This is a review on the well-known novel “Gone with the Wind” by Margaret Mitchell.
P.S. This is the longest book I’ve ever read approximately 850 pages.
First off, I highly recommend the book if you have not read it. Therefore, I’ll not spoil anything here so you can keep reading.
One of the reasons I really enjoyed reading the book is the plot turns and dilemmas. In life you have to make choices and this book challenges you to step into the characters shoes and evaluate the characters actions. The themes of loyalty, friendship, survival, love, loss and recovery dominate the novel. There is also the question of faith which clashes with the notion of breaking or empowering human relationships. The power that money gives to someone is also realistically captured through the hardships of war. The novel brings out your emotions, paints vivid pictures in your head and makes you fall in love with the characters and their flaws. Finally, the ending is satisfying leaving you breathless. Everything comes together in full circle.
Since this is a long book and I’m a slow reader, it took me three months to finish. However, the one benefit I got from reading the book so slow is that the characters became part of my life as days went by and I “lived” the experience with them. In general, the experience you get from reading slow or fast is different. Like all the good things in life, sometimes a good book needs to be read slowly, cherishing every word, every choice and every emotion. So, don’t be intimidated by the number of pages, reading it over a period of several months will not take away from the experience.
I also highly recommend my two favorite books called “And the Mountains Echoed” by Khaled Hosseini and "Beloved" by Toni Morrison.
E.K.