Gone with the Wind

'Gone with the Wind' - this is one of the best books I have ever read.

I didn't understand what the title really means or how is it related to the book, even after reading the book. I only found it while researching to write this post, on Wikipedia. Yet, I loved the book. It took me longer to complete than any other book did. One reason why it took me longer is that the book itself is very big, over 1000 pages of relatively small print. But the other reason is that the book is so good that I enjoyed reading every word and I feared reaching it's end too soon. I had put the book away often, while reading, to recollect the vivid descriptions and ponder over them again.

The book is set in the backdrop of American Civil War (1861-1865 A.D.) between the anti slavery Americans of Northern states (referred to as Yankees) and the cotton kings from Southern states (referred to as Confederates). The descriptions of the war and its consequences are at times too vivid to bear and to continue with reading.

The best part of the book are these characters- Scarlett O'Hara, Rhett Butler and Melanie Wilkes. They are some of the most interesting characters I've ever read about.

Scarlett - she is my favourite. She amazed me with her attitude. I wish I could put away all my worries from my mind, today, so that they can be worried over tomorrow, like she does.Though unscrupulous, insolent, proud, rude, ambitious and selfish, it isn't just Rhett Butler who fell in love with her. I couldn't help it either. I love the way she overcomes every obstacle step by step, patiently, without ever losing hope. I love her Fortitude.

Rhett Butler - cool, suave, dashing, daring, charming but not so affable. Well, those adjectives do some justice to his character. Yet, I felt his character was too complex. I liked his cool head, logic and more than anything, his candidness. I wish I were as charming as he is.

Melanie Wilkes - how I wish to have a friend like her. Or rather I wish I were her. She simply is everything I love and is everything i hope to be some day. Her strength, braveness, understanding, patience, understanding nature and everything , I just love those characters. She reminded me of the character of Atticus Finch of To Kill a Mocking Bird. Though at the beginning I didn't think much of her, as the book came to the end, I couldn't help admiring her remarkable strength. She made me cry, literally.

Apart from the three characters, there are other characters I liked very much like Ellen O'Hara, Will Benteen, Dr Meade, Mammy, Gerald O'Hara, Mrs Merriweather and Belle Watling. I couldn't help thinking of so many people I've seen in my real life, reading about these characters. At one point of time, I even forgot that all these characters are fictitious. Indeed, at one point, Mammy says to Scarlett that Scarlett and Rhett are both mules in the hides of horses and it is only at the end Scarlett realises that the remark is very true. But by the time she realises it, she loses too much that she could never hope to make up for. This particular remark actually brought back to my mind, my own past- all my arrogance, over confidence and careless nature. (Well, this doesn't mean that I'm a horse now, it just means that I stopped pretending to be one.)

And its just not the characters, I loved the style of narration also. Initially i.e., in the beginning of the book, I thought the book was unfair in its attitude towards the Yankees and seemed to glorify the South's Cause. But the frank remarks of the book's characters on issues like slavery expose the narrow mindedness of the southerners. The book is, in that way, balanced in that regard.

More over, though the book is historical in nature, the characters, their reaction to the situations are just as relevant today.

Though this book took me strenuous effort in reading it, in understanding the Blacks' language and referring to dictionary often to check out the meaning of numerous words I came across, in the end I'm happy that I read a very good book.

I'm now hoping to see the movie as soon as possible.

Tell me what you thought of this book or any other great books you read.