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Year of the Classics: Keertana from Ivy Book Bindings Talks About her Love of Gone with the Wind

11/4/2012

28 Comments

 
Ivy Book Bindings logo

Today, we're happy to welcome our friend Keertana, who blogs at Ivy Book Bindings to The Readventurer to talk about her favorite book, Margaret Mitchell's classic, Gone with the Wind.  She intended to write about unlikable heroines but, as is often the way with blog posts and any writing, her journey led her to quite another destination.  


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If someone ever asked me to write a book about making friends, I’d have exactly one piece of advice for them – ask them what their favorite book is. It’s one of the first things I ask people, mostly because I’m curious to see how long it takes them to respond and partly because I’m also interested in the answer. For me, answering the question “What’s your favorite book?” is one of the hardest questions in the world. It’s not that my favorite book changes depending on my mood or time or even what I’m reading at that moment, it’s simply that so many books have affected me and shaped me and made me into the person that I am that really, I can’t just pick one book. Needless to say, it takes everyone awhile to figure out what their favorite book is, but when I first heard the title Gone With the Wind, that wasn’t the case.

Gone With the Wind entered my life in a very…curious manner. It’s safe to say that most Americans have heard of Gone With the Wind at some point in their life before high school, but being an immigrant, I was rather ignorant of the fact that this novel was, in fact, a Great American Classic. Thus, when I heard the name in my Freshman Biology Honors class, it didn’t strike a bell. What struck me about Gone With the Wind the first time I heard it was that the girl who mentioned it, a college student who had come to visit my teacher on Fall Break, was studying English Literature and when my teacher asked her what her favorite book was, she replied, with the utmost conviction, sincerity, and ardor, without even a second of hesitation, as if she couldn’t say it fast enough, “Gone With the Wind.” 

I started Gone With the Wind that very same night. I found a battered copy of it that my father had brought with him from India in the depths of an old box in my attic and that copy – the same copy my father, his younger sister, and two younger brothers all read – is now mine. It took me two weeks to read the novel. Now, Gone With the Wind is a big book, but being a voracious reader, I was still shocked by how long it took me to finish the novel. It wasn’t the pacing or any literary qualms that rendered me unable to zip through it like I do most novels, I simply didn’t want to. I savored the rich descriptions of America during the Civil War Period; I re-read every romantic declaration made by Rhett; I chuckled to myself every time Scarlett made a sassy remark; I pulled my hair out with every mention of Ashley Wilkes and finally, at the end of that two weeks, I re-read that last chapter three times, unable to believe I had read it correctly the first, or even the second, time, and cried myself to sleep.

Gone With the Wind is, now that I think about it, the only book to stay with me for such a long period of time. Its ending continued to haunt for me the next month until finally, after reading every single Gone With the Wind fanfiction (all disappointing by the way), fan site, forum, and watching the movie almost at once (brilliant, in case you were wondering), I came to the realization that the ending was perfect. Of course, by then I’d already ordered a copy of Alexandra Ripley’s Scarlett from my local library, but I will cease to go into the details of that astonishingly disappointing, unrealistic, and dramatic ending of Gone With the Wind.  Instead, it is important to know that more than anything else Gone With the Wind may have done, it changed me.

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I’ll be the first to admit that as a novel, Gone With the Wind has its faults. Its views of slavery, plantation owners, and southern lifestyle aren’t accurate in the least and even, in some parts, Rhett and Scarlett’s relationship is far from the romance it’s known to be. All this was carried over to the movie as well and it pains me to say that the movie is far more renowned than the book itself. While Gone With the Wind is, by no means, a bad book-to-movie-adaptation (it’s one of the best I’ve seen actually), it gives one the impression that Gone With the Wind is a romance. Well, I’ll tell you right now: Gone With the Wind isn’t a romance. While it features one of the most heart-breaking and beautiful love stories of the age, the novel, in its entirety, is not a romance. If anything, Gone With the Wind is, like Margaret Mitchell herself said, a novel about survival.

In many ways, I think the best way to describe Gone With the Wind would be to say that it’s a biography of the life of Scarlett O’Hara. Scarlett is the heart, body, and soul of Gone With the Wind and is it because of her that the novel has made its way into my heart. In my eyes, Scarlett O’Hara is what every fictional character ought to be. I’m not denying that Scarlett is a manipulative, conniving, jealous, backstabbing woman – because she is – but I love her despite that.

Truth be told, if I were ever to meet Scarlett O’Hara in real life, I’d probably hate her. Yet, immortalized within the pages of a book, Scarlett is a heroine who grabs you and simply won’t let go. I admire her. Although she is chock-full of flaws – more than most people I’d say – I look up to her and celebrate her for her strength.

I suppose that now is as good time as any to admit that Gone With the Wind is the book I think about when I am at the lowest points in my life. When I feel as if the burden of life is crushing me down, when I feel the pain of my family members at its most acute, or when I am simply disgusted with myself, I think back to Scarlett O’Hara, for truly, she is synonymous with Gone With the Wind itself. 

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Although the 1860s Civil War society in which she lived in demanded her to live her life a certain way, she lived life the way she wanted to; she broke all the rules. While the men at parties would view Scarlett as nothing but a trophy to take to their beds, Scarlett outsmarted them and played with their emotions. When, Tara, her beloved plantation, fell to ruin, she accepted the fact that she may have to prostitute herself to Rhett Butler in order to save her father’s land. When the worst parts of her nature destroyed her chance to be with her one true love, Scarlett resolved to snare him back, one way or the other.

 Scarlett, for all her flaws, embodies us, humans, in our most real, visceral, and worst forms – but how many of us can claim not to be just like Scarlett on some days? Who can’t relate to her? Truly, how many of us have stood in Scarlett’s shoes, watching someone walk away from us and wondering what we could have done differently to make them stay? Who hasn’t lost love or friendship for the sake of pride? Who wouldn’t do anything in their capacity to keep their family safe, even if it meant debasing their own selves? Which one of us can claim to really not have any regrets at all?

Gone With the Wind is one of those novels for which there is no “right time” to read. At every cornerstone and step of your life, Gone With the Wind is prevalent. Scarlett’s journey is one of endurance as she braves her multiple loveless marriages, the stigma against working women, the heartache of not being able to be with the man she loves, and the stupidity of not realizing what she already has before her. Her journey is one that is difficult to read at times; it is one of desperation and degradation, but it is also one of fierce determination and strength.

At the end of the novel, when Scarlett falls upon the stairs, tears streaming down her face as she watches Rhett walk out of her life because of her own stupidity and continued mistakes – Rhett, the one man who saw her for all her flaws and still saw someone to love beneath that all – we know that she’s going to get right back up the next day, redouble her efforts to win back Rhett, and succeed. That, I feel, is why I love Scarlett, and in turn Gone With the Wind, as much as I do. For a novel about survival, Scarlett is the ultimate survivor; she thrashes against fate to stay alive and never lets anything – any hassle, any obstacle, or any hurdle – get in her way. 

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As a teenager, first reading Gone With the Wind, it blew me away. Its length, its description…Rhett. I’ve avoided talking about him as much as I can since I’ll very plausibly just swoon and leave this unfinished since I faint over his Southern charm, brutal honesty, and downright roguishness time and time again. Rhett and Scarlett aren’t perfect people, and neither are they much of a perfect couple with their strained marriage and not-so-exemplary parenting skills, but they’re perfect for each other in a way that no two other people ever will be. Yet, what makes their love story so perfect in my eyes is all the imperfections within it; all the blunders, the boulders, the mountains standing in their way – and still standing there by the end of the novel. For me, at least, one of the more lasting impacts that Gone With the Wind had, beyond Scarlett’s impressionable character, was the utter realities the novel exposed about life and how, despite all those harsh truths, it was still a beauty to behold. 

I originally set out to write this about unlikeable heroines in literature – because I always wind up loving them – but instead this seems to have turned into a long rant about my love for Gone With the Wind. Whether you like Gone With the Wind or not, whether you’ve read the novel or haven’t even heard of it before, you have to admit that it’s an unforgettable tale. If nothing else, Gone With the Wind will stick with you and it will make some kind of impression on you, good or bad. And isn’t that the best we can ask from literature? For it to change us in the best possible way and teach us to look upon life in a different light? Either way, Gone With the Wind fulfills its duty, as a novel, as a movie, and as a piece that will linger in your thoughts hauntingly for days, months, and years to come.  


If you're interested in hearing more of what Keertana has to say about books (as you should be), don't forget to visit her blog at Ivy Book Bindings. You can also find her at Goodreads and on Twitter. Thanks again for visiting, Keertana!
Have you read Gone with the Wind or seen the movie? What did you think? Have you had a similar experience with another book/character? Let us know in the comments!
28 Comments
Kara link
11/4/2012 02:15:33 am

This is such a beautiful post, Keertana. I haven't read Gone With the Wind yet (though it is on my classics list), but I can truly feel the emotion you put into this post and the love you feel for this book. I also love that you were able to criticize it. We should always be able to see through our adoration to see a favorite book's flaws. Any true literature lover should be able to do this.

I read every word of this post. For the record, I HAVE seen the movie and I thought it was fabulous. But I somehow think the book will be even better. The length is an issue for me, but someday I will get to it. I've thought about doing a classics challenge for 2013, so maybe then.

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Keertana link
11/4/2012 04:29:38 am

Thanks Kara! GWTW is one of my favorites, so I'm so glad my love for it came through - I wasn't sure it would! If you liked the movie, you're bound to love the book seven-fold, so I'm already looking forward to seeing what you think of it. I hope you can read it next year! :)

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Rachel @ Unforgettable Books link
11/4/2012 02:27:18 am

Wow Keertana! You went all out! Your passion Gone With The Wind and all it has to offer is beating through this extraordinary review. I truly love books about survival too and really need to try this story out now. :) I like how this came from thinking about unlikeable characters. I really find flaw characters (anti-heroes are my favorite character type after all) fascinating as well. Scarlett, wow, she sounds, from your words, absolutely genuine and special.
It was awesome learning about your favorite book and the story of how you started it. I heard of it before, but never felt the need, till now, to read it.
One of the recent unlikable characters, or really flawed captivating characters, that I like is Ismae from Grave Mercy. I loathed her in the beginning of the book, but grew to adore her strength.
Again, amazing guest post, story and review Keertana!

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Keertana link
11/4/2012 04:31:42 am

Ismae was such an intriguing character! I actually loved her in the beginning of the novel since I found her so easy to sympathize with and admired her strength, but as the novel progressed, I think the romantic story line took over and lost my interest. Still, I love it when authors can make you change your mind so drastically about a character since it really is such an exemplary show of their talent.

I'm also thrilled that you now want to read GWTW! Yay! I can't wait till you pick it up, Rachel, and I'll be stalking your updates of it for sure! ;)

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Catie (The Readventurer) link
11/4/2012 03:00:15 am

Keertana! I loved this post today! You write so beautifully and articulately and it's really evident how much this book has stuck with you. I love the story about digging out your dad's old copy too - there's something about old books with history that's just so special. I have to admit that I STILL haven't read this book. Can you believe that? Back when I was a teenager though, this was the movie that I'd list as my favorite without any hesitation. I really need to make time for the book in my life.

I really admire Scarlet too (at least...Scarlet of the movie). She does what she has to do and she doesn't shirk away from any unpleasantness that might stand in her way.

Thanks so much for joining us today!

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Keertana link
11/4/2012 04:34:37 am

Thank YOU, Catie, for inviting me over today! I'm so glad you enjoyed my post and I can't recommend the book enough. I hope you get the chance to pick up the book soon since, from what you said, I think you'll love it - and admire Scarlett - much more when you do.

There's actually a HUGE story about how my dad happened to get GWTW since it's marketed as a romance novel and it's rare for men to have a copy, especially my dad since he's one of those mathematical geeks. I was planning to go into the whole tale, but this post was long enough already, but the copy definitely has a lot of interesting memories for my dad and I love that it's such an old novel. It definitely makes it that much more special. :)

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Livvy @Nerdy Book Reviews link
11/4/2012 03:04:37 am

Wow.

Keertana being a girl I avidly follow and am lucky to name myself a friend to sent me over here and I have to say her thoughts have blown me away.

Admittedly, I've never read Gone With the Wind, never watched the film and the basis I know is it is set in America and is about slavery. I think it is high time that I picked up this novel to read.

And I'll be adding you guys to my follow list, since your blog looks highly engaging.

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Keertana link
11/4/2012 04:36:11 am

Livvy, I'm so glad you've been convinced to read this book now. Yay! I know you don't enjoy classics, but I sincerely hope you love this one. I think, compared to Jane Austen at least, the language is much easier to read and novel flows much quicker too, so I'm hoping you like it! *fingers crossed* :)

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Heidi link
11/4/2012 05:30:15 am

I am so glad I stopped by and read this. I am always blathering on my blog about GWTH and I think some people think I am crazy but it is one of those books that I have read countless times and never tire of. I adore Scarlet because she gos againt everything a well bred Southern Girl is taught and she is fighter. And Rhett is the one that is always the foremost in my heart. I agree at the tender age of twelve I voraciously read this in about ten days and couldn't get enough and promptly turned around and read it again. The ending at the time seemed wrong, but I agree, Keertana, after reading all the disastrous attempts to finish GWTH it is best left the way it is, Margaret Mitchell said that there wasn't anything more to say, and I concur. A fighter like Scarlet will get Rhett back no doubt! If you have not read it, do it!

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Keertana link
11/4/2012 07:26:12 am

Heidi, I had no idea you were such an avid GWTW fan too! We're going to have to discuss the book together sometime! :)

I'm glad I wasn't the only person who was torn over the ending. I remember talking to my parents about it and they were so nonchalant while I was tearing up every time I thought about it, but I simply adore it now. I have no doubt that Scarlett and Rhett get their happily every after. I would love to read how it comes about, but I like that it's left to our imaginations.

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Amy @ Turn the Page link
11/4/2012 06:16:18 am

Wow. What a post! I could feel your love and passion for this book as I read it. So I'm resolved to pick it up myself asap! I've never seen the movie either actually so I'm going in *blind* so to speak :)

I wish I could write blog posts like this. I'm going to add your blog to my reader right now as well :)

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Amy @ Turn the Page link
11/4/2012 06:20:53 am

Just realised I'm already friends with you on Goodreads lol but for some reason I'm not following your blog or twitter! Not sure how that happened - but now I am :D

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Keertana link
11/4/2012 07:27:31 am

Amy, I really hope you enjoy GWTW! You'll have to tell me what you think of both the book and the movie when you see it! :D I'm also so glad you enjoyed the post! It's my first guest post, so I was so nervous about writing it, but thankfully it came out alright. I'd love to talk with you more on GR - we barely interact, so we definitely should! :)

Sam @ Realm of Fiction link
11/4/2012 06:52:45 am

I was so very eager to read this post that I stopped by too early! I'm glad it's up now. :)

I'm somewhat a failure of a reader when it comes to classics. I've read only a small handful of them and Gone With the Wind doesn't make the list, unfortunately. I have seen the movie (though really, it should be the other way around!) and enjoyed it enough to want to try the book one day. I definitely need to do that after this post.

You write with such wonderful enthusiasm, Keertana. I might have to steal you for a post on my own blog. Or, you know, you could write ALL of my posts. ;)

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Keertana link
11/4/2012 07:32:32 am

I definitely think the movie is more popular, Sam, so it seems as if most people have seen the movie instead of read the book, but I'm glad you're interested to read the book now! :) I can't wait till you read it and I'll be eagerly waiting to stalk all your status updates! ;)

Aww, thank you, Sam! You're too sweet! I'm so glad my enthusiasm and love for this book came through! It's my first guest post, so I was incredibly nervous, but I'm glad it turned out decently!

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Leanne link
11/4/2012 07:42:05 am

Keertana, words cannot express how in love I am with your post! You write with such eloquence, beauty, thoughtfulness, and insight... And RHETT *faints* Gone With the Wind is one of my favourite books, and like you, it took me no less than EIGHT MONTHS to read, since I so wanted to immerse myself in the beauty of Mitchell's language, descriptions and characterization. You said everything I never could, and I am utterly spellbound by the emotion and sheer passion in your writing…
Also, as shamed as I am to admit it- I never saw the movie. But now I can see this is a mistake in my life I have made which I seriously need to fix. ;)

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Keertana link
11/4/2012 10:14:45 am

Thank you, Leanne! I had no idea GWTW was one of your favorites - we definitely have to sit down and talk about it one day! I can't recommend the movie enough, mostly for Clark Gable since he's dashing, but Vivien Leigh is the PERFECT Scarlett O'Hara. I think you'll be very pleased with her acting, so you have to let me know what you think of the film once you see it! :D

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Heidi link
11/4/2012 07:57:55 am

I LOVE that you can rant about a book you adored, Keertana. That alone speaks volumes. I love that you didn't have that same ability to cast off Gone With the Wind that so many of us have, having grown up with it and making certain assumptions. I'll admit it. I haven't read it OR seen the movie. And I've never had any desire to. But I love your ability to passionately discuss it as a novel of survival--as something more than a southern romance with all sorts of politically incorrect undertones. I know you were worried at first about coming up with something to write about here, but I have to say, you did a damn fine job.

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Keertana link
11/4/2012 10:16:37 am

Thanks Heidi! I was so worried about this guest post, but I'm so glad you enjoyed it! :) I hope you decide to pick up GWTW someday, or at least watch the film, since it's not only a classic, but many people's favorites. Honestly though, I could rant about any book if you gave me the chance to. Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings...give me the chance and I could talk your ear off about books! ;)

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Rachel @The Readers Den link
11/4/2012 08:31:41 am

What a lovely post, Keertana. I guess we all have a little Scarlett in us on any given day. I hate how Gone With the Wind ended, I wished Scarlett would've got a clue before he walked out, but I hope like you said she would get up and win him back eventually. :)

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Keertana link
11/4/2012 10:19:07 am

Funnily enough, I love that Scarlett had no idea that Rhett was going to walk off. It made that last chapter all the more traumatic because like Scarlett, we the reader were so sure that Rhett would never leave her. We saw Rhett's love when Scarlett didn't, but we still had such an unwavering sense of faith in him to stay on and fight for Scarlett. I was almost disappointed with Rhett the first time I read it, but it all made so much sense. I really do think though that she'd win him back. Knowing Rhett, I doubt he could resist her persistence for long and knowing Scarlett, she'd badger Rhett until he took her back and they finally got their HEA. At least that's what I like to think. :)

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Henrietta link
11/4/2012 10:17:41 am

Keertana, I really love the way how you share your book passion with us! It's such a joy to read about what got you started to read Gone with the Wind. And it's so true that we all got changed and shaped in some way by the books that we read. Thank you.

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Keertana link
11/4/2012 10:20:37 am

Thanks for stopping by, Henrietta! GWTW has definitely changed me more than most books have, which is why it's so close to my heart. I simply love it and I'm so glad you enjoyed this post!

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Maja
11/4/2012 03:12:09 pm

Oh, Ashley, Ashley! I swear, the name STILL makes me cringe. I'm so happy this is your book, Keertana! It's one of mine too, it shaped me in more ways than I can count. I must have reread it three or four times in high school alone! But I just realized that I've never read it in English and I'll need to fix that as soon as I can. Something always gets lost in translation.

And you have the nerve to accuse other people of radiating passion for books! :) You just wrote an ode to Scarlett that made me want to reread the entire thing for the millionth time.
Amazing post, ladies.

And btw, I always ask people about their favorite book too. I have trouble remembering names, but I never forget that. :)

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Bonnie link
11/4/2012 11:42:40 pm

What a fantastic post! I haven't actually read Gone With the Wind... or watched the movie. I know. Fail. I haven't given up on it NEVER happening though, there's still hope on the horizon. :) This post really makes me want to pick it up though.

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Candace link
11/5/2012 12:58:06 pm

I never really ever had a desire to read GWTW. I'm not sure why that us but you have convinced me to make sure I change that. Pronto. Next time I stop by the used bookstore I will need to pick up a copy cause I don't want to miss out any longer!

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SaraO@TheLibrarianReads link
11/6/2012 06:01:58 am

I loved this post! I feel you when you said you reread the final chapter multiple times. I'll admit I had been watching the movie at least once a year for 10 years or so before I got around to reading the book. I KNEW how it ended. And still...I was shocked, dismayed, and ever hopeful that the next time I read the end there would be more. Mitchell would have added an epilogue in which Scarlet makes Rhett give a damn. I know it would totally ruin the end of the book; the character sketch of Scarlet. It would actually weaken the tale to know how and when Scarlet gets Rhett back.

I think you hit the nail on the head when you say that the story is about how a woman managed to survive the utter destruction of her world. Of what she had to do to bring her family back, to never starve. It's only after she has a handle on that, that she realizes she's lost a bit of herself in the process. I have no doubt that she and Rhett reconcile...but it really does have to happen beyond the pages of the classic. *Sigh* I really do love this post!

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Amanda @ Late Nights with Good Books link
11/6/2012 11:38:42 am

I love this post and agree with a lot of what Keertana has said. GWTW is definitely more about survival and also Scarlett's desire to stay relevant in a culture where women are continually suppressed. The movie does make it more into a romance, but for this story, at least, I didn't mind it. I'm not sure, however, whether I'd say its views of slavery and the Southern life during the Civil War are inaccurate, necessarily. This is a work of fiction and any story that touches on this subject without the author having grown up during it is going to be prone to artistic license and the author's interpretations. But this is a very well-written and thought-provoking piece (as mostly everything Keertana writes is!). It's reminded me how I really should go back and re-read the book.

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