“Gone With the Wind” – Margaret Mitchell

I know this is a daunting book to even consider reading…it is very big and there are a lot of pages…and if you’ve seen the movie, why bother reading the book?  I think that if you enjoyed the movie, you should always read the book.  Sometimes this backfires as most movies can never do justice to the written word (especially if it is a really good book) but in this case it works.  The movie is wonderful and full of memorable characters and scenes which the book fleshes out for you.

The best reason to read the book, though, is Scarlett.  Vivien Leigh’s portrayal of Scarlett is flawless – she embodies Scarlett’s fiery temper, flamboyant personality and heart-breaking vulnerability.  In the novel, we become even more aware of Scarlett’s flaws but we also see what drives her – her love of family, her love of Tara and her love of life.  Scarlett can be called an opportunist at best, but she truly is forced to take the road she travels – forced by circumstance, forced by family, forced to survive.  But, in the end, you either hate her or you feel profoundly sorry for her.  I took the latter view.  Scarlett is a product of her changing social circumstance and is forced to make the decisions she makes through necessity and need.  It is commonly held that Scarlett is a pioneer, living at a point in history where women’s roles start to change as a result of the Civil War.  Scarlett embodies one of the first examples of “Women’s Lib” as she is forced to take the man’s role in the O’Hara household and provide for her sisters, her former slaves and her community.

My only criticism of the book is also probably one of the reasons to read it if you want an authentic picture of the world Scarlett inhabits.  I could not get through the passages when Mammy is speaking. It was laborious to read Mammy’s “lines” when spoken in the vernacular.  So, I just skipped those parts – I figure this sin is far less that the sin of reading the last chapter or page!!

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

To continue the discussion I began last week:

“Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott is my absolutely favorite book. It’s one of those books I could read over and over and over…and still be heartbroken when Beth dies and still get weepy over the ending when Jo finds what she is looking for. But, believe it or not, there are plenty of people (women and girls even) who have never read this classic. Please, do yourself a favor and read it. When you ask other devotees of the novel to explain why it is so appealingly, the answer inevitably is “Jo”. Jo March is what all of us wish we could be…generous, loving, caring and devoted to her family and her ideals. For all the trouble Jo gets into due to her fiery nature and her deep seated emotions, Jo has an unquenchable spirit that we all love and relate to. Now, I have read Alcott’s other novels and have not liked a single one – at all. So, what it is about “Little Women” that makes it timeless, classic and such a great read?

Having already confessed my love for this story, you can’t imagine how I felt when I visited Orchard House several years ago. Orchard House was in the middle of some extensive renovations but when I was standing in Louisa May Alcott’s parlor, kitchen, bedroom and garden I felt a strong connection to the vivacious and deep feeling Jo and I could picture every scene from “Little Women” when I moved from room to room. Especially touching was seeing the desk where Louisa wrote her novel. Being in Orchard House was like being a member of the March family. If you have the opportunity to visit Concord, Massachusetts, be sure to visit this landmark and see if you can feel Louisa and Jo’s spirits within its walls.