Gone With The Wind: Reread dates 8/9-8/18

The Book: Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

First Edition: 1936

My Edition: Pocket Books Paperback edition 2008

Pre Reread notes:

OK, so I’ve got a busy week ahead of me. When I’m not working or writing I have this kind of quirky hobby. I produce musicals for this group that Katie and I started. It’s a time consuming and expensive hobby, especially because our production goes up this week. Producing the show is really fun, but it also means that I won’t have a lot of time to read or write, so I knew that if I wanted to do any list books it would have to be one that would take a while. Hence, Gone With The Wind.

I’ve always considered Scarlett’s particular philosophy:

“I can’t think about that now, I’ll think about that tomorrow.”

Very influential to my life. Sometimes you just can’t think about something as it happens.

Unfortunately a lot like Scarlett, I often find myself 100% in denial of my situation. Sure, it’s a little different, because well, Scarlett wasn’t thinking about things like, starvation, or her dead husbands, or the one man she ever loved leaving her forever, where as mine was stuff like, not wanting to move into my dorm so I wouldn’t pack.

Gone With The Wind is another one that I actually don’t remember the book so well. But the movie has had a huge impact on me. Not just because of the poofy dresses thing. But here’s the thing, Scarlett was one of the first characters who I really comprehended who was a bitch, and that was what was good about her. She didn’t take people’s crap, or anything. Not a lot of time to write here, most everything will be in post.

Post Reread Notes

You know how sometimes when you’re twelve you’re an idiot?

When I was twelve, I was an idiot. I’m not saying I don’t love Scarlett anymore. I still totally appreciate that one can be a bitch and still get ahead. No, it’s not that. It’s that I used to hate with a passion that stupid mealy mouthed Melanie Wilkes.

Not so much anymore.

Melly’s a pretty badass character. Sure because she’s sickly and her husband is a douchebag (I’ll get to Ashley later, UGH) you don’t get to see a lot of it, but really, the way she’s always super nice to Scarlett, and the way she stands up for her when everyone says that Scarlett and Ashley are sleeping together, it’s so nice. Also, I think she was just not an idiot and knew that there was no way that Ashley and Scarlett were sleeping together, because well, she slept with Ashley and I bet he’s really bad in bed, and she knew Scarlett would probably not put up with that. Hence why she married Rhett. Or maybe that’s just my interpretation.

And speaking of Rhett…

Oh Rhett Butler. It’s hard to forget your first real literary crushes. While most of my like minded friends were swooning for Mr. Darcy (fools!) I was wishing more than anything for Rhett Butler. Yes, I never cared much for romantic sappery, because I loved Rhett, I wanted (and still want) a sparring partner, someone who I can match wits with, the way Scarlett and Rhett do. I hold by the truly romantic notion that Scarlett goes home to Tara, and she does get Rhett back. These two were destined for each other. Other literary romantic couples don’t give me that feeling. It always sort of bugged me when Lizzie and Darcy got together, he was just so stuffy and she was so freewheeling and independent. It would be like if, well, if Scarlett ended up with Ashley.

Ashley Wilkes might be my most hated character in literature. I can’t stand him. I actually said to my sister when I started rereading:

“God, in the book, Ashley is even more of a dipshit than in the movie.”

And he is. Just a total dipshit. Oh boo hoo, you can’t have sex with your wife because she can’t get pregnant and might die. You want to know what you shouldn’t do in that situation? Uh, string your childhood sweetheart (her best friend) along with “But I really love you, aw gee, if we weren’t married we could totally get it on!” Dipshit. Melly deserved way better.

I’ve realized lately how lucky I am, that I’ve found my Tara, finally. What is my Tara exactly? Well, any person’s Tara is their touchstone, the one thing that can clear their mind and heart and make them feel like nothing can touch them. My Tara? Is Tom Foolery Theatre. That’s the group that Katie and I started. It’s my touchstone, and I’m kind of Scarlett like when I’m there. I yell, I throw fits, but god help any person who tries to take it away from me.

So I started school this week. I’ll be busy, but I’m going to keep reading (at least 1 a month, right? That’s the rule!)