that I’d always thought of Gone With the Wind as a kind of standard romance novel, probably not helped by watching clips of the movie as a kid, it was only recently that I’d noticed it appearing on a few best of lists. Your discussion of it has given me further food for thought and I appreciated the different angles you came at it from particularly the race and YA aspects. Sometimes dislikable characters are what make a book great, I just read The Sea, The Sea with a truly egotistical, misogynistic and deluded narrator but I still loved the reading experience. I’m in awe that you read this twice and think it’s fantastic you loved it so much, a kick up the butt for me to not dismiss a book because you think you know what it’s about.
Oh I tend to float in and out of blogging/vlogging quite a bit, but I never truly leave LOL. But yeah, the book is definitely not a standard romance. Far from it. It was 10x better than I expected it to be. Lesson learned!
Enjoyed very much your review, Rick MacDonnell. I've been puttering with the idea of giving this book a reread. One of the surprise delights of the book, when I first read it, was the character Will Benteen, perhaps the most admirable in the book yet trimmed from the film.
I liked your comment. I find it mind blowing that A lot of well read people can criticize someone for being a product of their time and not see the double standard.... I’m gonna copy and paste my comment. I’m also gonna check out your music man. Good luck.
I got about half way through. I’m not going to offer too much criticism because I think that you’re a very small channel that isn’t striving for HUGE numbers. Also you’re obviously not a futurist and you’re suffering very much from today’s ideology. In the same way you’re critical of the author in her views of the time... I would just say, think about the 5 minutes ( of 20) you’ve spent into stating that YOU understand white privilege. I thought this was “an excruciatingly deep dive into gone with the wind”.... not “the explanation and expectations of double think and self sacrifice involved with appeasing the modern hive mind. Also, gone with the wind”. Good luck man. I’m going to watch the rest of your video. Thanks for the content and for your time! 👍🏻
Glad you are back. If every person who read _Gone With the Wind_ was required to watch your video before or afterwards I would not have a problem with this book being considered a great novel. Since that is impossible, I can't, as a historian, bring myself to praise this book. The damage that it has done in perpetuating the myth, as you point out, of the American South before and after the Civil War is incalculable. It has normalized the idea that slavery wasn't that bad, that enslaved people were happy, content, to simple to be on their own, etc. Your identification of the class system of the South is spot on. I don't think Mitchell had any real enlightened purpose in her portrayal of Scarlet or the South or Slavery. I think as you said, she loved the Antebellum South and idealized it as a better simpler time spoiled by the end of slavery and the Civil War. Your video is great.
I think most readers will (and should) have a complicated relationship with this book. I don't know if I've had another reading experience quite like it. Mitchell isn't trying to be ironic here, she's not pointing at something and saying "look how bad and wrong this is!" (in terms of the confederate views presented). But at the same time, it's easy to see through her clear bias and make up our own minds. At least, it is for people who don't share these feelings. So for me, from where I come from, this felt more like a relic we can use as a tool, rather than a manifesto for racism and elitism. It's a book you kind of have to read to believe, I guess. It's so complicated, like I said. I'm still thinking about it a lot, even now. It's wild. Thanks for the great comment, Brian. A wonderfully nuanced take on a nuanced book, I think :)
Margaret Mitchell wrote characters with blood in their veins. Scarlett had gumption and the book sold us on that quality as the driving force of survival. Scarlett intuitively knew the depth of her own greed and I believe she sought out Ashley to tame her wild Irish soul as her father had with her elegant, French mother. To her mind Ashley brought dignity and redemption. Her refusal to accept that loss was the same blinding force that got her through the war and reconstruction. The tenderhearted Christian, Melanie, understood that Scarlett's gumption was necessary and she forgave her everything because they needed her and she trusted Ashley's honor. Melanie spent her moral capital defending Scarlett because she had enough self awareness and security to understand and appreciate Scarlett's value. It is a great story. The book takes it to another level.
Just found you. I've read GWTW probably 10 times and love it more every time. Your review was pretty fair. Just 2 things: "raze" MEANS "to the ground" so "razed to the ground" is painfully redundant. Second: Scarlett was married 3 times: Charles, Frank, Rhett. Happy reading!
What a great discussion. I love GWTW, and have a complicated relationship with it. I've never thought about Scarlett being an unreliable narrator, but that makes so much sense. Both she and Mitchell really have skewed perspectives. I've also wondered why it's not considered Southern Gothic.
Margaret Mitchell was very clear that she wrote the original text as a black comedy & was surprised at how many people took the story literally. So have I! 🧐
Come to think of it, Uncle Peter had more sense than any Yankee she had ever met. This was something Aunt Pitty believed about her coachman. Scarlett's first husband remarks of him, "The trouble is that he owns us, body and soul and he knows it." Margaret was true to her characters. Most writers are too wishy-washy about conforming to the tastes of their own contemporaries.
GWTW has been my favorite film of all time and I am just now reading the book at 60yo. I am surprised how different the the book is from the movie. I am still reading it and enjoying every page. Your review is inciteful and wonderfully accurate. There are times when I feel I should hate Scarlett, but I end up loving her. I am looking forward to finishing the book and seeing how it changes my view of the film. Thank you for an excellent job, well done!
Thanks for such a nice comment, Robert! I still have yet to watch the movie, actually. I feel like it would be quite different than the book (which you seem to confirm) and I wouldn't want it to change my perceptions of the story at all. I'm a baby like that haha.
Fascinating account. Welcome back. I'm going to have to re-read GWTW. Would love to hear your analysis of the book of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum.
Joe Cascone Oh wow. I haven’t read it since I was a kid, but it’s one of my favourite films of all time. I would love to read it again! What a great idea, Joe 👍🏻 Any reason why you mentioned that book in particular?
@@RickMacDonnell As a fellow English major, we also studied this book in my university English classes, so your recent reviews made me wonder what you might do in a lengthier critique.
This review made my month, my day, my year. I have been in love with Gone With the Wind since an age I can't remember. I was introduced to the movie first back when TNT aired it for the first time on cable. Yes, I'm that many years old. After that I would carry around a sad looking red paperback copy of the book everywhere, but never finish it until young adulthood. I have lost count of the number of copies I have acquired over the years, but I always go back to that red Warner books movie cover edition that is now held together with washi tape. It's just a magical, comfort read to me. The writing, the characters, the settings, the circumstances draw me in every time. People could say because I'm Southern I'm biased, but I don't agree. It's just a great book that sometimes makes me feel (white) guilty for loving so much.
Well hopefully the video came close to living up to a book (and film) you love so much :) I've yet to watch the movie because I'm afraid I won't like it nearly as much. I don't want my book memories tarnished, haha. I can definitely understand your confused feels about liking the book, feeling a bit guilty for it. But as I said, I think it's all about seeing the good and the bad and taking both of those things in. It's a nice lesson, I think, to see the whole of something, of a person, of an event, and not judging based on the worst aspect of it. You can also judge based on the best aspect of a thing, too. Thanks for the lovely comment, Lindsay!
@@RickMacDonnell The book is so much richer than the movie, so I wouldn't hold it against you if you decided not to watch. Because that's how I feel about reading the sequel by Alexandra Ripley that came out back in the 90s. I just can't do it. I would rather have the story end where Margaret Mitchell intended it to and be satisfied.
I've been wondering about that! From I've read the sequel is apparently decent, but I don't know if I'd want to bother with it. Also, I don't feel like it needs a sequel at all.
I’ve just finished this book and for a second wanted to immediately go out and get the sequel but realized if she didn’t write it she didn’t intend for it to exist so I won’t. However, can we have a discussion about the ending. Do y’all think she gets him back or no? I’m torn because as she says, she always gets what she wants in men (even in Ashley in a way) and going away has been a game that Rhett played in getting her (he wouldn’t want to give in so easily as she’d have immediate power over him) but at the same time, he has changed so much throughout the ending of the book that leaving her wouldn’t be so far fetched. What do y’all think happened ?! 🙈
Thanks for this awesome review! I'm going to read the novel after years of putting it aside. I am in love with the film; it was perfectly cast (except Ashley i feel) ESPECIALLY VIVIEN LEIGH AS SCARLETT O'HARA; you should watch it just for that. Upon my 3rd view of the film, I had a lot of insights that I never had in the past. One should really chew this material. It's such an education. Can't wait to read it! Having said that, I read the sequel despite not having read the original. Lol. So i went from watching the film, to reading the sequel, to wanting to read the novel. Idk how it's going to affect my reading...but i'm excited!
Look who's back! Haha. Bookmarking for the morning (it's getting late here in Ontario 😂). I loved gone with the wind so I'm excited to watch! (Beware,I like the edit function hahaha)
Another Book Vlog apparently even though it's late, I need to watch anyway 😂. Gosh. Scarlett. We almost named out daughter Scarlett because the name is lovely 😂, buuut we went with Adelei. I loved this book, but maaaaan I was so damn frustrated with Scarlett, but other times I found that I was in awe of how strong she COULD be. And that ending. Damn. She deserved it, but my heart! Woooow! Twice in a month and a half?!?! You go Glen Coco!
I can only imagine how confusing this video must be for people who haven't read the book. Without reading Scarlett, it must be hard to comprehend how she's both so enjoyable and so frustrating LOL. I haven't read many characters like her. Adelei is a beautiful name. Where'd that come from?
Another Book Vlog She was a great character for sure! Dang. I know I said this on twitter, but I want to read gwtw again even more now 😂. Maybe I'll take it to Yosemite this summer! It'll be a great memory to pair with the book ☺️. Thanks! We love old/obscure German names 😂. Our son is Reiner (pronounced like rein-deer, not exactly the correct German pronounciation- whoops 😅). But Adelei (like Lorelei) we chose because we wanted to name her after my gram (Ada Claire) so we went with Adelei Claire. But her nickname is Owl haha (when my son was littler he couldn't say her name so he said owl-eyes and it stuck 😂).
Glad you are back , always enjoyed your videos! I must confess I haven't read Gone With the Wind. I'm still not sure I want to, but I enjoyed the video 😁
LOL yeah it definitely won't be for everyone. I always say go with your gut, in terms of what a person should read. But I would definitely encourage anyone curious about this book to give it a try. I think people will know fairly quickly whether they'll like it or not.
I am right three now and read gone with the wind the first time.when I was twenty Each time I read it I saw something different. The first time, I just thought it was a romantic story set during the civil wsr.the second time I really got into.the relationships between scarlett and Rhett and scarlett and Ashley and to a lesser degree between melanie and scarlett and felt do sorry for scarlett losing Rhett and felt terrible for scarlett. Agsin when I saw the movie and Rhett said ",frankly. My dear I don't give a damn" Now, on u tube portions of the.movie are shown and all of a sudden I see the whole story as a person going back to their roots which is the land and I mean the actual soil Which is the name of the plantation.: : "Tara" as in terra firma Scarlett. As she lays across the stairs sobbing at the Los of Rhett. Scarlett, hears the voice of her father telling her to remember tara, the basically homestead of the family To me, this is the gist of the story this is your soul. Girl, and you need to go back to it
Scarlett is a prime example of an anti-hero. She's a morally corrupt character that makes selfish decisions for her own gain even if those decisions make her seem the villain to the other characters in the story. We see through that brash and non-conforming inner-dialogue she has that it is harnessed for her own and other's survival during the harshest of times. The novel has some of the richest descriptive elements, making settings so vivid and characters come alive so well it is almost like you are hearing their voices and seeing them in the pages.
I got about half way through. I’m not going to offer too much criticism because I think that you’re a very small channel that isn’t striving for *HUGE* numbers. Also you’re obviously not a futurist and you’re suffering very much from today’s ideology. In the same way you’re critical of the author in her views of the time... I would just say, think about the 5 minutes (of 20) you’ve spent into stating that *YOU* understand white privilege. I thought this was “an excruciatingly deep dive into gone with the wind”.... not “the explanation and expectations of double think and self sacrifice involved with appeasing the modern hive mind. Also, gone with the wind”. Good luck man. I’m going to watch the rest of your video. Thanks for the content and for your time! 👍🏻
I know these comments are like 4-5 years old but these are so stupid I have to say something. Margret Mitchell wrote letters to a KKK author, wrote, directed and preformed plays about the KKK and was a woman growing up during a time where she was made to fear black people. So of course it shouldn't be a shock to anybody that her book, even for the time it was written (because people back then thought the same) has some nasty implications about race. And if you were open-minded enough to watch the video all the way through, you would discover the fact that this person doesn't blame the book for having outdated views, and actually likes the book. He's absolutely right to view it in the lens of the book is a great depiction of values from a losing side, and a woman who had a lot of privilege in both race and class finding her footing in a changing world. Because even in the book texts, and synopsis that is the core of GWTW. "Suffering very much from today's ideology," My ass. You just want to have an excuse to not think about literature critically because you don't want to be reminded that we had flaws in the past. To act like our own experiences doesn't affect the way people consume older media and that our perspectives should be detached is unreasonably stupid.
Glad you enjoyed the novel. I just re-read it after 20+ years. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it the first time and this second reading was just as engaging. It is fantastic storytelling with excruciatingly vile content. Mitchell certainly helped perpetuate the myth of the Lost Cause. I would never call Scarlett a feminist but she is certainly a kick-ass young woman who gets shit done. You mentioned Scarlett being an unreliable narrator, a phrase I wouldn't use to describe her, but you (I think) related it to her naivete. I saw Rhett and some of the other characters as Mitchell's way of highlighting and correcting her ignorance.
@@RickMacDonnell Yes, we did. It was a joint readalong with Jenny from Reading Envy, episode 157 on her podcast. It was a fun talk but an hour barely scratches the surface, as you know.
Came to your channel in one of those "this led to that" kinds of way; quite enjoyed your analysis of GWTW. I first read the book 50 years ago after seeing the film in an anniversary re-release and was surprised at how deep the story was, how huge the story was; the film had "sweep" but was largely a melodrama, the novel has a strangely mystical, mythical, revisionist romanticized mournfulness that is deeply, deeply disturbing; the glittering, genteel, beautiful "Old South" that sadly far too many folks believe actually existed. To (largely) focus your review on the character of Scarlett is, to some degree, to focus your review on the myth of Southern white females, the Steel Magnolias ( to steal another cliche), the Great Ladies. Scarlett is the "New South", Melanie the embodiment of the "Old". I grew up in the south. I grew up with the vestiges of this myth, the fable of the vanished beautiful cotton kingdom, the strong yet genteel plantation princesses and the chivalrous knights who laid down their lives for honor and a great many of the older people I knew when I was young referred to GWTW with deep reverence and respect, almost as if it were some sacred text, a document to a lost world. The novel is an exceptionally enjoyable read, but profoundly flawed. I have owned a fair number of copies (paperbacks don't last). Mitchell is a astonishing storyteller and an outstanding historical researcher; her descriptions of battlefields and troop movements and military campaigns are highly accurate. I've reread the novel a great many times; it is, after all, the "War and Peace" of its' day, the "Dr. Zhivago" of 1936. I last read it a few years back and agree with you that perhaps it is a story about class more than a story about race and equally agree with you that the people of color are given no voice of their own. It troubled me in 1969 and continues to trouble me today that Mammy's actual children are never spoken of and she most certainly would have had to have children if she was a "Mammy" ( a wet-nurse) to both Ellen and Scarlett, and yet, not a word or clue as to who they are and (more importantly) where they are. So sorry for the long message; unfortunately, GWTW casts a long shadow over my conscience: a myth I grew up with and rejected, a depiction of a world still sought after and mourned by some, a novel I enjoy and yet am embarrassed by enjoying it because there is so very much that is truly, truly wrong about it. I look forward to watching your other reviews. It's a great way of pass this Covid confinement.
Randall Schrader-Soule Dont apologize for the long comment, Randall. This was fantastic. Pretty incredible how you’ve had a relationship with this story for 50 years and yet you still keep coming back to it. I feel I will do the same. I’m going to have to read over your words a few times just to take it all in! I love it
I've not read it..yet (I'm getting through War and Peace..), but, I tnink I can add an unusual insight from the "across the pond" perspective. America..compared to Europe..is young. They abolished slavery earlier than America..yet..the director choose a British actress to portray the "heroine" in a Southern epic (hm..THAT's a thought). ..Europe was industrialising during the period of America's civil war..then..look at the movie. The agrarian south was diminishing...and like most who mourn a past way of doing things....it's trying to adjust to the "new normal".., no free labour...treating all people with respect...
@@roniquebreauxjordan1302 Enjoy "War and Peace": it's quite a remarkable thing, though a bit of a slog to get through; so many characters, so many intertwined relationships to keep track of . Interestingly, I found out this week that although Great Britain abolished the slave trade in 1807, it did not abolish slavery until the Abolition Act 1833 and even that did not include the "territories" of the East India Company; that didn't happen until 1843 and was not fully enforced until 1873. The Abolition Act of 1833 was repealed in its entirety in 1998 and replaced with The Human Rights Act. A form of enslavement called "Blackbirding" continued in Australia into the early 1970's. Before the American Civil War the Northern U.S. was fully industrialized (with its own form of slavery called "script workers" which consisted [mostly] of newly arrived immigrant workers from Eastern Europe, Ireland and poor rural children sent to the factories by their parents, given "script", or company issued money, for wages to pay for rent in company owned housing, food and necessities from company owned stores, etc. but not legal tender anywhere else), giving it a greater manufacturing advantage over the agrarian South, although the greatest concentration of national wealth existed in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas due to cotton trade with England and France, and hence, the World, which made up an estimated 2/3rds of the Nation's exports. The novel, GWTW, and the film are very different things (and the choice of Vivien Leigh was a master-stroke); definitely read the novel, but remember, if you will, when reading it that, aside from the essential "love triangle" aspect, this novel is a myth written at a time when the South was beginning a campaign of rewriting its own history. (Sorry for the long reply; I can be a bit verbose.)
I am not as liberal thinking as you although I am Asian, but I think your review is excellent. There are too many people who seem to be censorious about the book because of its racial attitudes. I think the book is instructive because of its racist attitudes. You show that we, with the advantage of hindsight, can handle the racist ideas expressed. The book is an excellent historical artifact, and it is also a wonderfully entertaining.
You explained this book greatly. Specially, about Scarlet and her personality, ofcourse a bad one. And privilege, that opens the door of so many opportunities,that many people doesn't get, because of their race, or religion, or ethnicity,or sex
It would help if you put yourself in the 1860s and mid ‘30s for folks outlook on society. I think the majority of us have evolved. The story was written by an upper class southern white woman about an upper class southern white woman.
👋Hello Stranger 👍Welcome back☕️I missed your videos🌻Gone With The Wind is my friend Stefan's favourite book & movie😪He's made me sit through the movie at Christmas 😭In every scene someone dies😡It was torture🤢 Don't be a stranger ☘️🍀👍
i love your youtuve videos. i think this was a beautiful review and if i every become a famour writer my main goal will you for you to review my book/s. your a legend man im glad your back.
To me the book is a psychological study of narcissism and survival!! And Margaret Mitchell never said Scarlett was a good person!! God I can't stand how we judge things of yesterday with today's wokeness!! It was a character study of a human first.
Whoa, I'm glad to see you back! Killing it with this convo! I wish I could get your mojo...started my own channel and my demeanor is still kinda wobbly. I tagged you in the Ten BookTuber Personalities Tag in case you'd want to take a crack at it. My channel = Marian Ryan. Cheers!
Oh thanks for letting me know! I hate that you can't actually tag people to notify them of stuff. It's so hard to keep track of everything. Thanks for the tag :)
The way you feel about GWTW is the way I feel about Heart of Darkness. That said, I need to read this. Also, did *not* think I was going to grear you call out white feminism in this video, lol. Sounds like scarlett was a real #bossbabe by the end of the book. Or perhaps a #mompreneur?
I think it's less calling it out than pointing out that there are just way better role models, LOL. She's got a lot of endearing, empowering qualities, but she's definitely not in it for other women. At all. Total #bossbabe, though. If boss babe's enjoy slave and prison labour? Your point about Heart of Darkness is SO GOOD. I really didn't respond to that, and hated the racism in it. I didn't find it instructive. But after reading this, I'm 100% questioning my read of it. I definitely feel like I need to read it again, after swearing off the book in my review, haha. WAY TO GIVE ME MORE WORK TO DO.
@@allys8801 Thank you for commenting...I realized I was so wrong, remembering the movie and having read the book so long ago, but couldn't find my comment to correct. To be fair, I tried to listen to the audio book on you tube & I think it's been edited and there's a bit of missing text. Now I'm not so sure.
Currently reading Gone with the wind for the first time have not seen the movie. I agree the book has so many racist things going about it but I’m determined to see it through although as a biracial woman when first starting I wanted to throw the book across the room with the way she described the slaves and I almost died about the pickanini BS I do see the appeal in the love triangle between scarlet Rhett and Ashly in my mind though scarlet is nothing more than a confederate Becky sharp therefore Margaret Mitchell not all she’s cracked up to be
It's such a discomforting read. It takes a certain mindset going into it, that's for sure. I found it to be a fascinating look at the "other side of the curtain" so to speak, but if someone felt it too problematic, I would co-sign that opinion. The only the reason the book still works, for me, is because Mitchell was an incredible writer. If she wasn't, this would be untouchable. I hope you enjoy some of it! If not, that's cool too :) (Thanks for watching, regardless.)
45 years since I read GWTW and I haven't read a more convincing character in literature in all the time since! About time I read it again.
I can definitely see that being the case. A re-read would be wonderful at this point, I think!
It's one of my favorites, too. And, based on your other critiques, I'd love to have your analysis.
I would much prefer long in-depth book review videos. There are so few adult book reviewers who make good well thought out in depth reviews. There is definitely a market and an audience for the long reviews. I highly encourage you to make more
That's the plan :) I can't seem to do a review less than 10 minutes to save my life. Thanks for the encouragement, though! It means a lot, truly.
Hello Whitney. You posted a response to a comment I made above that began to explain to me how I didn't understand the history of the times in which GTW was published. Unfortunately, I can't access that comment (I dont know why) and therefore cannot finish it or respond to it. Wondering if you would consider copying and pasting it into a response to this comment.
Hi Rick, this is the best video of yours I have seen. Very carefully put together; it opened a new way for me to think about this book.
I am a big fan of the book and movie, but the way I view it has changed considerably through the years. I'm 59 now, and first experienced GWTW at 13.
Ms. Mitchell was a young lady in the Roaring 20's, around lots of older people who remembered the Victorian era quite well. Many were horrified at the new freedoms for women, like voting, working outside the home, short skirts, no corset, bobbed hair, and so on. The stark difference between the rights she had as a woman in the 20th century, vs. the rights of a woman of 1861, must of given her a great deal of food for thought. Margaret Mitchell's mother was a suffragette. I have no doubt that would have influenced Ms. Mitchell's view of women's rights as well. I feel this plays a major part in the subtext of GWTW.
I wonder what Scarlett would of been like, had she been allowed to pursue a career like a modern woman? Keep in mind, Scarlett never had a chance to pursue any profession, or consider doing anything with her life besides becoming a wife. Part of this story to me is about the stupid, power play rules many societies impose on women, and how it distorts our relationships with others, and ourselves. Scarlett is not allowed to use her natural talents for math or business. Instead, she has it drilled into her head to be a man-trap from the time she can understand the concept. It's seen as totally right and perfectly normal to do this.
I think her corset is almost a symbol of the myriad of rules she must follow, or be cast out of society. I know the book goes into much great length about all the rules a lady has to follow to still be considered a lady. In many ways, the well off white women in this book are imprisoned by their society. They rely on men in the book, the men let them horribly down, and there really isn't much they can do about it, because of the rules. They certainly could not go into a bank and ask for a small business loan, etc. Scarlett had to fight not only the Yankees, but a world very hostile to the idea of her survival independent of men.
I'm not excusing her, though. You're right, she is no Feminist icon. She's a lot messier than that. She's a natural business woman. It does not mean she's a saint. Far from it. I know we all like our spunky Victorian women motivated only by good, since they are setting such a great example of overcoming the system. In this case, it's a lot more realistic, and uncomfortable.
Marjorie Taylor Greene She would be Marjorie Taylor Greene
@@MamaKatt Um, no. No one should be Marjorie Taylor Greene.
@@lisathuban8969 Oh my gawd yes Scarett Ohara would be Marjorie Taylor Greene. And she did have a job. She built her husband's company up to what it was. So you will excuse me if that wasn't the issue. The issue is she was a narcissist like the majority of people who owned slaves or desired to own slave or fought for the right to own slaves.
@@MamaKatt
1. No, Scarlett did not care at all, not even slightly, about politics. She wanted her fantasy man, and to lead a comfy life, period. She was definitely a narcissist though, no doubt.
Also, no one should be M.T.G., including M.T.G.
2. She only had a job because Frank was spineless and easily bullied. Those were qualities which she knew how to exploit.
Had Frank been a more typical man of the period, he would have forbidden her to work. A man's word was LAW to his wife, and her word meant very little. He could have shut her down and made her stay at home, but he was too weak.
Also, outside of her marriage, her applying for a good paying job around town would of been unimaginable. No one would have hired her. It was a man's world.
3. Slavery is an abomination and I hope we see the end of it in our lifetime... but I'm not holding my breath.
All people are created equal. Having said that, we live in a world full of human trafficking and slave labor in sweat shops. We may feel bad, but the majority of us turn our heads and buy those cheap products anyway.
You can condemn the South for slavery, but we are little better now with our casual acceptance of goods made for nothing.
@@lisathuban8969 NO you are not better. Stop that lie. You have spread your lost cause racism around the country like a fungus eating at the bases of our democracy to return to a time in which you could be MTG and not be condemned for it. RACISM is a political theory and her dream man was a leader of the Klan who got hurt killing random black people. So you will excuse I but I think her man selections was worse than her lack of carrying. And PS black people didnt want to be slaves any more than the people in those factories want to work there. Name three black authors you have dined to read in the last year. And one classic novel written by a black person you have read in your life time. The radio editing of this comment has been a true struggle.
I’m glad you’re encouraging readers to think critically about the book. It’s such a relief to see a review of Gone with the Wind that isn’t simply “it’s racist, so we shouldn’t look at it”
It's much too important a book to brush off at first glance. Thanks for watching! I know it wasn't a short one :P
I have the attention span of a gold fish so I can can’t sit down to read the book. BUT you can usually find me listening to Linda Stevens narrating the book WHICH ONLY MAKES THIS BOOK MORE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITE like HOLY HECK this is my favorite book. Without question.
The book tells the truth about an era, and just because you don’t like the facts doesn’t mean you should not like the book. “Don’t kill the messenger” as they say. And I’m sorry but if you don’t realize that Scarlet is an unreliable narrator and if you’re not prompted to say “You’re an idiot” several times while reading this book, then you’re a moron too. And I do think that Margaret Mitchell intended her to be an unreliable narrator, just not about the theme of Race. But Scarlet is completely unaware of anything that is not right under her nose or slapping her in the face. Politically, socially, emotionally, interpersonally, she’s not an intelligent person. She’s just got a lot of gut. The true hero of this book is Rhett Butler. He’s way ahead of his time and he’s espouses interesting philosophies. He’s my favorite character.
You are such a cutie it makes your reviews more palatable. Absolutely love GWTW, both the book and the film. I’ve read it times in my life and definitely want to read it again before I leave this world. I’ve seen the film more times than I can count.
Bravo!!! I agree with you totally. I adore Gone with the Wind, absolutely. You can learn by this book so many important things about love, life, like Margaret Mitchel said - It is a book about SURVIVAL!
Never forget that! I know the whole book by heart. And the book is for all times. History reapet itself. Look at our world now, 2024, maybe the war is at our door, but World War! Like in the book - If you hadn't done that (Fort Sumter), some other FOOLS would have done it! My God, how truthful! And don't brag about racist, we have it now, but pretend not to see it - Palestina and Israel. And again, you Amercans did it! So, learn history, America is not the whole world. All the best to all decent people all over the World!
I read this book 20 times and probably several decades before you were born, but you’ve given me some fresh perspectives on it, and I thank you for that. Good work 🙂
What a lovely comment 😊 Thanks for watching!
@@RickMacDonnell You're most welcome, Rick. I have a question for you. Scarlett was not originally the characters name, and this was only changed once the manuscript had been accepted by the publisher and at the editors suggestion, or so I read. A rose by any other name might smell as sweet, but do you think the book would have had the same impact if she had remained Pansy O'Hara?
@@liannechristian8597 Ooh, that's interesting. Her name is definitely a huge part of her allure. Wow, that's fascinating to consider. Such a small detail, but with such huge consequences!
@@RickMacDonnell I agree. I simply cannot imagine someone with such a wishy washy name having the dynamism to make the character as unforgettable.
Thanks for the review! I agree with others who are happy it was long and you took your time with it. Scarlett really is a fascinating character because we truly have sooo many reasons to despise her, yet we don’t. Maybe it reveals some of the shallowness and selfishness that exists inside all of us that we can’t help but like or relate to her in some way. The only thing I really don’t agree with in your review is that she learns nothing by the end. In the end I think Scarlet really does learn what Melanie really meant to her. That she was the only female friend she ever really had that meant anything. I think she also finally learns what everyone has been trying to tell her about the importance of being with someone who understands you. That her and Ashley don’t have in common the things that matter most. She learns the difference between Love and Lust. That Ashley only lusted for her, but nothing more. Rhett only ever acted out his lust with Belle, but really loved Scarlett. She basically learns all these lessons too late ha ha but she still learned them.
I read GWTW last year for the first time at the age of seventy-five. Though liking your review, I wish you had commented on two aspects of the novel. First, the brilliant writing style. Mitchell uses every conceivable writing device like the master novelist that she is: alliteration, metaphor, simile, irony, parallel structure, and so on. Second, all of the major characters in the book are composites of actual people that Mitchell had researched or had heard about from her family members, especially her grandmother. For instance, Rhett Butler is 60% George Trenholm of Fraser, Trenholm & Company of Charleston, South Carolina, 30% Trenholm's son, and 10% Mitchell's first husband, "Red" Upshaw. At first, I thought the name "Rhett" was a romanticised version of "Red," but that is not the case. One of Trenholm's closest business associates in Charleston had the surname "Rhett." So what we have with GWTW is not just a great historical novel but Southern history disguised as a romantic novel. Keep up the excellent work.
She won the Pulitzer for GWTW.
Welcome back!!! It has been 30 years since I read GWTW and your review has me wanting to read it again!
Just finished reading Gone With The Wind for the first time last night and I know for a fact this book and its insufferable unscrupulous yet extraordinary characters of a by gone era marked me for life.
I will always carry a little bit of Scarlet O'hara with me.
This is a truly beautiful book that will be read and it will touch people theough the passing of generations.
I stumbled upon your video last night and absolutely loved your experience with this book. It resonates a lot with my experience in many aspects - specially when it comes to the race discussions.
Inevitably I subscribed to your channel as I couldn't resist your many other book review videos.
Keep up the good work!
So good to see you! Your enthusiasm for Gone With the Wind makes me want to my copy right now. I've owned mine for a year now (found one in good condition at a used book sale) but it wasn't on my immediate TBR. But now I will seriously think about reading it. Thanks!!
The summer's a good time to read it! The weather vibe really fits in with the southern states :P
There's a certain sensitivity that comes with be(com)ing a seasoned reader - you understand what makes an essay different from a short story to a novel to an autobiography. poetry is another paradigm we come to appreciate later, an acquired taste of sorts. Especially, the sensitivity in "how it feels, not how it looks" was different in the classics. I go back to A tale of two cities every so often. A book that is on my list is The Unabridged Journal of Sylvia Plath for the sheer emotional intimacy. Somehow it makes it okay to "feel" and not rationalize emotions as we're becoming more incline towards by the day.
The relatability of the character comes from seeing him/her through the gamut of life experiences. And GWTW has been built layers upon layers because it shows several dynamics. As if literally living in her shoes makes it easier and more accommodative of ourselves through different phases. And suddenly the greys are there but the need to make a gradation from black to white is not necessary nor pressing, just being in it is okay; we're all only human.
For Every Southern, the "book" is our story ! (5th generation Georgian) My family farm/homestead was destroyed & burned by the yankees located in southeast county of Georgia; Upson County, in the community of "logtown" ! the community "never" recovered !
Please People, the movies is GOOD/GREAT "BUT" the BOOK is OUTSTANDING to understanding native Georgians !
1) So glad you’re back. I disagreed with a LOT of your last video, but it wasn’t anything like a deal-breaker with me.
2) I have still not read Gone With the Wind, but I love the film (can still clearly remember when I first saw it, with my mother).
3) The novel is one of my wife’s all-time favorites and one of my brother’s all-time favorites. Your praise joins theirs in a cacophony of badgering. Perhaps I’ll read it for March of the Mammoths next year?
4) You’re one of the best Booktubers we have, so keep making videos.
Thanks for sticking around ;) And for the kind words, Jason.
This would be a great Mammoth pick. At 960 pages, you kinda need something to give you a push to tackle it. Plus, it's probably a book you can get a few buddy reads with. It's one of those books that a lot of people want to read, but never take the plunge. Strength in numbers!
I’m glad your back. I couldn’t make it through *that* video , but I’ve enjoyed everything else you have done on your channel so I’ve stuck around. I’ve owned a copy of Gone With The Wind for years but I haven’t summed up the courage to read it yet.
Hey Juan! Well I'm very glad you stuck it out with me :) I appreciate it.
It definitely takes a bit of courage to pick the book up. It's pretty intimidating. But I'd suggest, if you ever get the urge to test it out, to just read the first chapter or two. I think Mitchell's writing will suck you in, if you're someone who will enjoy the book. If you're not taken by it, then put it down. Hopefully you read it (and like it) someday :)
Another Book Vlog I’ve heard great things about it even before I watched your video. I’m put off by its length and by the racism. Having said that, I’ve watched the film adaptation several times and like it to this day so...
I haven't watched the film, but from what I've heard the racism is toned down a bit in the film. So know that going into it.
@@RickMacDonnell there is a ton of racism in the movie as well. They don't glorify the Klan as much or talk about killing black folks as much but it's still pretty bad
I loved your review. I read GWTW initially when I was 13 years old. I grew up in Jonesboro, GA, where the fictitious Tara was. And, although I was horrified at some of scarlet’s behavior, I could forgive her (while not justifying her) given that she was terrified in her circumstances. A very young woman facing down an invading army! My own ancestors were invaded as well. Two of my 2 X great grandfathers did not return. So their widows and orphans had to somehow survive. We are so lucky to live in reasonable safety.
Welcome back, your videos have been missed! I honestly never would have considered reading this book either, in fact I've dismissed both it and the movie several times, but this review has me so intrigued, I have to read this myself and hopefully be challenged in the same way. Thanks!
I would never have thought this would be my cup of tea, but who knew. That's the beauty about challenges, though: they make me read stuff I normally wouldn't. Most of the time it's terrible but every now and then, BOOM, a life-changer.
Thanks for the kind words, Laura!
Happy you're back and I greatly enjoyed this video. I don't think this is a book I need to have in my life, but I appreciate how much thought you put into your experience.
It's definitely not a book for everyone, haha. Nice to see you here too, Sonya!
This is probably one of the best book reviews of GWTW I’ve seen. Welcome back!
Hey, thanks! Very very kind of you.
one of my favorite books of all time
I feel the same way about it, I’m obsessed with GWTW despite all the problems with it.
Because MM tells the truth. We are not allowed that luxury any more.
I read it once a year; it's my southern duty.
Nice to see you! I read Gone With The Wind during my 16th summer. I loved the drama but skimmed over the detailed war bits. I can’t believe you read it twice over a month. That is next level. I am glad I read it, but I’ll never read it again. I don’t have the patience for drama I once did. Great video.
There's almost no reason for anyone to read a 1000 page book twice, so don't bother with it again LOL. And yes, it's nice to be back, thanks!
Fab to see you back Rick, I did wonder if you were permanently MIA! I have to admit that I’d always thought of Gone With the Wind as a kind of standard romance novel, probably not helped by watching clips of the movie as a kid, it was only recently that I’d noticed it appearing on a few best of lists. Your discussion of it has given me further food for thought and I appreciated the different angles you came at it from particularly the race and YA aspects. Sometimes dislikable characters are what make a book great, I just read The Sea, The Sea with a truly egotistical, misogynistic and deluded narrator but I still loved the reading experience. I’m in awe that you read this twice and think it’s fantastic you loved it so much, a kick up the butt for me to not dismiss a book because you think you know what it’s about.
Oh I tend to float in and out of blogging/vlogging quite a bit, but I never truly leave LOL. But yeah, the book is definitely not a standard romance. Far from it. It was 10x better than I expected it to be. Lesson learned!
Enjoyed very much your review, Rick MacDonnell. I've been puttering with the idea of giving this book a reread. One of the surprise delights of the book, when I first read it, was the character Will Benteen, perhaps the most admirable in the book yet trimmed from the film.
It's both a great book and film. Both very eloquent and timeless in their themes. No White guilt from me.
I liked your comment. I find it mind blowing that A lot of well read people can criticize someone for being a product of their time and not see the double standard.... I’m gonna copy and paste my comment. I’m also gonna check out your music man. Good luck.
I got about half way through. I’m not going to offer too much criticism because I think that you’re a very small channel that isn’t striving for HUGE numbers. Also you’re obviously not a futurist and you’re suffering very much from today’s ideology. In the same way you’re critical of the author in her views of the time... I would just say, think about the 5 minutes ( of 20) you’ve spent into stating that YOU understand white privilege. I thought this was “an excruciatingly deep dive into gone with the wind”.... not “the explanation and expectations of double think and self sacrifice involved with appeasing the modern hive mind. Also, gone with the wind”. Good luck man. I’m going to watch the rest of your video. Thanks for the content and for your time! 👍🏻
Then read The Wind Done Gone; a book that offered quite a different view of the South & the GTWTW characters.
Glad you are back.
If every person who read _Gone With the Wind_ was required to watch your video before or afterwards I would not have a problem with this book being considered a great novel.
Since that is impossible, I can't, as a historian, bring myself to praise this book. The damage that it has done in perpetuating the myth, as you point out, of the American South before and after the Civil War is incalculable. It has normalized the idea that slavery wasn't that bad, that enslaved people were happy, content, to simple to be on their own, etc.
Your identification of the class system of the South is spot on.
I don't think Mitchell had any real enlightened purpose in her portrayal of Scarlet or the South or Slavery. I think as you said, she loved the Antebellum South and idealized it as a better simpler time spoiled by the end of slavery and the Civil War.
Your video is great.
I think most readers will (and should) have a complicated relationship with this book. I don't know if I've had another reading experience quite like it. Mitchell isn't trying to be ironic here, she's not pointing at something and saying "look how bad and wrong this is!" (in terms of the confederate views presented). But at the same time, it's easy to see through her clear bias and make up our own minds. At least, it is for people who don't share these feelings. So for me, from where I come from, this felt more like a relic we can use as a tool, rather than a manifesto for racism and elitism.
It's a book you kind of have to read to believe, I guess. It's so complicated, like I said. I'm still thinking about it a lot, even now. It's wild.
Thanks for the great comment, Brian. A wonderfully nuanced take on a nuanced book, I think :)
Margaret Mitchell wrote characters with blood in their veins. Scarlett had gumption and the book sold us on that quality as the driving force of survival. Scarlett intuitively knew the depth of her own greed and I believe she sought out Ashley to tame her wild Irish soul as her father had with her elegant, French mother. To her mind Ashley brought dignity and redemption. Her refusal to accept that loss was the same blinding force that got her through the war and reconstruction. The tenderhearted Christian, Melanie, understood that Scarlett's gumption was necessary and she forgave her everything because they needed her and she trusted Ashley's honor. Melanie spent her moral capital defending Scarlett because she had enough self awareness and security to understand and appreciate Scarlett's value. It is a great story. The book takes it to another level.
Just found you. I've read GWTW probably 10 times and love it more every time. Your review was pretty fair. Just 2 things: "raze" MEANS "to the ground" so "razed to the ground" is painfully redundant. Second: Scarlett was married 3 times: Charles, Frank, Rhett. Happy reading!
I've adored this book since I first read it as a child. I would be interested in your thoughts on Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley.
Great review! Such an important book and now one of my all time favorites. I couldn't put it down.
Nice! Thanks for watching, as always :)
One correction: Scarlett married thrice
I shan't not deny him!
I do declare.
What a great discussion. I love GWTW, and have a complicated relationship with it. I've never thought about Scarlett being an unreliable narrator, but that makes so much sense. Both she and Mitchell really have skewed perspectives. I've also wondered why it's not considered Southern Gothic.
Margaret Mitchell was very clear that she wrote the original text as a black comedy & was surprised at how many people took the story literally. So have I! 🧐
Come to think of it, Uncle Peter had more sense than any Yankee she had ever met.
This was something Aunt Pitty believed about her coachman. Scarlett's first husband remarks of him, "The trouble is that he owns us, body and soul and he knows it."
Margaret was true to her characters. Most writers are too wishy-washy about conforming to the tastes of their own contemporaries.
GWTW has been my favorite film of all time and I am just now reading the book at 60yo. I am surprised how different the the book is from the movie. I am still reading it and enjoying every page. Your review is inciteful and wonderfully accurate. There are times when I feel I should hate Scarlett, but I end up loving her. I am looking forward to finishing the book and seeing how it changes my view of the film. Thank you for an excellent job, well done!
Thanks for such a nice comment, Robert! I still have yet to watch the movie, actually. I feel like it would be quite different than the book (which you seem to confirm) and I wouldn't want it to change my perceptions of the story at all. I'm a baby like that haha.
Fascinating account. Welcome back. I'm going to have to re-read GWTW. Would love to hear your analysis of the book of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum.
Joe Cascone Oh wow. I haven’t read it since I was a kid, but it’s one of my favourite films of all time. I would love to read it again! What a great idea, Joe 👍🏻 Any reason why you mentioned that book in particular?
@@RickMacDonnell As a fellow English major, we also studied this book in my university English classes, so your recent reviews made me wonder what you might do in a lengthier critique.
Joe Cascone Fair enough 😄
This review made my month, my day, my year. I have been in love with Gone With the Wind since an age I can't remember. I was introduced to the movie first back when TNT aired it for the first time on cable. Yes, I'm that many years old. After that I would carry around a sad looking red paperback copy of the book everywhere, but never finish it until young adulthood. I have lost count of the number of copies I have acquired over the years, but I always go back to that red Warner books movie cover edition that is now held together with washi tape. It's just a magical, comfort read to me. The writing, the characters, the settings, the circumstances draw me in every time. People could say because I'm Southern I'm biased, but I don't agree. It's just a great book that sometimes makes me feel (white) guilty for loving so much.
Well hopefully the video came close to living up to a book (and film) you love so much :) I've yet to watch the movie because I'm afraid I won't like it nearly as much. I don't want my book memories tarnished, haha.
I can definitely understand your confused feels about liking the book, feeling a bit guilty for it. But as I said, I think it's all about seeing the good and the bad and taking both of those things in. It's a nice lesson, I think, to see the whole of something, of a person, of an event, and not judging based on the worst aspect of it. You can also judge based on the best aspect of a thing, too.
Thanks for the lovely comment, Lindsay!
@@RickMacDonnell The book is so much richer than the movie, so I wouldn't hold it against you if you decided not to watch. Because that's how I feel about reading the sequel by Alexandra Ripley that came out back in the 90s. I just can't do it. I would rather have the story end where Margaret Mitchell intended it to and be satisfied.
I've been wondering about that! From I've read the sequel is apparently decent, but I don't know if I'd want to bother with it. Also, I don't feel like it needs a sequel at all.
Me too...
I’ve just finished this book and for a second wanted to immediately go out and get the sequel but realized if she didn’t write it she didn’t intend for it to exist so I won’t. However, can we have a discussion about the ending. Do y’all think she gets him back or no? I’m torn because as she says, she always gets what she wants in men (even in Ashley in a way) and going away has been a game that Rhett played in getting her (he wouldn’t want to give in so easily as she’d have immediate power over him) but at the same time, he has changed so much throughout the ending of the book that leaving her wouldn’t be so far fetched. What do y’all think happened ?! 🙈
Thanks for this awesome review!
I'm going to read the novel after years of putting it aside. I am in love with the film; it was perfectly cast (except Ashley i feel) ESPECIALLY VIVIEN LEIGH AS SCARLETT O'HARA; you should watch it just for that.
Upon my 3rd view of the film, I had a lot of insights that I never had in the past. One should really chew this material. It's such an education. Can't wait to read it! Having said that, I read the sequel despite not having read the original. Lol. So i went from watching the film, to reading the sequel, to wanting to read the novel. Idk how it's going to affect my reading...but i'm excited!
Look who's back! Haha. Bookmarking for the morning (it's getting late here in Ontario 😂). I loved gone with the wind so I'm excited to watch! (Beware,I like the edit function hahaha)
Well I loved it too! That being said, I complain about it a lot, at the same time LOL
Another Book Vlog apparently even though it's late, I need to watch anyway 😂. Gosh. Scarlett. We almost named out daughter Scarlett because the name is lovely 😂, buuut we went with Adelei.
I loved this book, but maaaaan I was so damn frustrated with Scarlett, but other times I found that I was in awe of how strong she COULD be. And that ending. Damn. She deserved it, but my heart!
Woooow! Twice in a month and a half?!?! You go Glen Coco!
I can only imagine how confusing this video must be for people who haven't read the book. Without reading Scarlett, it must be hard to comprehend how she's both so enjoyable and so frustrating LOL. I haven't read many characters like her.
Adelei is a beautiful name. Where'd that come from?
Another Book Vlog She was a great character for sure! Dang. I know I said this on twitter, but I want to read gwtw again even more now 😂. Maybe I'll take it to Yosemite this summer! It'll be a great memory to pair with the book ☺️.
Thanks! We love old/obscure German names 😂. Our son is Reiner (pronounced like rein-deer, not exactly the correct German pronounciation- whoops 😅). But Adelei (like Lorelei) we chose because we wanted to name her after my gram (Ada Claire) so we went with Adelei Claire. But her nickname is Owl haha (when my son was littler he couldn't say her name so he said owl-eyes and it stuck 😂).
That's so cute :D
What did you think of all the main characters hating the Confederacy?
They hated the Union; they were the Confederacy.
@@dino0228
I think he or she means the fact that a lot of the main characters were against the war (for example Ashley and Rhett).
I haven't read Gone with the Wind, but this video makes me want to pick it apart.
There's a lot of low-hanging fruit.
Glad you are back , always enjoyed your videos!
I must confess I haven't read Gone With the Wind. I'm still not sure I want to, but I enjoyed the video 😁
LOL yeah it definitely won't be for everyone. I always say go with your gut, in terms of what a person should read. But I would definitely encourage anyone curious about this book to give it a try. I think people will know fairly quickly whether they'll like it or not.
Lovely review. I too read GWTW twice. You should watch the movie filmed in 1939. It is amazing and close to the book.
I am right three now and read gone with the wind the first time.when I was twenty
Each time I read it I saw something different. The first time, I just thought it was a romantic story set during the civil wsr.the second time I really got into.the relationships between scarlett and Rhett and scarlett and Ashley and to a lesser degree between melanie and scarlett and felt do sorry for scarlett losing Rhett and felt terrible for scarlett. Agsin when I saw the movie and Rhett said ",frankly. My dear I don't give a damn"
Now, on u tube portions of the.movie
are shown and all of a sudden
I see the whole story as a person going back to their roots which is the land and I mean the actual soil
Which is the name of the plantation.: :
"Tara" as in terra firma
Scarlett. As she lays across the stairs sobbing at the Los of Rhett. Scarlett, hears the voice of her father telling her to remember tara, the basically homestead of the family
To me, this is the gist of the story this is your soul. Girl, and you need to go back to it
Isn't "the South losing, and then losing some more" the bread and butter of Faulkner?
Scarlett is a prime example of an anti-hero. She's a morally corrupt character that makes selfish decisions for her own gain even if those decisions make her seem the villain to the other characters in the story. We see through that brash and non-conforming inner-dialogue she has that it is harnessed for her own and other's survival during the harshest of times.
The novel has some of the richest descriptive elements, making settings so vivid and characters come alive so well it is almost like you are hearing their voices and seeing them in the pages.
I got about half way through. I’m not going to offer too much criticism because I think that you’re a very small channel that isn’t striving for *HUGE* numbers. Also you’re obviously not a futurist and you’re suffering very much from today’s ideology. In the same way you’re critical of the author in her views of the time... I would just say, think about the 5 minutes (of 20) you’ve spent into stating that *YOU* understand white privilege. I thought this was “an excruciatingly deep dive into gone with the wind”.... not “the explanation and expectations of double think and self sacrifice involved with appeasing the modern hive mind. Also, gone with the wind”. Good luck man. I’m going to watch the rest of your video. Thanks for the content and for your time! 👍🏻
Right? It’s not a PC book so don’t judge through a PC lens.
@@TexasMan77 So now PC just means not incredibly racist?
I know these comments are like 4-5 years old but these are so stupid I have to say something.
Margret Mitchell wrote letters to a KKK author, wrote, directed and preformed plays about the KKK and was a woman growing up during a time where she was made to fear black people. So of course it shouldn't be a shock to anybody that her book, even for the time it was written (because people back then thought the same) has some nasty implications about race. And if you were open-minded enough to watch the video all the way through, you would discover the fact that this person doesn't blame the book for having outdated views, and actually likes the book.
He's absolutely right to view it in the lens of the book is a great depiction of values from a losing side, and a woman who had a lot of privilege in both race and class finding her footing in a changing world. Because even in the book texts, and synopsis that is the core of GWTW. "Suffering very much from today's ideology," My ass. You just want to have an excuse to not think about literature critically because you don't want to be reminded that we had flaws in the past. To act like our own experiences doesn't affect the way people consume older media and that our perspectives should be detached is unreasonably stupid.
So glad you are back. 🙆♀️
Thanks, Sandra!
SCARLETT O Hara was one of the biggest antiheros in all of literature
I love GWTW sooooooo much
Glad you enjoyed the novel. I just re-read it after 20+ years. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it the first time and this second reading was just as engaging. It is fantastic storytelling with excruciatingly vile content. Mitchell certainly helped perpetuate the myth of the Lost Cause. I would never call Scarlett a feminist but she is certainly a kick-ass young woman who gets shit done. You mentioned Scarlett being an unreliable narrator, a phrase I wouldn't use to describe her, but you (I think) related it to her naivete. I saw Rhett and some of the other characters as Mitchell's way of highlighting and correcting her ignorance.
Have you recorded your podcast about Gone with the Wind yet?
@@RickMacDonnell Yes, we did. It was a joint readalong with Jenny from Reading Envy, episode 157 on her podcast. It was a fun talk but an hour barely scratches the surface, as you know.
Great Frankenstein entry.. I like this video all the more because of that
Came to your channel in one of those "this led to that" kinds of way; quite enjoyed your analysis of GWTW. I first read the book 50 years ago after seeing the film in an anniversary re-release and was surprised at how deep the story was, how huge the story was; the film had "sweep" but was largely a melodrama, the novel has a strangely mystical, mythical, revisionist romanticized mournfulness that is deeply, deeply disturbing; the glittering, genteel, beautiful "Old South" that sadly far too many folks believe actually existed.
To (largely) focus your review on the character of Scarlett is, to some degree, to focus your review on the myth of Southern white females, the Steel Magnolias ( to steal another cliche), the Great Ladies. Scarlett is the "New South", Melanie the embodiment of the "Old".
I grew up in the south. I grew up with the vestiges of this myth, the fable of the vanished beautiful cotton kingdom, the strong yet genteel plantation princesses and the chivalrous knights who laid down their lives for honor and a great many of the older people I knew when I was young referred to GWTW with deep reverence and respect, almost as if it were some sacred text, a document to a lost world.
The novel is an exceptionally enjoyable read, but profoundly flawed. I have owned a fair number of copies (paperbacks don't last). Mitchell is a astonishing storyteller and an outstanding historical researcher; her descriptions of battlefields and troop movements and military campaigns are highly accurate.
I've reread the novel a great many times; it is, after all, the "War and Peace" of its' day, the "Dr. Zhivago" of 1936. I last read it a few years back and agree with you that perhaps it is a story about class more than a story about race and equally agree with you that the people of color are given no voice of their own. It troubled me in 1969 and continues to trouble me today that Mammy's actual children are never spoken of and she most certainly would have had to have children if she was a "Mammy" ( a wet-nurse) to both Ellen and Scarlett, and yet, not a word or clue as to who they are and (more importantly) where they are.
So sorry for the long message; unfortunately, GWTW casts a long shadow over my conscience: a myth I grew up with and rejected, a depiction of a world still sought after and mourned by some, a novel I enjoy and yet am embarrassed by enjoying it because there is so very much that is truly, truly wrong about it.
I look forward to watching your other reviews. It's a great way of pass this Covid confinement.
Randall Schrader-Soule Dont apologize for the long comment, Randall. This was fantastic. Pretty incredible how you’ve had a relationship with this story for 50 years and yet you still keep coming back to it. I feel I will do the same. I’m going to have to read over your words a few times just to take it all in! I love it
I've not read it..yet (I'm getting through War and Peace..), but, I tnink I can add an unusual insight from the "across the pond" perspective. America..compared to Europe..is young. They abolished slavery earlier than America..yet..the director choose a British actress to portray the "heroine" in a Southern epic (hm..THAT's a thought). ..Europe was industrialising during the period of America's civil war..then..look at the movie. The agrarian south was diminishing...and like most who mourn a past way of doing things....it's trying to adjust to the "new normal".., no free labour...treating all people with respect...
@@roniquebreauxjordan1302
Enjoy "War and Peace": it's quite a remarkable thing, though a bit of a slog to get through; so many characters, so many intertwined relationships to keep track of .
Interestingly, I found out this week that although Great Britain abolished the slave trade in 1807, it did not abolish slavery until the Abolition Act 1833 and even that did not include the "territories" of the East India Company; that didn't happen until 1843 and was not fully enforced until 1873. The Abolition Act of 1833 was repealed in its entirety in 1998 and replaced with The Human Rights Act. A form of enslavement called "Blackbirding" continued in Australia into the early 1970's.
Before the American Civil War the Northern U.S. was fully industrialized (with its own form of slavery called "script workers" which consisted [mostly] of newly arrived immigrant workers from Eastern Europe, Ireland and poor rural children sent to the factories by their parents, given "script", or company issued money, for wages to pay for rent in company owned housing, food and necessities from company owned stores, etc. but not legal tender anywhere else), giving it a greater manufacturing advantage over the agrarian South, although the greatest concentration of national wealth existed in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas due to cotton trade with England and France, and hence, the World, which made up an estimated 2/3rds of the Nation's exports.
The novel, GWTW, and the film are very different things (and the choice of Vivien Leigh was a master-stroke); definitely read the novel, but remember, if you will, when reading it that, aside from the essential "love triangle" aspect, this novel is a myth written at a time when the South was beginning a campaign of rewriting its own history.
(Sorry for the long reply; I can be a bit verbose.)
I loved this review
Oh my gosh that does sound like a YA
Thanks 😊
I am not as liberal thinking as you although I am Asian, but I think your review is excellent. There are too many people who seem to be censorious about the book because of its racial attitudes. I think the book is instructive because of its racist attitudes. You show that we, with the advantage of hindsight, can handle the racist ideas expressed. The book is an excellent historical artifact, and it is also a wonderfully entertaining.
Love longer videos, but 3 minutes of explanation??
You explained this book greatly. Specially, about Scarlet and her personality, ofcourse a bad one.
And privilege, that opens the door of so many opportunities,that many people doesn't get, because of their race, or religion, or ethnicity,or sex
It would help if you put yourself in the 1860s and mid ‘30s for folks outlook on society. I think the majority of us have evolved. The story was written by an upper class southern white woman about an upper class southern white woman.
👋Hello Stranger 👍Welcome back☕️I missed your videos🌻Gone With The Wind is my friend Stefan's favourite book & movie😪He's made me sit through the movie at Christmas 😭In every scene someone dies😡It was torture🤢
Don't be a stranger ☘️🍀👍
"In every scene someone dies" LOL
I'm still nervous to watch the movie. I don't want it to taint the book experience for me. At least not yet.
3 husbands
YA? Scarlet OHata is a direct descendant of Becky Sharp.
i love your youtuve videos. i think this was a beautiful review and if i every become a famour writer my main goal will you for you to review my book/s. your a legend man im glad your back.
I appreciate this so much, Hailey! I think GWTW deserves a more nuanced review than a lot of people give it. Glad to hear you enjoyed it :)
just had a good name.
so twilight but with confederates instead of vampires. .... ....
To me the book is a psychological study of narcissism and survival!! And Margaret Mitchell never said Scarlett was a good person!! God I can't stand how we judge things of yesterday with today's wokeness!!
It was a character study of a human first.
You obviously believe you cannot be wrong. Let’s debate let’s set up a livestream. I’m down don’t back down.
Whoa, I'm glad to see you back! Killing it with this convo! I wish I could get your mojo...started my own channel and my demeanor is still kinda wobbly. I tagged you in the Ten BookTuber Personalities Tag in case you'd want to take a crack at it. My channel = Marian Ryan. Cheers!
Oh thanks for letting me know! I hate that you can't actually tag people to notify them of stuff. It's so hard to keep track of everything. Thanks for the tag :)
Felt like a long intro...
The way you feel about GWTW is the way I feel about Heart of Darkness. That said, I need to read this. Also, did *not* think I was going to grear you call out white feminism in this video, lol. Sounds like scarlett was a real #bossbabe by the end of the book. Or perhaps a #mompreneur?
I think it's less calling it out than pointing out that there are just way better role models, LOL. She's got a lot of endearing, empowering qualities, but she's definitely not in it for other women. At all. Total #bossbabe, though. If boss babe's enjoy slave and prison labour? Your point about Heart of Darkness is SO GOOD. I really didn't respond to that, and hated the racism in it. I didn't find it instructive. But after reading this, I'm 100% questioning my read of it. I definitely feel like I need to read it again, after swearing off the book in my review, haha. WAY TO GIVE ME MORE WORK TO DO.
And yes, I think you need to read this. You may not "like" it, but I think you'll still enjoy the experience.
@@RickMacDonnell at least it's not 900 damn pages
I doubt you read it.
Too many mistakes show your dishonesty
Maybe consider changing your username
Did you really read the book? She had one child who died in an accident
Did YOU read the book? She had three children in the book (Wade, Ella and Bonnie) and only one (Bonnie) in the movie!
@@allys8801 Thank you for commenting...I realized I was so wrong, remembering the movie and having read the book so long ago, but couldn't find my comment to correct. To be fair, I tried to listen to the audio book on you tube & I think it's been edited and there's a bit of missing text. Now I'm not so sure.
Just finished the book. Greatest book I've ever read. But racist as fuck.
Morons? Which book did you really
read?
Currently reading Gone with the wind for the first time have not seen the movie. I agree the book has so many racist things going about it but I’m determined to see it through although as a biracial woman when first starting I wanted to throw the book across the room with the way she described the slaves and I almost died about the pickanini BS I do see the appeal in the love triangle between scarlet Rhett and Ashly in my mind though scarlet is nothing more than a confederate Becky sharp therefore Margaret Mitchell not all she’s cracked up to be
It's such a discomforting read. It takes a certain mindset going into it, that's for sure. I found it to be a fascinating look at the "other side of the curtain" so to speak, but if someone felt it too problematic, I would co-sign that opinion. The only the reason the book still works, for me, is because Mitchell was an incredible writer. If she wasn't, this would be untouchable. I hope you enjoy some of it! If not, that's cool too :) (Thanks for watching, regardless.)
Gave up at 9 minutes. Be more concise please