Reading Envy Readers discussion

May 5-11 will focus on part 2, so just know there might be spoilers here.

I do believe Scarlett just won me over (last part of chapter 10).
Totally didn't see that (me getting in her corner) coming.
Go Scarlett!

I liked the history and geography lesson at the beginning of this part, though to be honest I only the names of Mobile and Montgomery because of the civil rights movement.

Why does Rhett call Queen Victoria Dutch? I have no idea if that’s his error or Margaret’s. it’s weird the things that can completely throw you out of a book.

I liked part 2 better, there’s more history and it’s just more interesting. I am still not that keen on Scarlett but Rhett is great, he’s such a bad boy and who doesn’t love that ?

I can honestly say I do not like "bad boys." :)

But in all seriousness, I do appreciate they who buck the system.

Shatterlings wrote: "Why does Rhett call Queen Victoria Dutch? I have no idea if that’s his error or Margaret’s. it’s weird the things that can completely throw you out of a book."

I noticed that, too.
I found this, and it made sense.

http://gwtwscrapbook.blogspot.com/201...

Casey wrote: "I do believe Scarlett just won me over (last part of chapter 10).
Totally didn't see that (me getting in her corner) coming.
Go Scarlett!"
I don't know if my opinions of a main character in a book have ever swung so widely as they do with Scarlett. She's cunning and resourceful but yet can be so rotten sometimes. And this becomes even more pronounced in Part III. More on that later.

Shatterlings wrote: "I liked part 2 better, there’s more history and it’s just more interesting. I am still not that keen on Scarlett but Rhett is great, he’s such a bad boy and who doesn’t love that ?" I rather like the history, too, and the Southern perspective of the war and such. History books are written by the victors and I remember learning about the Civil War from the North's point of view growing up in 'Sconny.

Where’s Sconny? I am in England so we were taught none of this but I have read Lincoln biographies so familiar with the history.

Jeff wrote: "And this becomes even more pronounced in Part III. More on that later."

Show-off! Ha :)

Shatterlings wrote: "Where’s Sconny? I am in England so we were taught none of this but I have read Lincoln biographies so familiar with the history." It's the state of Wisconsin. I haven't read Lincoln's biographies but I really enjoyed Personal Memoirs by Ulysses S Grant. He gives a behind the scenes look at the Civil War and recounts conversations he had with Lincoln. He wrote it while he was dying from throat cancer to make money for his wife and family. It was edited by Mark Twain.

Casey wrote: "Jeff wrote: "And this becomes even more pronounced in Part III. More on that later."

Show-off! Ha :)" I can't stop listening! I need to find somewhere neat to drive to that is 16 hours away so I can finish it with no distractions.

I enjoyed part 2 more than part 1, for reasons.
But I suspect mostly because I was familiar with the characters, and I was comfortable with how I was reading the story. In part 1, I struggled to accept Scarlett, and by the conclusion of part 2, I was actively rooting for her in all things, but especially when she's petulant and vexing.

Now, I'm happy watching how love is represented, how Scarlett may change or not over time, how society in the South is portrayed regarding gender roles and slavery, and I keep thinking about the title of this work and how it may be applied. Essentially, I'm in the mode wherein I feel like I'm looking at an accident scene, and can't look away.

Not sure what this says about me...

I had taken a few days between part 1 and part 2 and because of how rushed the ending of 1 was, was completely perplexed by the baby in the carriage. (I felt dumb once I realized whose baby it was.) But where IS that baby in this section? It's interesting to me that Scarlett agonizes over missing her own mother while she is not being much of one herself. And even though everyone is all up in her business about propriety in every single realm (heaven forbid she WAVE FROM HER WINDOW) nobody says anything... I am just going to assume this is a class thing where fine ladies do not raise their babies?

In the research section of this discussion folder I posted some information about the Cherokee because it a mention of them is just tossed off and that really bothered me. I mean we want to talk about the racism! And people seem to mean slavery when they say that. But the native populations really suffered to allow the south to prosper and grow as described.

Interesting little note since Peachtree keeps getting brought up, and they're referring to the street, which is still a prominent vein in Atlanta proper. But in the realm of southern affluence - I had two students in my storytelling class last may who were from Peachtree City, an outer suburb of Atlanta, where the city was designed to include golf cart lanes. Most students at the high school these students attended got there by personal golf cart....

I'm not quite through this section yet but made another note about cornbread. I always just associated cornbread with soul food but learned something - if you can't get flour, then cornbread becomes your default! New light for sure.

(And at this point I want to recommend so many good books including:
The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South by Michael Twitty
The Potlikker Papers: A Food History of the Modern South by John T. Edge
The Taste of Country Cooking by Edna Lewis, who was the main cook at Middleton Place, one of the prominent plantations in Charleston)

Thanks for the great update Jenny. Reading Part two now. (I know i'm behind)

I suspect the issue of slavery and patriarchy and even the Cherokee will never be addressed in this book, and I can't decide if it's just because it's a "story" or if it's because of how 1930s viewed these issues, or if it's because these weren't important in the 1860s thus making the book more authentic to its time... I have several thoughts, though these thoughts drift into theory/criticisms (interesting to me, and probably not so interesting for most).

On a not so serious note: I'm super hungry for cornbread. I follow a very old (100-150yo) recipe. It's the best. EVER!

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "I had taken a few days between part 1 and part 2 and because of how rushed the ending of 1 was, was completely perplexed by the baby in the carriage. (I felt dumb once I realized whose baby it was...."

I recently read Lost Laysen by Mitchell. Editor Debra Freer begins her intro by pointing out that young Margaret and two of her soon to be closest friends all moved to Peachtree Street during the 1912-13 school year. Mitchell was 12 or 13 and their address was 1149 Peachtree Street (on online sources lists it as 1401 Peachtree Street). I can imagine how fascinating it would be at that age to live on a street that saw action during the Civil War. When I lived in the South in the 80s and again in the 90s, I heard passionate stories being told about the Civil War by folks who were (obviously) generations removed, so I can only imagine how intense the stories were that she might have heard. I did a quick seach and saw there are photographs of Peachtree Street during the Civil War. And not relevant, but one of my cousins married someone from Peachtree City.

Casey wrote: "On a not so serious note: I'm super hungry for cornbread. I follow a very old (100-150yo) recipe. It's the best. EVER!"
Which you will share with us?

Chris wrote: "I recently read Lost Laysen by Mitchell. Editor Debra Freer begins her intro by pointing out that young Margaret and two of her soon to be closest friends all moved to Peachtree Street during the 1912-13 school year. Mitchell was 12 or 13 and their address was 1149 Peachtree Street (on online sources lists it as 1401 Peachtree Street). I can imagine how fascinating it would be at that age to live on a street that saw action during the Civil War. When I lived in the South in the 80s and again in the 90s, I heard passionate stories being told about the Civil War by folks who were (obviously) generations removed, so I can only imagine how intense the stories were that she might have heard. I did a quick seach and saw there are photographs of Peachtree Street during the Civil War. And not relevant, but one of my cousins married someone from Peachtree City. ."

That's definitely something you feel when you live in the south, how recent all of this is. I will have even more to say on this subject in part 3!

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "Which you will share with us?"

Certainly!

I love the discussion between Rhett and Scarlett - "When you've been talked about as much as I have, you'll realize how little it matters."
Scarlett -"How dreadful". Because all she ever thinks about is how others see her and what she does.
Rhett- "Until you've lost your reputation, you never realize what a burden it was or what freedom really is."

I, too couldn't stop thinking that she never has any interaction or feelings for her son. She makes a comment on how she just doesn't have any feeling for her marriage, for her deceased husband or her son.
As the war comes closer she begins to change a bit.

Deb wrote: "I love the discussion between Rhett and Scarlett - "When you've been talked about as much as I have, you'll realize how little it matters."
Scarlett -"How dreadful". Because all she ever thinks abo..."

I actually agree with him quite a bit!

I love the way Scarlett’s character seems to be maturing and with it I am growing to love her more. It’s a wonderfully honest portrayal of a young woman, good and bad sides of her nature. The writing is superb and, as an Englishwoman who has never read much about American history, its absolutely fascinating.

Fiona wrote: "I love the way Scarlett’s character seems to be maturing and with it I am growing to love her more. It’s a wonderfully honest portrayal of a young woman, good and bad sides of her nature. The writi..."

I realized at the end that this was more of a character study than historical romance, which is what I expected. And Fiona, I live in th southern United States and still learned some things.

It really wasn’t much of a romance, Scarlett doesn’t really love anyone.

As promised.


200-year-old Cast-iron Skillet Cornbread

Ingredients:
1C cornmeal
1C buttermilk
½ t salt
½ t baking soda
1 egg
3 T bacon drippings

Directions:
Put cold bacon drippings into a cast-iron pan (I use 9 inch, different pan size will affect bake time), and put pan into oven. Set oven to 400. Mix other ingredients together in a bowl. (I use a wire whip). Take pan out of oven when bacon drippings have melted. Add the mixed ingredients into skillet and put back into oven when up to the 400 temp. Bake for 20-25 minutes. If using a different sized cast-iron pan, use the tooth pick test to gauge when done.

Casey wrote: "As promised.


200-year-old Cast-iron Skillet Cornbread

Ingredients:
1C cornmeal
1C buttermilk
½ t salt
½ t baking soda
1 egg
3 T bacon drippings

Directions:
Put cold bacon drippings into a cast-..."

Thank you! Do you think I could use butter instead of bacon drippings?

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "Thank you! Do you think I could use butter instead of bacon drippings?"

I was just asked this the other day :)
I don't know, but I don't see why not. I'm thinking any sort of shortening would work, but I haven't tried alternatives to bacon drippings.... but I will now... I'm kind of curious.