Reading Envy Readers discussion

The podcast episode posting April 16 announced a joint readalong - Sapphira and the Slave Girl by Willa Cather (hosted by The Book Cougars) and Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, hosted by yours truly.

Discussion for the Cather takes place over in the Book Cougars Goodreads group.

Discussion of Gone with the Wind will take place here. Feel free to open new threads around specific topics; I will start out by creating threads for each part.

Reading Schedule for Gone with the Wind

April 28-May 4 - Part 1
May 5 - 11 - Part 2
May 12 - 18 - Part 3
May 19 - 25 - Part 4
May 26 - June 1 - Part 5

Online discussion: TBD

Oh, you always pick the best books for this! Can't wait!

I’m intrigued to see what you have decided on.

I will be joining in on this, it’s a book that I feel I should have read by now.

I'm going to link to the episode where it's announced but will come back to add info later. Just want some to enjoy the surprise.

Looking forward to joining in which will be number 4 and enjoyed them all so far.

Excited to join! This book is on my ‘unread doorstops’ shelf.

Carol Ann wrote: "Oh, you always pick the best books for this! Can't wait!"
Have you read this one already?

Elizabeth☮ wrote: "I’m intrigued to see what you have decided on."

Mystery solved!

Shatterlings wrote: "I will be joining in on this, it’s a book that I feel I should have read by now."

Me too, totally. One of my book club friends says this is her favorite book and she rereads it every year (!)

Andrew wrote: "Looking forward to joining in which will be number 4 and enjoyed them all so far."

So glad you are joining in again, Andrew.

Amy wrote: "Excited to join! This book is on my ‘unread doorstops’ shelf."

That must be a heavy shelf!

Used an Audible credit in it this morning and starting on it on my Chicago road trip. I didn’t know it was this long- 48 hours!

Jeff wrote: "Used an Audible credit in it this morning and starting on it on my Chicago road trip. I didn’t know it was this long- 48 hours!"

That's a marathon!

I remember bringing it with me to a babysitting job, because the dad said something about it being such a fat book - I must have been about 13 or 14. I loved it then, but it's not one I can bring myself to re-read now. I will follow the discussion though!

I'm so excited about this readalong! I read GWTW about 20 years ago and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I've been a fan of the movie since I first saw it as a child and was ticking off reading the book as an American Classic I "should" read. Can't wait to dive back into it.

Nadine wrote: "I remember bringing it with me to a babysitting job, because the dad said something about it being such a fat book - I must have been about 13 or 14. I loved it then, but it's not one I can bring m..."

And as someone who until recently lived in Georgia, maybe you'll have location insights!

Chris wrote: "I'm so excited about this readalong! I read GWTW about 20 years ago and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I've been a fan of the movie since I first saw it as a child and was ticking off read..."

It's all new for me so I'm glad some of you have more experience with it. I know books can change with additional readings (or maybe we change, I don't know.)

This should be fun.

Ok is Cracker an offensive term, I kind of feel it is but it’s hard to understand this slang as a Brit?

So far I've seen two or three offensive terms about white people - cracker, swamp trash, white trash.

Far more of the black offensive terms though.

Yes it’s already pretty racist 😠.

Shatterlings wrote: "Yes it’s already pretty racist 😠."

It would have to be. All the rich people in the book are slaveowners, after all.

But I live in the south now. And I left a comment like this on your Instagram already, but I guess I have felt how very recent this era is for people who are "from" here. It's a very difficult truth that many people still are heavily influenced by this thinking. So in some ways I'm bearing witness to it.

Interestingly, the enslaved characters dialect is not easy to understand at first, so it forces me to slow down and really focus on them as characters. Which it feels right to do.

Interestingly, the enslaved characters dialect is not easy to understand at first, so it forces me to slow down and really focus on them as characters. Which it feels right to do..."

I'm listening on Audible and the narrator is doing a fantastic job going from one character to another which isn't easy for this book. Plus she sings the songs, too, which is great.

I've finished Part 1. **SPOILERS TO FOLLOW**
So many thoughts. I love Mitchell's writing and I am most certainly hooked on the story. I've only been able to listen via audio and there were definitely times when I wished I was reading and could underline, highlight, or write in the margins. She has some interesting turns of phrase. And then some funny things, like describing her 32 year old mother as "middle aged." Of course, back then, she most certainly was. The racism is really tricky and hard to endure, even from Mammy! It is interesting how palpable the looming war is and, yet, how focused on being lovelorn Scarlett remains. Alas, one must remember she is a teenager! The marriage to Charles and the birth of the baby completely shocked me, it all happened so fast.
Very interested to head into Part 2. Looking forward to others thoughts.

Emily wrote: "I've finished Part 1. **SPOILERS TO FOLLOW**
So many thoughts. I love Mitchell's writing and I am most certainly hooked on the story. I've only been able to listen via audio and there were definite..."

I really was not expecting that (view spoiler)[miracle baby to show up - it wasn't clear from the sobbing in bed scene that he would have had the nerve to have sex! (hide spoiler)] And we are jumped so far into the future in those last few pages that it makes me wonder what is happening next.

I really like this whole feeling that the war is whatever, because her personal drama is the focus. I feel like someone is bound to respond with, "Scoff, Millennials, am I right?"

I love how Mitchell describes people, and I do think (like the middle aged part) that we are supposed to know the facts behind the teenaged perspective. And it's so interesting how even though they are teenagers they are confronted with adult stuff so fast - there's the one 17 year old dealing with her first pregnancy, and of course there's the war.

Reading between the lines, what are we supposed to think is unique about Ashley? Is he supposed to be gay? Weak? Creative? (heaven forbid) Because he seems to think he can't ever give all of himself to anyone.... I was puzzled and felt like it was something that couldn't be said explicitly so of course it went over my head.

I read a few paragraphs at a book party last night, just about Scarlett looking at the spring turning to summer and wondering what to wear to the bbq because it had some parallels with my own day, and it struck me as I read it out loud how many words Mitchell uses that we don't use in every day speech, how many words I was guessing at pronunciation for. Crinoline. Redolent. Acrimonious.

I grew up influenced by southern culture and Gone With the Wind is one of my favorite books. I noticed some of the slang was new to a few of us. I understood it as a poor white person who moved around a lot, maybe a sharecropper.Scarlet is a well written character, as is Mammy, one of my favorite characters.

If people are still interested in learning about the American Civil War, particularly the military and political aspects, there is an excellent podcast call The Civil War (1861-1865): A History Podcast. It’s by a couple who have connections on both sides of the war. The wife is originally from Arkansas or Kentucky and her ancestors fought for the Confederacy and the husband is from Pennsylvania or Ohio and his ancestors fought for the Union. They are 280 episodes in and only at Vicksburg, which was fought prior to Gettysburg.

Melissa W wrote: "If people are still interested in learning about the American Civil War, particularly the military and political aspects, there is an excellent podcast call The Civil War (1861-1865): A History Pod..."

Sounds fascinating! Thanks for sharing this.

Here's a link to the discussion I had with the Book Cougars!