This was such an extraordinary read, I’m completely wrecked. This may be chronologically the last great epic novel, and the text isn’t afraid to place itself right there with Dickens, Thackeray and Tolstoy. And the inspiration is clear in the execution too. But that is not to discredit Margaret Mitchell’s own original penmanship. Her characterisation is so sublime, her dialogues are simply inspired, and her bold modernity is a breath of fresh air. It feels like I’m not saying anything new since Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler have help pop culture in a chock hold since 1939, but having now watched the movie, I can tell you the book is even better than you might imagine. No Hayes code for books, if you know what I mean. 

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the one stain of Gone with the Wind, its idolisation of the antebellum South. Unfortunately, Margaret Mitchell grew up with misleading accounts of the civil war, and 30 years shy of the civil rights movement, she could arguably be forgiven for not being aware of the true state of things. While she does voice a number of terrible stereotypes and perhaps underplays some of the most negative aspects, and yes, she could have done more research (even though she hardly had the resources to do that), I still think there is a fairly well rounded account of how people felt at the time. Is it valuable to voice deplorable opinions or somewhat defend the stance of sympathetic slave owners? I’m not sure, but I’d love to hear valid criticism and learn more about this topic as it relates to literature. In general, I found the background of the war to be quite easy to tune out, this is Scarlett’s story after all.