Gone With the Wind

Most of my close friends and family know that I love Gone With the Wind. It is a book that I come back to year after year. In fact, I just finished reading it for the second time this year. I find that I see the book differently each time that I read it. I continue to re-experience some of my past insights, while also gaining new ones.

My opinion of Scarlett is complicated. I admire her brash ability to take on the world, even while I think she is being an idiot about the people around her. I have the same mixed opinions of Melanie. She is also naive about people, but in a completely opposite way from Scarlett. She is also a strong woman taking on the world, but she manages to do it within the rules of society. Rhett and Ashley offer the same kind of counterpoint, although they both seem to see people much more clearly.

I highly recommend Gone With the Wind. If you have only seen the movie, you don't know what you are missing. The book gives you more insight into Scarlett's character, trials, and motivations. Every character is more developed in the book. Yes, it is a long book. But what is contained in all those pages has made it an enduring classic. Don't miss out on this book great book just because it is long!