1000 Books Before You Die discussion

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

This book was way too long and really got on my nerves towards the end. I really got tired of the author glorifying the south and her general racist attitude. I know things were different in the 30s, but still.....

I was fascinated by this book. By modern standards it was racist, but it explained a lot about history that I hadn’t appreciated before. At some time I will read this again & probably notice some of the more subtle points that I missed. I thought this was one of the best books I have read for quite a while.

I have a really checkered history with this book. The first time I tried to read it I couldn’t get into it. The second time I tried to read it I was reading aloud to my mother in a coma. It had been one of her favorites that she had read while young. I only got to midpoint before she passed, and I have no impression of the story from that time at all.

The third time I read it as an audiobook and found it absolutely riveting. I had so little knowledge of the American South, and learned so much. It is definitely one sided and rife with racism, but very clearly defines the experience of one group of people through a traumatic and checked period of history.