A Year of Blogging: June 30, 2011

Seventy-five years ago today, on June 30, 1936, the novel Gone With The Wind was first published. Gone With The Wind is my favorite book of all time. It is also my favorite movie of all time. While the movie is a good adaptation of the book, there are parts of the book that are vastly different from the movie. I was about 12 when I saw the movie for the first time. My friend Erin was already a huge Gone With The Wind fan, and after hearing her talk about it so much, Mom agreed I was old enough to see the movie. I fell in love instantly with the movie. I went to the town library the next day and checked out the book. I went home and started devouring the book. And I was shocked to learn that in the book, Scarlett has children with each of her three husbands. In the movie, she only has Bonnie Blue, and the baby that she miscarries when she falls down the stairs. After that first time, I have read the book at least once a year, and I have watched the movie at least as frequently. I know it by heart now, but it is no less captivating than it was 23 years ago when I first heard of Mammy, Scarlett, Tara and Twelve Oaks. I like the development as Scarlett as a character- from this seemingly simple minded boy crazy girl to an independent, albeit cold-hearted, business woman. I never understood how she could prefer Ashley to Rhett, but then I've always gone a little weak in the knees for tall, dark, and handsome. The best way to commemorate this great book is to of course, read it! Or maybe watch the movie. But if you don't have that kind of time today, perhaps you can do it tomorrow. "After all, tomorrow is another day!"