I’m guessing that it’s popularity is partly down to the characters of Scarlett and Rhett, but also stems from the subject matter of the Civil War, so integral to American History, and the perspective from whichthese events are seen. The book was first published in 1936, earned Mitchell the Pulitzer Prize in 1937 and has been named as America’s second favourite book of all time (topped only by the Bible…). The battle of Scarlett, and indeed of the South in general, to adjust to and thrive under their new circumstances over the subsequent 12 years gives us a fantastic story of love, suffering, endurance, pride, struggle and survival. I have this regret because I really, really enjoyed this book and I think that, had I read it earlier in my life, I might have spent more time reading around some of the subjects raised in it.įor those of you who also haven’t got round to Gone with the Wind yet, it’s essentially a coming of age story, following southern belle, Scarlett O’Hara, as her privileged and idyllic plantation lifestyle is dramatically interrupted by the outbreak of the American Civil War. If I had, I probably would have been prompted into reading the book a lot sooner. I know I’ve said this about a few books from this list, but given that I grew up watching the extended production of Pride & Preju dice numerous times, it’s a bit crazy that I had never seen the film of Gone with the Wind. I can’t believe it took me so long to read Gone with the Wind. I was in the middle of writing a post reviewing another book when I finished Gone with the Wind and I just wanted to get my thoughts down as soon as possible because I was so excited about it.

Margaret gone with the wind