I've been reading Gone With the Wind for the past couple of weeks, and I'm only about 60% done. THANK GOD. I always avoided the book because of its length, and now I just wish it was longer.
I can't decide if I like Scarlett O'Hara. She's an interesting and captivating heroine, and at times, she is even admirable - but likeable? If Scarlett and I had gone to high school together, I'm fairly certain that (a) I would have thought she was a superficial bitch and (b) she would not have known I existed.
I could ramble on forever about this book, except I want to read a chapter before I start dinner. Here are a few quotes that I particularly love (so far!):
- Large numbers of books always depressed [Scarlett], as did people who liked to read large numbers of books. (I would have depressed the hell out of Miss O'Hara.)
- The only time crying ever did any good was when there was a man around from whom you wished favors. (And this is why I cannot completely like Scarlett).
- He was thunderstruck to discover that she could swiftly add a long column of figures in her head when he needed a pencil and paper for more than three figures. And fractions presented no difficulties to her at all. He felt there was something unbecoming about a woman understanding fractions and business matters and he believed that, should a woman be so unfortunate as to have such unladylike comprehension, she should pretend not to. (Speechless).
- Of course, there were unfortunate women who drank, to the eternal disgrace of their families, just as there were women who were insane or divorced or who believed, with Miss Susan B. Anthony, that women should have the vote. (Seriously? Insanity and women's suffrage are one and the same? I need to write Susan B. Anthony a thank you note, never mind that she's dead).
