GONE WITH THE WIND..

I was in the 10th grade when I read this book. Needless to say all of you have already heard of it.

GONE WITH THE WIND written by Margaret Mitchell is by far one of the best books I have EVER read. Written in the backdrop of the American Civil War (1861-1865), the book portrays the journey of a young Southern woman who stands up in this time of crisis and makes a place for herself in the chaos surrounding her. This is a book which shows the truth about war, the large scale destruction and loss of human lives and the gruesome after effects which scar the human soul for all time to come. In the midst of such a world, Scarlett O Hara, born and brought up in the Southern County with all the comforts a human could imagine, is suddenly faced with poverty. How this lovely, self willed and strong woman brings back life to her ruined land of TARA is the main theme of the book. All through this journey, she suffers as a human being who is a victim of unrequitted love. The one man she thought she loved married his cousin Melanie and refused to be with her. Although there are signs of weakness in Ashley's behaviour, he refrains from giving in to her. All through, sweet and kind Melanie loves the selfish Scarlett to death. Such is the irony of life. Scarlett becomes a woman who married only for convenience and not love. She even went on to snatch her sister's man, Frank Kennedy, for procuring the money needed to pay taxes for Tara. All through this ruinous journey, our amused Rhett Butler just watches Scarlett and falls for her with every passing day. No two people could have been more similar than them and no two people could be as ruthless, mercenary and selfish as them. Rhett knew that and loved her for what she was. But stubborn Scarlett could never see the truth even though it was presented to her on a silver platter. Finally when she marries Rhett after 2 marriages, she finds married bliss. But fool that she is, she couldn't see that. Until it was too late. Simply TOO late. By the time she understood how much she loved him, he had reached the very limit of his endurance.
Gone with the wind is one book which will always stand as an epic love story and it is the very ending which makes it epic.
I read the sequel SCARLETT, but it was nothing compared to Gone with the wind. Although Scarlett and Rhett come back together by the end of the second book, I feel that it will always be the first book which will leave an indelible impression on the reader's mind.

I watched the movie a few days ago. 5 years after reading the book. Yeah, I know it's a looong time.
As the movie began and scene after scene unfolded right in front of my eyes, the book became a living thing. Memories came flooding back, familiar but vague feelings swamped me again. Scarlett'O Hara's beauty struck me once again, Melanie's nature touched my heart once again, Ashley's behaviour exasperated me once again and Rhett Butler, he took my heart away..once again.
The book was a journey, a journey which can be parallelled by no other book. But the movie, the movie was an EXPERIENCE. The old world, the lovely charm, the warm cocoon of beauty and soft music.....all gone, never to come back again. All in the name of war.

For all of you who haven't watched the movie, go watch it this very instant! It is an....enriching experience!!