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Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell


AbielleRose

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Now that's a proper GWTW collection, pontalba! Your reproduction edition looks lovely, very characterful. I have an old 1960s hardback which belonged to my mother, too.

Thanks! I started reading it, oh, I guess around when I was 10 or so...that's 50 years ago, so I needed extra copies. :giggle2:

 

This is pretty as is this except it's only the 1st volume.

 

And just for the sake of ita signed first edition. (The first one I found with pictures, the most expensive on there is going for £56390)

That first edition is gorgeous! I thought the new hardback I have was a reproduction of the original dust jacket, but this is the first time I've actually seen the original. Thanks for sharing.

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Ooshie, that's a beautiful edition!! I hadn't seen it before. Phooey, can't buy it, but it's nice to know it exists.

 

HERE is a copy of the hardback I own. It's a reproduction (I believe) of the original first edition. I couldn't find it on the UK Amazon, so posted the US link.

 

I also have an old hardback that my mother bought back in the 60's, and a mass market paperback, plus a trade paperback edition. :giggle:

 

 

pontalba, would you mind telling me if the print is small on the copy you own. I've been thinking about purchasing the copy you have from amazon, but I'd rather not waste my money if the print is tiny. Thanks! =)

 

 

Edited by bookworm44
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pontalba, would you mind telling me if the print is small on the copy you own. I've been thinking about purchasing the copy you have from amazon, but I'd rather not waste my money if the print is tiny. Thanks! =)

 

 

 

bookworm, it is small. but not painfully so IMO. I compared it to two trade paperbacks, and a couple of other hardbacks I have, and it is a teeny bit smaller.

Funny, I hardly realize just how varied the print sizes are! But even though this GWTW print is small, it is very clear. Some books will tell the reader what type it is using, but this one doesn't.

I hope this helps.

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Thanks! I started reading it, oh, I guess around when I was 10 or so...that's 50 years ago, so I needed extra copies. :giggle2:

 

By my reckoning, you deserve two more copies then - to make your collection up to one edition for every decade :giggle: (That would be my excuse, anyway!)

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By my reckoning, you deserve two more copies then - to make your collection up to one edition for every decade :giggle: (That would be my excuse, anyway!)

 

I like your logic!! Must work on that one. :cool:

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  • 11 months later...

I know this is an old thread, but it is in my top 3, along with Anna K and Tess, so I wanted to contribute.

I first read GWTW when I was 17 - I'm 68 - and re read it when I was 25, and 48! Time to do it again, I think, on Kindle this time.

I saw the film when I was 18, and didn't think much of it, compared to the book, but I have since seen the film about 4 times and love it!

It is a truly magical book. If anyone reading this hasn't read it - please do!

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I read this when I was 15 - years and years ago.

I must confess I skipped through the entire chuck about the war - oops.

Loved the book - not withstanding the "selective" reading I did

Guess I should re-visit it, and read the whole book this time!

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  • 1 month later...

Agreed, Bree - well worth another read, the second time is even better (Yes - I skipped quite a bit of the "war" details myself!)

 

"Gone" is a magnificent novel. I read it a few years ago for the first time - and it amazed me that in all my years of loving historical novels, I hadn't before! I think the size kept putting me off - it was a case of "after this I'll get to it" and never did.

 

It totally absorbed me when I did eventualy get there, and I'm now on my second journey with Scarlett from spoiled Miss to mature woman - and her character-building experiences along the way.

Such a lot happened to her in such a short spell of years, honing and hardening her, but bringing out her admirable qualities, too. That's what I like best about her - I don't like her, but I can admire her backbone, her loyality when it is given, her care for those less able than herself, and her survival instincts. I'm just at the point now where she's about to dress-up in an old pair of curtains to convince Rhett that all is not grim in her life, while she tries to fleece him of desperately needed tax money on Tara. What a good idea for us in our nowadays of penny-pinching! Have a look at your old curtains, girls - there's maybe a dress or two there - ?!

 

I've also just got the sequel novel "Scarlett"(Alexandra Ripley) for my TBR pile. I'll get to it promptly on finishing "Gone" again ... and keep the mood going.

 

Definitely a novel to keep, to enjoy again and again.

 

Anyone else reading it now or lately?

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I read it last year, after putting it off for years because of the length of it. However, once I started it, it was a quick read - the story was so absorbing, and the characters were terrific. I know that it's a book I'll read again and again. The movie is great (Clark Gable always makes me swoon) too; I think they captured the spirit of the book perfectly, and it was so well cast. The makers of the film had real trouble casting Scarlett, and screen tested over 500 actresses for the part; some of the most famous and popular actresses of teh day were desperate for the part, but eventually they went for a British virtual unknown - and wasn't Vivien Leigh just perfect?

 

I found the sequel 'Scarlett' in a charity shop and snapped it up for 10p. 10 PENCE!!!! The Margaret Mitchell estate commissioned Alexandra Ripley to write the book, and I know people say it isn't as good as the original - but how could it be?!

 

There is some interesting trivia attached to the film - Hattie McDaniel, who was the first African American to win an Oscar - was not even allowed to attend the premiere because of the segregation laws of the time. Clark Gable was absolutely enraged by this, and said that he would therefore not attend either. He did attend in the end, but only because Hattie McDaniel persuaded him to.

 

Gable also threatened to walk off the set because they had separate toilets for the black and white actors. He said that if the signs weren't taken down, and everyone could use the same bathroom, he would leave. Needless to say, he got his wish. I always admired him for that.

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I found the sequel 'Scarlett' in a charity shop and snapped it up for 10p. 10 PENCE!!!! The Margaret Mitchell estate commissioned Alexandra Ripley to write the book, and I know people say it isn't as good as the original - but how could it be?!

 

Wow, that's a steal, I'm really happy for you! :smile2: I agree, it can't be the same but why should one expect it to be. I hope you enjoy it!

 

There is some interesting trivia attached to the film - Hattie McDaniel, who was the first African American to win an Oscar - was not even allowed to attend the premiere because of the segregation laws of the time. Clark Gable was absolutely enraged by this, and said that he would therefore not attend either. He did attend in the end, but only because Hattie McDaniel persuaded him to.

 

Gable also threatened to walk off the set because they had separate toilets for the black and white actors. He said that if the signs weren't taken down, and everyone could use the same bathroom, he would leave. Needless to say, he got his wish. I always admired him for that.

 

That's really interesting. Gable ruled, apparently :)

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.........- and wasn't Vivien Leigh just perfect?

 

I found the sequel 'Scarlett' in a charity shop and snapped it up for 10p. 10 PENCE!!!! The Margaret Mitchell estate commissioned Alexandra Ripley to write the book, and I know people say it isn't as good as the original - but how could it be?!

 

There is some interesting trivia attached to the film - Hattie McDaniel, who was the first African American to win an Oscar - was not even allowed to attend the premiere because of the segregation laws of the time. Clark Gable was absolutely enraged by this, and said that he would therefore not attend either. He did attend in the end, but only because Hattie McDaniel persuaded him to.

 

Gable also threatened to walk off the set because they had separate toilets for the black and white actors. He said that if the signs weren't taken down, and everyone could use the same bathroom, he would leave. Needless to say, he got his wish. I always admired him for that.

 

Leigh was perfect, and I say that as a Southerner. :D

 

I am one that didn't care for the sequel. 'Nuff said.

 

Gable was fantastic, I had not ever heard those stories about him, and it only enhances my respect and admiration for the man. What a gentleman! Thanks for mentioning them.

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I'm about two-thirds through this and loving it. I find Scarlett both admirable and appalling in her actions. Either way, she is always entertaining. I don't know much about women's rights in the 1930s when Mitchell wrote the book, but I find it quite interesting that she has written Scarlett as such a strong character (ie. buying the mill and going into business on her own with it) when these things were probably unheard of and couldn't really been forseen.

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Hiya "Gone" fans - I didn't know that about Clark Gable, Ruth, but I do salute him for sticking to his principals, and pushing for equality for all. It's quite shameful to think that by that day and age Ms McDaniel couldn't even collect her own Award publicly. Our human race is very backward in many important things ... Likewise, women's rights - don't worry though, I'm not going to do a rant on the topic. Actually there hadn't been a lot of forward movement in that area by the 1930's even though women at least had the right to vote by then. It's one thing to make something legal, and another for it to be accepted and fairly practised ... even nowadays it's still very much up to the individual women to be twice as pushy as a man to enable her to make her own way in most areas of life. Which is one of the things I like about Scarlett. When she was put in the position of keeping herself and her dependants alive when they had no man to rely on, she dug deep and accessed her hardy Irish "survivor" ancestry to get them all through. It wasn't the time to be ladylike, she had to fight, and did so successfully. The downside is that it made her bullheaded, and determined never to be in want again - and that gave her a hard edge, to the point of other people thinking her shameless and freezing her out. Altogether, she's a wonderfully complex character, and her story is a a page-turner from beginning to end. I'll always have a copy of "Gone" to sink into when I need to get away from it all ... for about a fortnight!

Edited by Booknutt
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  • 3 weeks later...

I started reading this last year but had to put it down because of my class load. As I am NOT taking summer class this year I have a few heavies I plan to read. I've already read Scarlett but I haven't finished Gone with the Wind. I'm a southerner via Virginia and now living in South Carolina. This will be great reading because I'll be taking The Old South for my history class next semester. I'm excited. Can't wait to pick up where I left off. I'd do it now but I need to finish with Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neal Hurst.

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I finished Gone With The Wind a couple of days ago, and just loved it. It's interesting to see the different opinions of Scarlett. She is a very flawed person, but there's something about her that is so admirable and likeable, and she certainly made for compelling reading. :smile:

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^^^I agree that she was such an interesting character - very determined and resourceful. She was flawed - but who isn't? - and I think flawed characters are generally the most interesting to read about. Sometimes I found myself disliking her, other times I couldn't help but admire her.

 

Did you know that the character was originally going to be called Pansy? Pansy O'Hara doesn't have quite the same ring to it! And I'm sure I read somewhere that Melanie was originally going to be the heroine of the story, but as Margaret Mitchell kept writing, she realised that Scarlett was inevitably going to be the main character.

 

In any event, it's a fantastic novel. Often when books are so big, I think that parts of it could have been cut out, but I really can't think of any of GWTW that wasn't necessary to tell the story. Wonderful book, wonderful film :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Pansy?? Good Grief - what a disaster that would have been! :D

 

The name "Scarlett" itself describes our heroine perfectly - passionate, dominant, un-ignorable ... perfect for her nature.

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I read the book first, which usually means that the film is a let-down. Not in this case though; they did a super job of adapting it. (Of course, it doesn't hurt that I adore Clark Gable :) )

 

Funnily enough, my mom and I were talking about classic films and who would star in a modern day remake - although I absolutely agree with you, that this is one of those films that should remain untouched! I'm struggling to think of who could star in this. Although there was a television series made, a sequel of sorts, called Scarlett, and which I presume was based on Alexander Ripley's sequel to the book. It starred Joanne Whalley as Scarlett (yes, really!) and Timothy Dalton as Rhett. Dalton is a fine actor, but he is NO Rhett Butler!!

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Do try to get to "Gone" Avid Reader - it's always good to read the book of a film. Good as the film version is, it leaves out quite a bit of detail, and brings with it a closer connection to the transformation of Scarlett from dependent decoration, to independent and mature survivor.

 

Isn't it a pity that Sean Connery isn't a few decades younger? He'd have made a great Rhett ... that dangerous streak he brought to James Bond would work a treat.

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