As a 6th grader my baby sitter told me I NEEDED to see Gone with the Wind. She warned me it was a little long, but so worth it. With great anticipation, I walked to the theater, bought myself a ticket and watched the show, with intermission, all by myself.
It WAS worth it
At the time I had no idea ‘Gone with the Wind‘ by Margaret Mitchell was a classic. A block buster in print, breaking sales records right and left. Then again as a movie with Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh.
The other day I was looking at the new shows on American Masters and the biography of Margaret was airing. Learning about her background ..the things she did, the experiences she had, I also wondered… how did all of that come together and explode as Gone With the Wind?
I saw the movie when I lived in Europe. Because we were not be there long, my parents took advantage of traveling and we stayed with a wonderful couple that lived on base. I will have ask my mom their names, I’ve forgotten. She taught me to play solitaire and they had a wonderful Chihuahua named Cookie, that I would love to pieces each time I visited. That is why when she told me to go watch a 3 hour movie by myself, I did it. I adored her.
It’s been a long time since I’ve watched the movie and I don’t think I ever read the book. I vividly remember Scarlet making a dress from curtains. That impressed me and I had not learned to sew yet, but I had a notebook full of dresses I’d drawn. Now I really need to read the book & watch the movie again, I’m adding it to my list of things to do.. and I think I’ll read a bio about Margaret.
Have you seen Gone with the wind, read the book, have a memory?
Oh yes! Read the book which I need to re-read and I watch the movie as often as I can which is at least once or twice a year every year. Not sure when I finally got to see the movie because my mom took my older sister to the theater and I got my ears pierced! Last year I made a drape dress out of upholstery fabric and wore it to Dickens on the Strand and entered a costume contest. Too bad I didn’t win anything but there were just too many wonderful period costumes and not enough ribbons!!!
I bet your dress was amazing!
My mom used to have a bunch of musty, old books in the basement. One of those books was Gone With The Wind. I read the over 600 pages in Grade 10 and did a book report for English class over 35 years ago. I was in my early 20s when I watched the movie. Both the book and movie remain on my top ten list of best ever! Oh, and who can forget Carol Burnett’s portrayal! ?
wow… what a great memory Carolyn!
My youngest daughter loved Gone with the Wind and in middle school she had a sleep over with several of her friends who did not know anything about the movie…my daughter was aghast! She couldn’t believe it as it was a classic. So they stayed up all night watching Gone with the Wind.
I’m glad she caught them all up on that Anne! Everyone has to see it
Margaret Mitchell bio a must read
totally not surprising the book she
wrote!
She has an amazing journey before writing Gone with the Wind, I agree it’s fascinating Judy!
Gone with the Wind is one of my all time favorite books.
I’ve read it and reread it many times. And now I think I will read it again. Loved the movie also.
Another book that I loved is ” The Thorn Birds” check it out,
I saw The Thorn Birds mini-series but didn’t read the book, I’ll check it out!
Flash backs thanks Pat
Love this other side if you we get to see.
I think it will be fun to chat about things! Thanks Patty!
Gregg had a great idea, as usual. I’m so excited about your new blog.
I loved to blog, but I lost interest when it seemed like so many of my blogging friends started businesses and that’s all they talked about. I was just having fun with mine talking about random things along with my quilting.
I understood that you had a business, and I didn’t mind it from you. You always were an innovator, and were a step ahead (you were talking about owls and cupcakes long before they became popular) of everyone else. I remember when you first talked about podcasts, You-Tube, and I relunctantly joined Facebook when you did. I was one of your first followers. That seems like so long ago!
Thanks to you, I have made many friends from your blog and your yahoo group; they are lifelong friends.
I’m looking forward to seeing your posts.
Hi Amanda!! What a very sweet note. Managing all things in life, technology, where people read, all the fun… is crazy… good crazy. I love to write, and i love to know what people are interested in. Some do this at their personal page at Facebook. But i like to be able to share a richer story…. I’m so happy you wrote and stopped in. I hope our paths cross again someday!
Me, too! I always loved seeing you at quilt shows. In the meantime, we can see each other on our favorite social media places. You’ll always have a special place in my heart. You’re just as sweet in person as you are on the Internet. Again, I am going to enjoy this blog, too. Big hugs to you! ?
Yes we can!! big Hugs back!
I read Gone With The Wind when I was in high school. I joined the Double Day One Dollar Book Club just so I could get that as one of my first free books. My friends wanted to borrow it at the school library but we couldn’t find it so we asked the librarian. She was SHOCKED and said they would never have a book like that in her library! Oh my, we walked out laughing. This was in 1954! And, yes, I have seen the movie a few times!
The church I attended as a teenager told us not to read the book or see the movie in 1968. You can guess what I did. I spent the next weekend with the book and saw the movie as soon as possible.
of course you did!! my ‘had to read & see’ was Rosemary’s baby. read the book first
Pat, I am in awe that you can do one more thing! You are an inspiration!
You are so sweet Susan, thank you!
Saw the movie long ago, maybe will watch it again soon…while I quilt on Merry and Bright. Glad you opened this site, looking forward to much more.
I did subscribe to Blueprint about a month ago. I really like having it.
Thank you for joining me!! i have not watched it for a long time either Mary Ellen, need to & I love Bluprint, so many great things there to inspire and help me learn new things.
Had not read the book, so decided to join the club. Finished it last night. Must say that I was disappointed. Oh, I know, I’m a westerner, but I lived in the south for 30-some years, raised my family there, miss being there. Maybe it was the writing style, so tightly drawn, so redundant, no space for the imagination to work. And none of the characters drew my empathy. But, hey, now I can say that I have read it! 🙂
Yes You can say you read it! Written in 1936 I imagine her south was different than the one you enjoyed.
So true! Culture can change rapidly in 25 years. From WWII to the race riots. Difficult years.
even more so when the book took place during our Civil War, which was 1861 to 1865. Not even her era. 🙂
Yes. I think my hesitancy stems from being a somewhat literal person; therefore, I must be careful not to take the writer’s representation of southerners to be more than her own imagination with a collection of fictional individuals. Even tho’ it probably is the most widely recognized novel of the Civil War. sigh Would love to talk with my grandparents about the years immediately following. Thank you for bearing with my negative comments.
There are so many books and readers in the world, which is why we can all find something that we enjoy! I wish I had thought to talk to my grandparents about things .. but when I was younger that just didn’t occur to me. And even if I did, they might not have told me, wink!
Pat, how in the world do you have time for everything? You must not require much sleep? I would love to be able to get things done between 12 and 6 a.m., but alas! I must sleep!
i sleep too Cathy!