After so many days of no new readings, i picked this novel from local library. I read the book in marathi , a translated version of the book.
The moment i started reading it, just could not suppress my desire of reading it in one shot. but, i had to put it down some time as i had daily chores to do.but, i used to read it's e-book version in my free time on job..For those 4/5 days,i had no time pass left, no orkutting, no rss feeds nothing... such was the attraction of that book.
It is a great love story of a girl named Scarlett O-hara and Rhett butler in the background of civil war of America which ends in a dramatic way. Yes, like other love stories we do not get goody goody ending and i think it is rare situation to have such thought in 1940's literature.
Book contains a great citing where few of my fav are listed at the end of the blog.
About book, the story unfolds in the era where American civil war was raging i.e in 1870's.I feel, without this background , the love story would not have been so effective as it seems right now to me.The main feminine figure of the book is Scarlett O-hara who is a daughter of Geranld O-hara who owns a plantation named Tara in Georgia. Scarlett is not portrayed as a good girl, but rather a bad girl only. She is rich, she is pretty with a obsession about her smallest waist in a province,she is kinda bad girl, envy girls ,wants to keep every man at her footstep.At the same time, she is selfish and foolish girls who misunderstands a no-love for her teenage boyfriend Ashley as love and stays deprived of love through out her life .She understands this at the end of book when Ashley ( her assumed love ) clears that he loved his wife. The dialog goes like this :
Ashley: [about Melanie, who is dying] I can't live without her. I can't. Everything I ever had is going with her... She's the only dream I ever had that didn't die in the face of reality. Scarlett: Ashley, you should have told me years ago that you loved her and not me, and not left me dangling with your talk of honor. But you had to wait till now, now when Melly's dying. To show me that I could never be any more to you than, than this Watling woman( Prostitute ) is to Rhett ... And I've loved something that doesn't really exist. Somehow, I don't care. Somehow, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter one bit.
On the other part, Scarlett is also a good example of aggressive woman of that era. She literally come out of war situation with her remaining family, so, obviously becomes dominant and aggressive. It was new idea for woman of that era to be aggressive. In fact, she did turn business-woman and literally made money for herself, and also for TARA (her beloved home and a dream of her father Gerald). Her love for her home, land carries her to the extend when she offers her everything to long time so-called friend Rhett butler. she shows immense loyalty towards her family and marries a man for few bucks. But at the deepest corner of heart, she yearns for money, for popularity ,to be a center of attraction always. At the end , she marries Rhett butler, who truly loves her and always helps her in her bad times. His epic saying at the time he proposed her when she was in mourning for her 2 nd husband , tells us all :
"Forgive me for startling you with the impetuosity of my sentiments, my dear Scarlett - I mean, my dear Mrs. Kennedy. But it cannot have escaped your notice that for some time past, the friendship I have felt for you has ripened into a deeper feeling. A feeling more beautiful, more pure, more sacred - Dare I name it? Can it be - love?... This is an honorable proposal of marriage, made at what I consider a most opportune moment. I can't go all my life waiting to catch you between husbands."
She marries him mostly for his money.. Though, he truly loves her, but thinks to wait for her till she gets over with ashley.. But, could not wait for her longer.. at the end when, she realizes that she do not love Ashley instead she loves Rhett, he pulles strings back. Now, he had moved over her and walks on her..
From my perspective, Rhett butler's character seemed like a true gentleman.He patiently waits for her but never discloses his true feelings for her.
The books ends with couple separating... and Rhett saying out those famous words to her upon her asking "where would she go, if he is leaving her" : "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn( i dont care where you go scarlett )!"........
It's a must read book with a rich language,good plot, good roles.. I truly njoyed reading it..Now, gonna watch this epic movie too.. :)
