Gone with the Wind. By Margaret Mitchell. Full Audiobook
Gone with the Wind is a novel by Margaret Mitchell that was published in 1936. The story is set in the American South during the Civil War and Reconstruction era. The protagonist, Scarlett O'Hara, is a headstrong Southern belle who is determined to survive the hardships of the war and afterward. The novel is a sprawling epic that follows Scarlett's life as she navigates the challenges of the war and its aftermath.
The novel begins in the spring of 1861, just before the outbreak of the Civil War. Scarlett O'Hara, a pretty Southern belle, lives on Tara, a large plantation in Georgia. She is preoccupied with her numerous suitors and her desire to marry Ashley Wilkes. However, Ashley is engaged to Melanie Hamilton, his frail, plain cousin from Atlanta. At a barbecue at the Wilkes plantation, Scarlett confesses her feelings to Ashley. He tells her that he does love her but that he is marrying Melanie because she is similar to him, whereas he and Scarlett are very different. Scarlett slaps Ashley and he leaves the room. Suddenly Scarlett realizes that she is not alone. Rhett Butler, a scandalous but dashing adventurer, has been watching the whole scene, and he compliments Scarlett on being unladylike.
The Civil War begins, and Scarlett marries Charles Hamilton, Melanie's timid, dull brother, out of spite. Over the course of two months, Scarlett and Charles marry, Charles joins the army and dies of the measles, and Scarlett learns that she is pregnant. After Scarlett gives birth to a son, Wade, she becomes bored and unhappy. She makes a long trip to Atlanta to stay with Melanie and Melanie's aunt, Pittypat. The busy city agrees with Scarlett's temperament, and she begins to see a great deal of Rhett. Rhett infuriates Scarlett with his bluntness and mockery, but he also encourages her to flout the severely restrictive social requirements for mourning Southern widows.
As the war progresses, food and clothing run scarce in Atlanta. Scarlett and Melanie fear for Ashley's safety. After the bloody battle of Gettysburg, Ashley is captured and sent to prison, and the Yankee army begins bearing down on Atlanta. Scarlett desperately wants to return home to Tara, but she has promised Ashley she will stay with the pregnant Melanie, who could give birth at any time. On the night the Yankees capture Atlanta and set it afire, Melanie gives birth to her son, Beau. Rhett helps Scarlett and Melanie escape the Yankees, escorting them through the burning streets of the city, but he abandons them outside Atlanta so he can join the Confederate Army. Scarlett drives the cart all night and day through a dangerous forest full of deserters and soldiers, at last reaching Tara. She arrives to find that her mother, Ellen, is dead; her father, Gerald, has lost his mind; and the Yankee army has looted the plantation, leaving no food or cotton. Scavenging for subsistence, a furious Scarlett vows never to go hungry again.
Scarlett takes charge of rebuilding Tara. She murders a Yankee thief and puts out a fire set by a spiteful Yankee soldier. She also marries Frank Kennedy, a wealthy businessman, to help her rebuild the plantation. However, Scarlett is still in love with Ashley, and she has an affair with him. When Frank discovers the affair, he is killed in a brawl. Scarlett then marries Rhett, but their marriage is tumultuous, and Rhett eventually leaves her.
The novel ends with Scarlett realizing that she loves Rhett and that she wants him back. She vows to win him back, saying, "Tomorrow is another day."
In summary, Gone with the Wind is a sweeping romantic story about the American Civil War from the point of view of the Confederacy. The novel is a sprawling epic that follows the life of Scarlett O'Hara, a Southern belle who is forced to confront the harsh realities of the Civil War and Reconstruction. The novel is a classic of American literature and has been adapted into a successful film. .
More: Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell, Civil War
Georgia, Pulitzer Prize, Romance
Historical Fiction, Ashley Wilkes, Melanie Hamilton
Scarlett O'Hara, Rhett Butler, Passion
Desire, South, Atlanta
00:00:00 Part 3. Chapter 17
00:55:51 Chapter 18
01:34:45 Chapter 19
02:11:26 Chapter 20
02:33:06 Chapter 21
03:11:05 Chapter 22
03:27:01 Chapter 23
04:14:07 Chapter 24
05:26:46 Chapter 25
06:00:54 Chapter 26
06:54:06 Chapter 27
07:25:02 Chapter 28
08:04:00 Chapter 29
08:36:24 Chapter 30
09:16:19 Part 4. Chapter 31
09:57:45 Chapter 32
10:35:50 Chapter 33
