Gone With The Wind: An Extraordinary Southern Novel

Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell (an American novelist and journalist, 1900-1949), published 1936, is a touching, classic novel, set during the Civil War and in the Antebellum South, complete with vivid detail of silk bonnets and beaux. I rate it a 5 out of 5 stars as the characters are extremely real, the descriptions are excellent, and the pacing of the plot is brilliant. I would recommend it to historical fiction readers as well as romance readers, though anyone with a taste for beautiful writing and amazing character should read this!

Scarlett O’Hara, the fierce protagonist of the book, starts off extremely spoiled and bratty. She is the daughter of a rich planter and the belle of the county, and her intense love for a man named Ashley fuels the plot in the beginning. But Ashley is to marry another woman! Of course, after Scarlett learns this, she tries every trick in her power to prevent the wedding- until it is too late. She then marries someone else out of spite.

Mitchell also introduces a character named Rhett Butler, a charming but cynical – and even dangerous – scoundrel, who sets his eyes on the blazing Scarlett. When the war comes, and the entire society of rich planters is faced with poverty and hardship, Rhett always comes striding in with pocketfuls of money from barricading and food speculation. Though Scarlett and Rhett have various relationships across the plot, Scarlett’s character arc is one of the central themes in the novel. When she has to get down on her knees and pick cotton to survive or scrounge for musty vegetables in her neighbor’s abandoned garden, Scarlett is fully capable. She transforms from a privileged, narrow-minded brat to a hard-wired, fearless woman. Margaret Mitchell captures characters and personalities extraordinarily well, and Gone With The Wind is a beautiful and impacting piece of character development and relationships.

Mitchell also creates a moving, intriguing plot. The novel takes place during the Civil War, so poverty and death are common obstacles in Scarlett’s way. Sometimes, they hit a little too close to home, but every heartbreak makes her stronger. Scarlett is a fluid, persistent character, so the plot comes in waves, every challenge and twist a new tsunami she must ride. From the very beginning to the end, Mitchell keeps the pacing natural and flowing, and it is impossible to put down the book.

The descriptions and wording in Gone With The Wind are my favorite of any book by far. Mitchell writes beautifully and emotionally of the rolling hills of Tara, the plantation that Scarlett lives on and loves. I personally love the vivid details of the setting; I think they add a lot of imagery and immersion into the story for the reader. Gone With The Wind has beautiful detail and word choice.

Gone With The Wind is a captivating, beloved novel of the South, complete with touchingly real characters, an exceptionally paced plot, and intricately detailed descriptions. Even more famous is the movie adaptation starring Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable. Though many of the characters looked different than I had imagined, the acting made it a fair counterpart to the book. I highly endorse Gone With The Wind to anyone looking for a high-quality, classic and still exciting read this summer.