Gone with the Wind (Gone with the Wind) (Penguin Joint Venture Readers S.)

by Margaret Mitchell

[Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews]

The book begins with Scarlett O'Hara, the belle of the ball who has every beaux at her fingertips but refuses any man's love except that of Ashley Wilkes who's love is unobtainable as he is to marry his cousin Melanie, as all the Wilkes have done for generations. After hearing this news with Scarlett having a delusion that if Ashley Wilkes knows her true feelings he couldn't marry that mealy mouth Melanie Hamilton. She decides to confess her love to him at an upcoming baroque, but unfortunately her declaration of love is overheard by Rhett Butler who has a horrible reputation and will not be received by most of Charleston, his home town. While at the baroque war breaks out and the Confederacy calls for volunteers Scarlett agrees to marry Melanie's brother Charles believing that this will make Ashley jealous. After her husband's death she leaves Tara and moves to Atlanta to live with Melanie and Pitty Pat Hamilton. Though out her stay in Atlanta she is visited by the scoundrel Rhett Butler, while bringing her gifts and buying her at auction to dance at a fundraiser he still manages to make sarcastic comments about Ashley Wilkes.

After Atlanta falls and she flees for Tara her etiquette and southern upbringing takes a back seat as she realizes that charm and sweet talk will not put food on the table she develops a strong backbone and as God as her wittiness, will never go hungry again.

Finally after a second husband and hundreds of pages of build up Scarlett becomes Mrs. Rhett Butler, this time not marrying for spite or money but for fun. Though out all this time she still believes that her one and only true love is Ashley Wilkes even though they are like oil and vinegar. And whatever his true feelings are he would never be unfaithful to his wife Melanie and Scarlett loathes her with a passion for this, even though Melly loves her unconditionally realizing all to late that Scarlett can not live with out her friendship. As for Rhett he still remembers that fatefull day when he heard her confession and knows her feelings have not changed but hopes that he can remedy this.

After marriage, however, his jealousy and misery grows as he realizes that she isn't going to outwardly love him. After coming to terms with this he transfers all his love and affection to their daughter Bonnie, after her death there is nothing left for Rhett in the marriage as both Husband and Wife are too proud to admit their love for one another and leaves this now broken unity not giving a damn what happens to Scarlett.

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell is just an amazing book and read it every year, and always has me crying by the end of the saga every time.