salute to you, the o’hara!

I finished reading ‘Scarlett’, the sequel to ‘Gone with the Wind’. Though I took ages to read it, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Somehow, it looked like I didn’t want to finish reading the book, I didn’t want the story of Scarlett O’Hara to get over! I wanted it to be with me.. forever.

Scarlett O’Hara Hamilton Kennedy Butler – that’s how Scarlett is addressed in the opening paragraph of the book, thanks to her stupid marriages for the long name. But the book ends addressing her The O’Hara!

This is very apt as this book sees Scarlett growing up. This book belongs to Scarlett fully. In ‘Gone with the Wind’ there were so many other things and other people. But this story is hers. Even though it’s set in many places and there are many others who can be called supporting roles, you will only be thinking about amazing narration of Scarlett’s life.

I thought the development of the story from where Margaret Mitchell had stopped was the only right way. In this book Scarlett matures, and most importantly learns to love, to love unconditionally. She’s very adventurous, and goes places... literally!!

When I finished reading 'Gone with the Wind', I said Scarlett was one of best characters I have ever read. But now I say, Scarlett IS the best character I have ever read. Her original traits are carried to this book also, and there’s an added element to her personality in this book. Alexandra Ripley does a great job with the sequel. It’s not easy to write a sequel to a book like ‘Gone with the Wind’, but she pulls it off very well. I liked the way she built the story, specially with four sections which are called ‘Lost in the dark’, ‘High stakes’, ‘New life’, and ‘The tower’. And the ending couldn’t have been better!

I remember a thing Scarlett says, ‘It’s better I spent the rents in frocks instead of guns. Frocks won’t hurt anyone’. This is typical Scarlett way of thinking; yet, it has so much depth.